Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | Hansard source

It's been 2½ years since Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. During that time the coalition's support for Ukraine has remained absolutely unwavering. As a nation we must continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine and its people, to honour their bravery and to grieve the losses and the unspeakable injuries inflicted by Russia's abhorrent actions. We must continue to recognise the strength of a people who, against all odds, have courageously defended their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, their freedom and their homes.

Importantly, we must never, never forget that Ukraine's war is Australia's war. Although fought on Ukrainian soil, Ukrainians are fighting in Australia's national interest and in the interests of all like-minded countries across the world. This is a war between democracy and autocracy. That's why Ukraine must prevail. The geopolitical importance of Ukrainian independence for the security of Europe cannot be underestimated. A Russian victory would not only sacrifice Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity but also threaten the stability of Europe itself. The Russian leadership would be revitalised. They would be in control of Ukraine's vast human and material resources, and they would loom large on the eastern border of our NATO alliance.

Closer to home, Russia's aggression has already had a significant impact on Indo-Pacific security dynamics. If Russia were to be victorious, it would embolden like-minded nations right across the Indo-Pacific to act, right on Australia's doorstep. In May and June this year Russia's President Putin visited China, North Korea and Vietnam. His aim was to shore up key strategic partnerships between these countries and their leaders. Australia must remain resolved, and we must play our part in defending the peace in our region. Token words are not enough.

It's beholden on the government of the day, the Albanese government, to support the Ukrainian war effort with practical assistance. Within two months of Russia's invasion, the former coalition government delivered a comprehensive $285 million package of support to Ukraine. This included military and humanitarian assistance, visas for Ukrainians seeking shelter in Australia and more than 79,000 tonnes of thermal coal. We also applied more than 800 sanctions on Russian individuals, entities and their supporters. Today, we continue to offer our bipartisan support to this government.

However, leadership from the highest level of this government is lacking, as far as I'm concerned. It's the responsibility of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to stop dragging their feet and stop finding excuses to act. It's not good enough that Ukrainian officials had to plead for six months before the Albanese government finally sent shipments of thermal coal—coal that was desperately needed to meet the nation's energy needs as Russia targeted its power plants with precision guided missiles and drone attacks. In contrast, the coalition government was the largest contributor of coal to Ukraine of any non-NATO country.

On this side we stand ready to provide full bipartisan support to the government to implement all sensible mechanisms that would aid Ukraine's self-defence. Australia must remain steadfast in its commitment to Ukraine to reconfirm that we stand with like-minded nations, fight for the rule of law and fight for national sovereignty. These are the global principles Ukraine is fighting for on behalf of every Australian, every day—principles that underpin peace and prosperity in our region and right across the world.

Token words aren't enough. The Albanese government is beholden not to fall behind like-minded partners. Labor must act quickly. As the old saying goes, 'Si vis pacem, para bellum'—if we desire peace, then we must be prepared for war.

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