Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today.

We did have a lengthy conversation in question time today about the rumoured goings-on at Labor's national conference, which will be held next week. I'm sure it thrills the people of Australia when we come into this place and talk about our parties' national conferences. But I do want to congratulate the national Labor Party for having their conference next week. That's not something that is currently afforded to the Tasmanian division of the Labor Party, so a really big clap for federal Labor, who will all be congregating somewhere next week—I think it might be in Queensland somewhere—and having a chat about the policy issues that are important to them. That's something that my Tasmanian Labor colleagues are not currently able to do. That's a bit of a sad reflection on the state of affairs in Tasmania.

But, like I said, we did reflect on some of the policy motions that are going to be discussed at the Labor conference next week and, in particular, some of the foreign policy motions that are going to be raised at the conference. I think that it is incredibly relevant that we are debating these issues here today because I would like to wind the clock back slightly more than 12 months to when, during the election campaign last year, the now Prime Minister and then opposition leader, Mr Anthony Albanese, said that national security is above politics. He said that his government would be a government that delivers on its commitments and brings our country together as a key element of ensuring a stronger and safer Australia. It's really important to reflect on this quote, because now it is deeply troubling to hear media reports that around 40 branches of the Labor Party are moving to oppose the AUKUS agreement.

The Prime Minister said that national security is above politics, but now we hear that at this national conference next week—and, like I said, I think it's good that the Labor Party can have a conference—there will be members within the party that wish to oppose the AUKUS agreement. It is incredibly concerning that so many within the Labor Party are opposed to this alliance, which is committed to strengthening the national security of this country. The Prime Minister is failing even to bring his own party together to support AUKUS, our most important national security strategy in decades. I think the Prime Minister needs to clarify that his party and, importantly, his government remain committed to AUKUS, and he needs to ensure that the current disunity ahead of the national conference next week doesn't jeopardise our national security and, particularly, the AUKUS agreement.

Why is the AUKUS agreement so important? The government is obligated to protect the people of Australia, and the people of Australia rightly expect that any Australian government, whether Labor or coalition, will do everything in its power to protect our people, our territory and our sovereignty. The AUKUS alliance has been negotiated and designed to provide Australia with the defence capabilities that we need to fulfil that obligation. We, on this side of the chamber, are very proud of the commitment that our government made to AUKUS. That's because we don't know what the future may hold; we don't have the ability to predict the future. But one thing is for certain: we are living in uncertain times.

Prior to February 2022, no-one would have predicted war on the European continent. But here we are, a year and a half on from Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, and that particular conflict shows no sign of ending any time soon. And this war has had an absolutely devastating impact on the people of Ukraine. Like I said, we're living in uncertain times and it is of vital importance that we, as Australia, are doing everything that we can to ensure our national security. We know that AUKUS plays a very important part in that. Like I said, we, on this side of the chamber, know that AUKUS plays a very important part in that. That's why it is so disappointing that there is clearly an element within the Labor Party—I hope it's a fringe element—that wants to push the government next week to oppose the AUKUS deal. I think that is incredibly disappointing. It is time for the Prime Minister to make a strong statement and say that the AUKUS deal is not going to be under threat—not after the national conference of Labor next week, not ever.