Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On 24 February this year the Ukrainian community throughout not just Australia but the world joined with supporters to commemorate one year since Russia's illegal and immoral full-scale invasion of Ukraine. I was honoured to be invited to speak at the Hobart rally and vigil. We couldn't bring on this motion that day because parliament was not sitting; however, bringing it on today ties in well with this evening's launch of the Australia-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group, which I understand is now the largest friendship group in the parliament.

As chair of the group, I would like to thank those members and senators who have joined and to encourage anyone who hasn't joined to join. I would also like to thank Senator Van for serving as deputy chair. I'm looking forward to the launch tonight and to catching up again with the ambassador of Ukraine, His Excellency Vasyl Myroshnychenko, with whom I have developed a great working relationship.

I'd also like to acknowledge two members of the Ukrainian community in the gallery here today. There are other members already in the building, off having meetings with various ministers and other people. I thank you for being in the chamber and thank you for coming to the parliament. Please be assured that you have very, very good friends in this place.

It gives me a great sense of pride that Australia is one of the largest non-NATO contributors to Ukraine. We've provided $65 million in emergency humanitarian assistance and over half-a-billion dollars in military assistance, with our most recent support including sending ADF personnel to the United Kingdom to train Ukrainian soldiers and contributing $33 million in drone technology. Our significant assistance to Ukraine is complemented by actions to impose costs on Russia, including sanctions targeted against more than 1,000 organisations and individuals and import and export sanctions against a number of commodities, including Russian oil, refined petroleum products, coal and gas.

Our assistance to Ukraine has been maintained through the transition from a coalition to a Labor government, and it has continued to have bipartisan support through both. In fact, I understand it has the unanimous support of the parliament—at least, I haven't heard any dissent. There is no better demonstration of parliament support to Ukraine than when both houses gathered for a group photo with the ambassador, in which the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition stood shoulder to shoulder with the ambassador. That was a historic moment. The Australian parliament has never done that before.

But parliament doesn't stand alone in its support for Ukraine. Our stance is a reflection of the overwhelming support of the Australian public. Australians understand that even though we are almost on the other side of the world, Australia needs to be in this fight with Ukraine—not just for Ukraine's sake but for our own national interests. Russia's actions threaten the stability of the rules based order that governs international relations. Australians understand that Russia's actions are a threat to every country and the rules based order that maintains global stability.

I am certain the assistance given to Ukraine and costs imposed on Russia by Australia and our allies have been instrumental in ensuring that Russia's invasion has been a monumental failure, but international solidarity with Ukraine is not the only thing holding Russia back from achieving its objectives. What is also standing in their way is the patriotism, resilience and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian people. I am in no doubt that Russia underestimated the Ukrainian people and that they expected to be in a much better position than they are now. While 24 February marks one year since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is the culmination of over 30 years of Russia's attacks on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, Russia has interfered in the domestic politics of Ukraine, illegally annexed Crimea and backed separatist militias in the Donbas region—the very militias who were responsible for downing Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, murdering 298 people, including 38 Australians.

A lot of people know that my interest in this conflict, like our nation's, is motivated by an aspiration for global stability and security, but my interest is also very personal. My surname is Ukrainian. I have family ties with Ukraine by marriage, and my husband, Robert, who is of Ukrainian descent, still has a strong connection to his Ukrainian heritage. We are both involved in the Ukrainian community in Tasmania and have been for many, many years. So we see and hear how Ukrainians are suffering, and it affects us deeply. So, given that this is personal, I have the following message for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Putin, the blood that has been spilt—Ukrainian and Russian—in this illegal and unprovoked invasion is on your hands. You have failed to appreciate that Ukrainians are a proud people with their own language, their own culture and their own identity, who have embraced democracy and want to determine their own future. For this reason, your invasion will fail. That is inevitable. The important question for you is how much more blood has to be spilt before that happens. I commend the motion.