Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) two and half years since the further illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Ukrainian military forces continue to bravely defend their homeland;

(b) Australia risks, again, falling behind like-minded partners in supporting Ukraine unless the Government moves to quickly back the G7 agreement of a $50 billion USD loan for Ukraine obtained through frozen Russian assets;

(c) having claimed legal difficulties as justification to not use Russian assets, the Government now needs to stop finding excuses to not support Ukraine and wholeheartedly commit to doing all that Australia possibly can;

(d) unlike the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and France, Australia has not yet made any contribution to the unfolding global debate to the transfer of funds from Russia's frozen assets to Ukraine to assist with their war effort;

(e) if Australia's laws need amending to better target Russian assets or make more effective sanctions on Russia, then the Opposition will support sensible amendments to facilitate this;

(f) the Opposition, since the beginning of Russia's abhorrent and illegal further invasion of Ukraine, has offered full bipartisan support to the Government to implement all possible mechanisms that would aid Ukraine's self-defence;

(g) instead of acting wherever it can to assist Ukraine, the Government has let Australia's relative support decline by:

(i) junking Taipan military helicopters;

(ii) refusing assistance by not sending Hawkeii protected mobility vehicles;

(iii) ignoring calls to reinstate Australia's embassy in Kyiv; and

(iv) turning down requests for coal; and

(2) condemns the Government for its failure to assist Ukraine in its hour of dire need.

Australia risks again falling behind like-minded partners supporting Ukraine unless the Albanese government moves to quickly back the G7 agreement to a US$50 billion loan for Ukraine obtained through frozen Russian assets. Having claimed legal difficulties as justification to not use Russian assets, the Albanese government now needs to stop finding excuses to not support Ukraine and wholeheartedly commit to doing all that Australia possibly can.

If Australia's laws need changing to better target Russian assets or make more effective sanctions on Russia, then all Labor needs to do is act, because the coalition is clear in its support. Since the beginning of Russia's abhorrent and illegal invasion of Ukraine, the coalition has offered full bipartisan support to the Labor government to implement all possible mechanisms that would aid Ukraine's self-defence. Instead of acting wherever it can, Labor has let Australia's relative support decline, including by junking military helicopters, by making some cockamamie argument it can't provide Hawkei vehicles because the antilock braking system isn't quite up to scratch, by ignoring calls to reinstate Australia's embassy in Kyiv and by turning down requests for coal.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to approximately US$300 billion in Russian central bank foreign currency reserves being frozen in G7 countries. Over the past two years, multiple analyses have been published demonstrating that a transfer of Russian assets to Ukraine would vindicate respect for international law and alleviate the burdens on Ukrainian and Western taxpayers because of Russian aggression. Unlike the UK and Canada, Australia has not yet weighed in on the unfolding global debate as to the transfer of Russia's frozen assets to Ukraine. Australia's contribution to this debate is well overdue.

The coalition have said that when Labor fails to act we will explore Senate inquiries or other mechanisms to put pressure on the Albanese government to do so. On 27 March 2024 the coalition was successful in referring the issue of Australian support for Ukraine to a Senate inquiry. This committee has been examining Australian support for Ukraine, with a focus on whether Australian support is sufficient, timely and coordinated in a manner that optimises opportunities drawing on government, industry and allied initiatives, and is due to report back on 16 September 2024. The coalition will also be examining the mechanisms to freeze and confiscate assets belonging to sanctioned persons and entities and how the proceeds can be used to benefit people and countries impacted by the behaviour of sanctioned individuals and entities as part of a broader Senate inquiry into Australia's sanctions regime.

It's not just the coalition raising these concerns; as reported in the Australian on 9 April 2024, an eminent group of former politicians, academics, ambassadors and doctors wants the federal government to redirect $9 billion of frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine. While Australia might not contain the largest pool of assets, we should at least be contributing to the debate. The United States is leading the global initiative for the payment of reparations to Ukraine via the transfer of forfeited Russian assets, although it controls only a minority of frozen Russian assets. Other than the US, Canada is the only other G7 nation that presently has a legal regime authorising the transfer of Russian sovereign assets to Ukraine.

