Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

I want to talk again about Australia's willingness to help Ukraine's fight for its freedom against the bully boy Russia. When this war started, most observers thought it would be over quickly. Some experts even said that Ukrainians themselves will be divided. But I tell you what, that hasn't been the case, has it—talk about resilience! Australia and the world have seen the extraordinary strength and courage of the Ukrainian people. This war has been going on for a year and a half now. When it started most of the world quickly came to the aid of Ukraine, including Australia.

To date, we have sent Ukraine Bushmasters, trucks, trailers, ammunition and humanitarian assistance. I know how grateful Ukraine is for this help because the ambassador told me and because I get feedback from veterans who have some of their own friends over in Ukraine. They have also told me that Ukraine needs more support. In early June, Ukraine launched its counteroffensive. On 23 June, the Australian government announced it was sending more armoured vehicles, more ammunition and a plane to get humanitarian aid to Ukraine. At the time, the Prime Minister said that this latest package showed that Ukraine can count on Australia and that, 'Australia is unwavering in our resolve to condemn and oppose Russia's actions and to help Ukraine achieve victory.'

Months into their counteroffensive, the Ukrainians are fighting hard but it is getting tough for them. CNN reported this morning that US and Western officials briefed on the latest intelligence are increasingly worried about Ukrainian forces' ability to retake significant territory. Last Tuesday, White House national security coordinator, John Kirby said, 'Even the Ukrainians have said that they are not going as far or as fast as they would like to like.' And on Sunday, the President of Ukraine said, 'It is very difficult to be fighting such a long time, which is obvious. All this is very difficult when you lack this or that equipment.'

I am asking the Australian government to consider, seriously consider, sending 100 Hawkeis to Ukraine as soon as possible. We must do what we can to help Ukraine stand up to this bully. Against all odds, the people of Ukraine have turned the Russians back in critical battles, and Ukrainians have suffered and continue to suffer great losses. But you are not going to break their spirit. You won't break their spirit. They are winning these battles that everybody expected them to lose, that everybody wrote them off about. We have to keep backing the Ukrainian people. We cannot take our foot off the pedal. Now is not the time to take our foot off the pedal, and we cannot let the bully boys win. We cannot let Russia win. The fight is not just Ukraine's; the fight is a fight for the rules based order, for freedom and democracy, and we all know what happens when you don't stand up to a bully. You have to draw a line and say, 'Enough is enough'.

I think we should have to do more. We can send more Bushmasters and, more importantly, Hawkeis. The Hawkei is a lightweight protected mobility vehicles. It provides blast and ballistic protection while offering superior elements of command and control. It is Australian made, and we should be proud of that. Don't be scared to send it over there and show it off, show our might. It is fast, it is powerful and—by God—it is versatile. I know for a fact that sending just 100 of those Hawkeis to Ukraine will help their efforts enormously. I'm told the greatest risk to Ukraine is not its people losing their spirit; the greatest risk is a lack of will and continued support from Western countries like Australia. We have to meet keep moving along with this. As soon as we start dragging our feet, as soon as we start weakening our support and the Western countries do too, that is it—they are under; they're finished.

I do not want to be providing protection and support for another country and watching it go down the gurgler. It is a joke. We're either in there at full capacity and behind them or we are not. But if we start going in there half-pregnant then the hope, the will and the resilience of those people will go downhill and everything we have done so far will be a waste. Have we not learnt that from being in the Middle East for 20 years? We've got to start helping them all—we just have to.