Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

As the senator would know, the Australian Labor Party at the time placed its views on these issues on the public record. I don't intend to add to them and nor do I believe at this stage in 2023 that this is the most important foreign policy priority that the government faces. The more important foreign policy priority that this government and this parliament faces is the fact that we live in the most difficult strategic circumstances since World War II. We have to make decisions as a people, as a government and as a parliament about how we deal with that.

The government have been clear that we will deal with that by utilising all levers of Australian power, through investing in strategic capability but also by investing in our diplomatic capability—investing in our diplomacy and in our relationships—because that is part of how we can try and keep Australians safe, how we can work to keep Australians safe at a time when we face these difficulties in our region. I've spoken at length about this.

It may be that you wish to engage in historic accounting. That is a matter for you, Senator Steele-John. My focus is very much on what we have to do now and into the future.