As mentioned before, the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee has been examining Australian support for Ukraine, with a focus on whether Australian support is sufficient, timely and coordinated in a manner that optimises opportunities drawing on government, industry and allied initiatives. The coalition continues to stand with Ukraine. We honour the bravery and strength of the people of Ukraine, who continue to courageously defend their sovereignty, their freedom and their homes. We share their sadness at lives lost as they resist Russian forces—especially the innocent women and children who suffer from Russia's indiscriminate attacks. The government has refused to provide most of the military capabilities Ukraine have been publicly campaigning for, including tanks, Hawkeis and Taipan helicopters. We urge the government to reopen the Australian embassy in Kyiv as a strong show of support for Ukraine and base Australia's incoming ambassador for Ukraine in Kyiv. Slava Ukraini.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our government is unwavering in its support of the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia's unprovoked and unjustifiable war. Australia continues to stand with Ukraine as we work with our partners to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. I was glad to be able to pass that message on directly to members of Ukraine's government and armed forces when Senator Fawcett and I represented the Australian parliament in Copenhagen at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Last year, I also had the honour of visiting the 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment from my electorate in Darwin. I visited them in the United Kingdom and spent time with them. As part of Operation Kudu, they were training members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Operation Kudu is the Australian Defence Force's commitment to the training of those Ukraine recruits, working alongside partner nations as part of the UK-led training program to build additional capacity for Ukraine to defend their homeland. It focuses on basic infantry tactics, which we observed, in urban and wooded environments, such as those in which they find themselves facing the invading Russians. Building on our reputation as a highly regarded partner, Australia will now also build on Operation Kudu by joining NATO's new security and training initiative for Ukraine as an operational partner.

In addition, under Operation Kudu, a Royal Australian Air Force Wedgetail aircraft was deployed to Germany in support of multinational efforts to protect the vital gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. Up to 180 air personnel deployed with the Wedgetail. Australia was honoured to provide this aircraft to help protect the vital lifeline of humanitarian aid and military assistance entering Ukraine. These are just some of examples of our government's approach to the crisis in Ukraine.

The approach has been substantial, ongoing and bipartisan, largely. The government's meaningful support totals over $1.3 billion to date, and $1.1 billion of that has been in military assistance. Australia continues to be the largest non-NATO military contributor to Ukraine. Since we came to office two years ago, we have more than doubled the military contributions to Ukraine, making us that largest non-NATO contributor of military assistance. Last month, we announced Australia's single largest military assistance package, worth around a quarter of a billion dollars. The package includes air defence missiles, air-to-ground weapons including guided weapons, antitank weapons, artillery, mortar, cannon and small-arms ammunition, and a shipment of boots. These contributions ensure the men and women of the Armed Forces of Ukraine can continue their vital efforts on the frontline.

During his visit to Washington last week, the DPM also joined other partners in signing a memorandum of understanding on the Drone Coalition. This follows our government's $30 million commitment to provide drones to Ukraine as part of this important coalition. We have also provided demining equipment, portable X-ray machines, a 3D metal printer and counterdrone systems, which is some of the Australian-developed equipment that will contribute to the defence of Ukraine. I'm very proud that this assistance from Australia included 3D metal printers made by a local Darwin company based at Charles Darwin University, SPEE3D.

These contributions provide Ukraine with some of the best capabilities in the world while investing in Australia's sovereign defence industry and tech sector. This latest support takes Australia's overall assistance to Ukraine to approximately $910 million, including the provision of Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, heavy artillery, critical ammunition and contributions to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. A few months ago, in June, we announced $31 million in energy and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Overall, our government remains committed and will do more.

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I genuinely want to congratulate my good friend, the member for Solomon, my co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of AUKUS, on his new role as the Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia. Congratulations to him. It's been nice to work closely with him on the Parliamentary Friends of AUKUS, and, in his new role, I hope he continues supporting not just AUKUS but also Ukraine, because the coalition does stand in support of the government when it comes to better targeting Russian assets and putting more effective sanctions on Russia.

We've always said from the start of this invasion that we would offer full bipartisan support to the Labor government in implementing all possible mechanisms that aid Ukraine's self-defence, so I congratulate the member for Solomon and look forward to continuing to work with him on AUKUS and also to ensure we support Ukrainian people. The abhorrent, illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine by Russia has tested us as a Western democracy. It has tested the global response, and so far we have stood up—led, obviously, by the Ukrainian people—but there is more that we need to continue to do. Across the world we are seeing a global struggle for freedom and democracy as authoritarian regimes flex their muscles. Whether it's in Ukraine, the Middle East or Iran, we're seeing these challenges.

I'm very lucky in Casey to have a strong Iranian diaspora. They have been devastated to see the political death-penalty murders of many of those who have fought for freedom in Iran. Just last week, Reza Rasaei, a young man, was executed for standing up for his political beliefs. The member for Menzies and I, as political sponsors, both sponsored Reza to do what we could to ensure his freedom, but, unfortunately, he was executed last week.

