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

As the chair of the Australia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group and also as a member of the Australian Ukrainian community, it would be of little surprise to people in this place that I've had a lot of involvement with the Ukrainian community since well before Russia's illegal full-scale invasion started. I also have regular meetings with the co-chairs of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, Stefan Romaniw OAM and Kateryna Argyrou, and with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, His Excellency Vasyl Myroshnychenko. They are grateful for all the military, humanitarian and moral support Australia has given under both the previous government and the current government. The approach to the ongoing crisis has, until recently, been bipartisan. In fact, it has been supported by the whole parliament.

As a matter of principle, the global community, including Australia, cannot stand idly by while a sovereign nation is subjected to an illegal, immoral and unprovoked invasion. By flouting the rules based order that has maintained relative global peace and security since the end of World War II, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is an attack on all sovereign countries. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Ukrainian people for the extraordinary courage and resolve they have shown. By fighting to uphold this rules based order, they fight for all of us.

Since coming to government, Labor has continued the previous government's policy of providing military assistance to Ukraine while continuing to maintain the capability to defend our own nation if necessary. Our support to date includes 50 Bushmaster armoured vehicles in addition to the 40 committed under the previous government, more armoured vehicles, de-mining equipment to help remove explosive ordinance from the battlefield, $33 million in uncrewed aerial systems and sending 70 Australian Defence Force personnel to take part in Operation Kudu for the training of Ukrainian forces. The commitments made by this government bring Australia's total contribution in military, humanitarian and other assistance to over $680 million, and we remain one of the world's largest contributors to Ukraine outside of NATO.

The material assistance we have given to Ukraine is backed up by costs imposed on Russia to deter and disrupt their illegal actions. Australia has now imposed more than 1,100 sanctions on Russia, including targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 90 individuals and 40 entities. Our sanctions ban the import of Russian oil, refined petroleum products, coal, gas and gold and the export to Russia of aluminium, bauxite and luxury goods, including wine and cosmetics. The Australian government has directed Export Finance Australia to reject any requests for loans or other finance that support trade with or investment in Russia or Belarus.

Of course, we continue to talk to the government of Ukraine and give careful consideration to all requests for assistance. We will continue to do all we can to assist Ukraine for as long as it takes. In fact, the Deputy Prime Minister has indicated that we will have another iteration of support for Ukraine. This will be announced when the details are finalised.

Throughout the course of the war in Ukraine, I have made it my practice not to politicise the issue of assistance for Ukraine, and I strongly encourage other senators on both sides of the chamber to take the same approach. The reason I have taken this approach is that I strongly believe that arguments over Ukraine, rather than the united front we have so far seen either nationally or globally, undermines the unity and strength of resolve that we demonstrate to the world and to Russia. Continuing the spirit of bipartisanship sends a strong message to Russia that we as a parliament, regardless of who is in government, are united and unwavering in our resolve to condemn and oppose Russia's actions and to help Ukraine achieve victory, just like when we all stood together in the House of Representatives chamber, shoulder to shoulder with Ambassador Myroshnychenko one year after Russia's full-scale invasion, in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

Perhaps the opposition, if they wish to show their support for Ukraine, could address Liberal and National backbenchers who throw insults at the Ukrainian leader on the floor of the Senate and flirt with Russian disinformation in podcast interviews. As such, I invite those opposite to reflect on whether the urgency motion they've put forward now and their contributions to the debate on this motion are a contribution to the efforts to assist Ukraine. Politicising this issue, doing anything that undermines the spirit of bipartisanship that has continued up until this point, does not serve Australia's interests. Nor does it serve Ukraine's interests. Shame on you.