Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that general business notice of motion No. 181 standing in my name for today, relating to President Trump, be taken as a formal motion.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal?

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is an objection.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In lieu of suspending standing orders, I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a surprise that this parliament should be avoiding the responsibility that it has to start recognising that if we continue on the path that we are on, hitching our wagon to a dangerous and unhinged president, we risk dragging this nation into war. What is reassuring to me, though, is that faced with the glaring lack of leadership from our Prime Minister and indeed from this parliament we are seeing people organise, mobilise and resist right around the streets. We have seen people stand up to this 21st-century demagogue—five million women marching in the streets, taxi drivers, people flocking to airports to protest.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In Australia, we have seen people organise as well—people coming together to resist this hateful and divisive agenda from Donald Trump. We, the Australian Greens, stand with the community and recognise the great threat that this president poses. To paraphrase a great Australian song: 'from little things very big things are growing'. (Time expired)

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In line with the government's long-standing view, motions that cannot be debated or amended should not deal with complex foreign policy matters. The Australia-US alliance is based on enduring national strategic and economic interests and very close people-to-people ties spanning business, culture, tourism, trade and education. The United States is Australia's most significant trade and investment partner and an important guarantor of the rules based order, providing the security and stability that has allowed our region to prosper. Australia has a strong and productive relationship with the US and looks forward to continuing to build on that with the new US administration. The Leader of the Greens should not be playing political games on important issues of national security.

Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is another day and another Trump stunt from Senator Di Natale. I get what is going on. He apparently is not left-wing enough and the dictation has come down from Left Renewal—he has his little script there from the politburo—and they have told him that he has to toughen up a bit and start attacking the American president. We may not all agree, and a lot of people have different views on foreign policy, especially when it comes to United States, but what we do not do is engage in these desperate, pathetic, stupid, silly, embarrassing stunts in the Senate day after day. I get it: you need to go back to the Left. I get it: your base is moving on you. I understand that. But, please, just be a professional at it.