Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's interesting to hear those words coming out of Senator McGrath about not enough information being out there. Can I outline that there is information out there; you just fail to see it and accept it. Speaking of the Voice to Parliament—that was going to be my last point, but, you know what, we'll bring it forward—and speaking of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, it is 440 words, and if you haven't read it and fully understood it, I advise you and encourage you to please read it as you go to your office. It will encapsulate what exactly the delegates, the rank-and-file members, of the Labor Party, at our national conference, are also going to be discussing, along with other national policies and areas important to us all.

Senator Chandler mentioned earlier that we don't know what the future holds, and I agree. At least there's one thing we agree on. We are indeed living in uncertain times, and that's exactly why we're highlighting the importance of an AUKUS agreement—because we understand, the Labor Party understands, the geopolitical importance that Australia has in our region.

Enough about the internal quarrelling that we've seen from those opposite, constantly undermining one another. When it comes to their leadership, we saw what the former Prime Minister did, the former Prime Minister who secretly appointed himself to—how many ministries was that? Six? And what do you say to that? You turn around and ask questions about the integrity and transparency of the way we do things as the Labor Party. Going to our national conference next week, we are a democracy, and we take pride in that. We make sure that when there are debates to be held, when there is open discussion, we want to be a party that listens to every single member.

This is an incredibly big investment—perhaps, as was mentioned earlier, the single biggest investment in our defence capability in history. It's a transformational moment for our nation, because this isn't just creating around 20,000 jobs over the next 30 years; it's ensuring the sovereignty and security of our nation and our people. I do want to reflect on and reiterate what Senator Wong said earlier: that it's about making sure we use all levers of national power, deterrence but also diplomacy, for a stable and prosperous region. If I may say so, that's absolutely slay. National security is above politics. We know how important it is, and that's exactly why we're going to have those discussions. We're going to have the consultation.

Those opposite seem to be very interested in taking a leaf out of our book. Here's a little bit more inspiration if you really are interested and you're keen to keep tabs on what is going to happen in our national conference. We're definitely going to be talking about the importance of the Voice to Parliament. To everyone out there I say: please stop listening to the fearmongering of the 'no-alition', who keep saying no to every progressive policy that we bring to the table. This isn't about playing petty politics; this is about acknowledging and recognising the First Nations people of Australia who contribute to our identity. Their 60,000 years of history, culture and knowledge contribute to our identity as Australians and contribute to the fabric of our society. This is not an act of charity; this is an act of justice. So vote yes in the referendum later this year.