The Woman, Life, Freedom movement that was established in Iran after the abhorrent killing of Mahsa Amini has not stopped. There are many in Iran that have continued to agitate and work under the radar for freedom and democracy in that country. There are many in the Iranian community in Australia that have supported them, risking their own lives and the freedom of their family back at home who are continuing to protest and continuing to work every day to ensure democracy and freedom comes to the Iranian people. We need to continue to stand with them and support them at this tough time. I was proud to sign as a political sponsor and I'll continue to stand with the Iranian community in Australia as they fight for their democracy and their freedom.

We're seeing this struggle across the globe, and in many cases the Ukrainian people are on the front line of that challenge—that battle of ideologies and beliefs. We, as a parliament—the Australian government and the opposition—need to do everything we can to support them. There are many different ways, through official channels but also through private business, that Australia as a country is helping. One organisation that's received coverage and is doing a great job is SYPAQ, a Melbourne company out at Port Melbourne. They have developed cheap and efficient cardboard drones that are being utilised by the Ukrainians to ensure that they can not only keep Ukrainian people safe but also start to turn back the invasion.

There are many ways we can continue to support organisations like SYPAQ. It was wonderful to see, about two weeks ago, that they were successful in a process with the Department of Defence, receiving funding to continue to ramp up drone production, for Australia's use and also for use in Ukraine. What we've seen in this battle between Ukraine and Russia is a change in warfare, moving to a drone based system, and that has fundamentally changed how we go about these battles. The implications are profound for many in the community, particularly as we look at artificial intelligence and how we control these drones and target different areas of opponents and enemies while keeping civilians safe.

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to talk on this motion about Ukraine. What's important when we talk about this is the Australian government's commitment and support, which have been steadfast and reliable, for the people of Ukraine. Ukraine's strength, in the face of this illegal invasion, is a testament to that nation's endurance. That's why we have been steadfast in our continued support. Such an egregious breach of sovereignty unites Australians behind the efforts to support our allies. We marvel at their endurance and their spirit as they fight for their culture, for their livelihoods and for democracy, which is why the Albanese Labor government has continued to provide support through our words, our sanctions and, most importantly, our financial aid to Ukraine.

Our support for the Ukrainian government should be above politics, but it's not. The member who proposed this motion has been fairly consistently engaged with the issue of the Russian invasion into Ukraine—and I give him that. But, while we get these cheap words, there's a lack of acknowledgement of what the Australian government has done and continues to do, which is outstanding. This shouldn't be a political football, something for the opposition to kick about whenever they want to crank up their rhetoric, especially when their own party is infiltrated by pro-Russian supporters. It is hypocrisy, but at this point it's to be expected.

We shouldn't expect much more when we have people like Senator Antic—the top of the Senate ticket for South Australia, their No. 1 choice—parading on the Senate floor talking about 'the little fellow from Ukraine, whatever his name is'. That's an appalling statement to make. You'd think he'd realise, 'I've made a blue,' and maybe move on, but no. Following that, when it was mentioned, he said, 'Who cares?' That is the No. 1 person that Peter Dutton—the member for Dixon and Leader of the Opposition—wants in the Senate, and that is what he's saying about the President of Ukraine.

To come in with a motion like this is just utter hypocrisy. They accuse the government of not doing enough, when we've continually reaffirmed Australia's commitment to Ukraine. In case you missed it, we recently provided Australia's largest single military assistance package, worth just under $250 million. This package, communicated to Ukraine's President Zelenskyy—alongside the 'Indo-Pacific four' partners—at the recent NATO summit in Washington, reflects our ongoing commitment. It puts us on a par with many of our allies, not only those in our region but also our European friends. This assistance reflects the national resolve, as an ally and a friend, to repel this illegal invasion. Our military package includes defence missiles, air-to-ground weapons—including guided weapons—anti-tank weapons, artillery, mortar, canon, small-arms ammunition and even shipments of boots, ensuring that the men and women of Ukraine's armed forces can continue their efforts on the front line.

Since the conflict started, Australia has imposed more than 1,200 sanctions in response to Russia's full-scale invasion. These sanctions have reflected the Australian government's position that those supporting Russia's illegal war will face consequences. As the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence has said:

We stand with Ukraine in support of its courageous people and also in defence of a fundamental principle—the right of every sovereign nation to be secure in its own borders and to determine its own future.

