Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs: Will the minister inform the House what action the government has taken in response to the use of a Russian nerve agent in the United Kingdom on 4 March this year?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Menzies for his question. The Prime Minister and I have announced that two Russian diplomats will be expelled from Australia. This follows action that I took earlier today in making a determination pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of persona non grata against two Russian diplomats who are working as undeclared intelligence officers in Australia. The Russian ambassador was advised that they have seven days to leave the country.

This is not a decision that we take lightly, but Australia stands in solidarity with the United Kingdom and with the 23 other countries that have also expelled Russian diplomats in expressing our outrage at the deployment of a Russian military-grade nerve agent in an attempted assassination in the United Kingdom, an attempted assassination that, in fact, could have affected the lives of hundreds of other people. This is a serious breach of the international rules based order. In fact, it is the first time that a chemical agent has been deployed offensively in Europe since the Second World War.

Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and as such has a special particular responsibility to uphold global peace and security. Australia condemns the use of chemical weapons anywhere, anytime. In fact, the last occasion that diplomats were expelled from Australia was in 2012 when the Australian government expelled two Syrian diplomats in relation to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Australia is a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and we are the permanent chair of the Australia Group—that's 43 nations that work to prevent the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons. In those capacities as well, Australia must take action, for this act was intolerable. I remain in direct communication with the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, and we will continue to work with the United Kingdom and other countries in condemning this act, which is a blatant breach of the international rules based order and is an affront to our collective humanity.

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

On indulgence, Mr Speaker, I acknowledge the communication from both the Prime Minister and the security agencies this morning to the opposition to brief us on the decision to expel these two Russian diplomats—so-called—from Australia. I think it is important that all Australians know that, when matters such as this arise, it doesn't matter which party is in government or opposition, leaders work together. Labor supports this decision. We think it appropriate, we think it proportionate and we think it right for Australia to stand together with our friends in the United Kingdom and the international community.

In conclusion, we have not forgotten 2014. We have not forgotten the 38 Australians who were murdered on flight MH17. I acknowledge Prime Minister Abbott's standing up for Australia then, with our support, and we must continue to stand up to thuggery and criminality on the international stage. President Putin and his government must understand there are real consequences for engaging on attacks on foreign soil and for refusing to tell the truth about it. The global community is united on this and so is the Parliament of Australia.