Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please update the House about recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and the government's response?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning I convened a meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet, and the committee was briefed by our intelligence agency heads and Defence chiefs. As honourable members will be aware, the North Korean regime has boasted of a sixth nuclear test, with a seismic event of a 6.1 magnitude on the Richter scale, detected underground yesterday at a North Korean nuclear test site. This is considerably larger than any previous nuclear tests. The North Korean regime claims it is a hydrogen bomb. It is certainly consistent with a thermonuclear weapon of that type, but it is not yet established whether it was in fact a hydrogen bomb.

Nonetheless, this is yet another reckless and dangerous step in the conduct of this rogue regime in North Korea. Only last week North Korea fired a missile which travelled over northern Japan and landed about 800 kilometres to the east in the Pacific Ocean. I spoke shortly afterwards with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, and offered him our strongest solidarity. We agreed that we would at the soonest opportunity be meeting again with our partner in the trilateral security dialogue, the United States. We condemned that action by the North Korean regime as we condemn today this shocking test.

This is the most dangerous moment in time on the Korean Peninsula since the end of the Korean War. Much is at stake. The reckless and illegal conduct of this regime cannot be rewarded. We have to ensure that the global community continues to impose stronger and stronger sanctions on North Korea.

The nation with the greatest leverage over North Korea is China. I want to be very clear to honourable members: China finds North Korea's conduct frustrating and dismaying. China has condemned it strongly and has stated unequivocally that it will implement the latest range of Security Council sanctions—for which, of course, China voted as a permanent member of the Security Council. So it's important to understand North Korea is not an obedient client state of China like East Germany was to the former Soviet Union. Nonetheless, China has the greatest leverage and hence the greatest responsibility. And so we call on China to use that economic leverage to bring this rogue regime to its senses.

I want to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of the ambassador for Japan, Ambassador Kusaka. I say to the ambassador, as I said to his Prime Minister, that we stand in solidarity with the people of Japan and the people of South Korea, with the whole global community in standing up to this rogue regime and demanding that it come to its senses. The global community, thoroughly united, brings the strongest economic sanctions to bear to ensure this reckless and dangerous conduct ceases.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just before I call the Leader of the Opposition, I point out to the House that people were drawing my attention to the clock on these matters. There is an agreement, I understand, between the sides that we can run on, and that's why the Prime Minister went on for a little over a minute more than the allotted three minutes. The Leader of the Opposition, I imagine, is seeking indulgence now the matter has been raised and I will allow him to speak on indulgence as briefly as he can.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to say to all Australians who may be watching or listening to these proceedings in parliament that, whatever disagreements might colour the next hour or so, on this question the parliament is of one mind. Keeping our people safe is the first priority and responsibility of all who serve in the parliament. The security of our nation and our region in the world unites this parliament and that is precisely as it should be.

Labor unreservedly condemns North Korea's deliberate, dangerous and provocative nuclear testing. It is a regime that force-feeds its people on propaganda whilst they starve in poverty. It is a dictatorship that calls itself democratic whilst its people suffer in slave labour. It is a regime with no respect for the security of our region or the future of global peace. This latest nuclear test is a calculated demonstration of contempt—contempt for the international community as a whole and for China and its nearest neighbours in particular; the Chinese government who has explicitly called for these nuclear and ballistic missile programs not to proceed. Every nation must do what it can to turn North Korea back from this incredibly dangerous path on which it has embarked. As Secretary Mattis has said, 'If this goes to a military solution, it is going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale.' Therefore, every nation must present North Korea with an unequivocal message: halt your nuclear program, de-escalate your aggression and turn back from this path to conflict upon which you have embarked.