These actions not only align with this government's consistent foreign policy and stance on global issues but also reflect the views of Australians. Just recently, the Lowy Institute put out polling that shows that, as of 2024, 62 per cent of Australians strongly support keeping strict sanctions on Russia. An additional 24 per cent indicated that they are supportive of sanctions. The Australian people are with us on that. The international community are with us on that. The only people complaining are the opposition. We'll continue our commitment to protect innocent civilians in Ukraine. But the next time you see the opposition come into this chamber, and accuse the government of not doing enough for Ukraine, it would be great if their backbenchers could denounce Senator Antic's words and the view that he put forward.

I had the honour of being able to listen, along with the member for Fisher, to President Zelenskyy at the United Nations last year—to hear from a man who was genuinely fighting for his people. You'd think that this parliament would support that. I look forward to the Liberals getting up, saying 'Antic is wrong' and supporting Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.

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

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Slava Ukraini. Australians have followed news reports from Ukraine with horror and sadness since the brutal Russian invasion. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at the two-year mark this senseless war had claimed the lives of over 10,000 civilians and injured nearly 20,000. The same reports also indicate that the actual numbers are most likely significantly higher. Of course, these figures do not illustrate the effect of the mass displacement of civilians, the loss of livelihoods and the collective trauma suffered by the Ukrainian nation. It's even more difficult to gauge the loss of life and casualties among military personnel, as Ukraine does not release these figures. Estimates range from 30,000 to 70,000 deaths. Russian deaths and casualties, both civilian and military, are similarly challenging to estimate, let alone verify, but are undoubtedly higher because of Russian military tactics.

These tragic figures are the backdrop to the daily news reports we see, featuring terms like 'counter-offensive', 'blockade', 'occupied territory', 'bombardment', 'incursion', 'civilian exodus' and 'missile strike'. Even when we don't know the specifics, these words paint a picture of horror, destruction, death and emergency humanitarian need, which is why the Albanese Labor government has been steadfast in its support of Ukraine since coming to office. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence have made visits there, confirming that our support remains resolute. A despot's military takeover should never be tolerated. It only emboldens and begets more brutality and horror.

Australian support is more than symbolic under both Labor and the LNP; it's bipartisan, concrete, effective and ongoing. This support has totalled over $1.3 billion to date. Of this, $1.1 billion has been in military assistance. Since coming to office Labor has more than doubled our military contribution. Most recently, in July the Minister for Defence announced a military package worth around $250 million. The package includes air defence missiles and air-to-ground weapons including guided weapons, anti-tank weapons and ammunition. This announcement also included Australia's decision to join NATO's new security and training initiative as an operational partner. This measure indicates our commitment to supporting Ukraine.

ADF personnel have trained over 1,450 Ukrainian armed forces personnel in the UK on infantry tactics for urban and wooded environments. I recently met the crew of the RAAF E-71 Wedgetail, deployed to the region for six months to secure a crucial gateway for international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine; I met them out at Canberra Airport. Over the course of the war Australia has provided 120 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, 56 armoured vehicles, six howitzers, trailers and special operations vehicles, ammunition and anti-armour weapons, body armour, personal combat equipment and clothing, and counter-drone systems. We've also supplied humanitarian assistance, with a $31 million energy and humanitarian aid package, and $20 million is being directed to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which provides electricity and heat for civilians and enables repairs to the energy grid. This amount may be directed towards buying coal, with the added benefit of no shipping and insurance costs.

The government maintains close contact with the Ukrainian embassy to ensure that our contributions are effective. We're confident in this approach, with Ukraine stating:

Australia's aid for Ukraine has a multiplier effect. It not only directly meets needs in Ukraine but also affirms and strengthens Ukrainians in their pursuit of our common values and withstanding Russia's illegal invasion.

Australia has provided $10 million to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This will be directed towards improving access to clean water and food and shelter for the thousands of displaced people. And we've committed $1 million to the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes people needing assistance after sustaining war injuries.

Another important measure is the imposition of sanctions. Over 1,200 targeted financial sanctions and trade measures have been imposed by the Albanese government against Russia since February 2022. Most recently we targeted six entities involved with North Korea's supply of arms to Russia. Cumulatively these sanctions are working to decrease Russia's ability to both fund and conduct its unjustifiable and immoral war.

Australia proudly stands as the largest non-NATO contributor of military assistance to Ukraine. We'll continue to stand by the Ukrainian government and its people in their fight for their sovereignty in the face of Russia's ongoing barbaric and unjustifiable war for as long as it takes. Slava Ukraini.

Debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:25 to 16:00