David Van (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Make no mistake: the world is witnessing two wars at the moment. We are in the shadow of conflict. While the war in Israel and Gaza is dominating the headlines, we cannot forget the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. It's a stark reminder that the battle there is not just merely territorial but a crucial fight for the very heart of democracy, freedom and security. We cannot let the war in Ukraine descend into the annals of forgotten conflicts. Its significance transcends borders. Its fight is a fight for security, democracy and freedom.

Australia has played a pivotal role in providing consistent support to Ukraine, though not as much as I've called for, and I am on the record stating that we should be doing more. We have committed to and we have been providing support, but we should be doing more if not just for Ukraine then in support of the international rules based order. It is imperative that, alongside our international partners, we sustain our support to prevent the erosion of these fundamental global principles.

The world's focus has been drawn onto new crises and regions and, with each passing day, we see more and more headlines and fights becoming even more intractable and a humanitarian disaster that we cannot ignore. But we cannot allow these distractions to draw our focus away from the fight in Ukraine. Australia's continued aid to Ukraine is essential, as is its support for the Ukrainian government in multilateral forums. This is not just for that country's resilience but as a testament to our dedication to global norms that have safeguarded peace and prosperity for generations, since the Second World War. The prolonged nature of the Ukrainian conflict risks breeding fatigue, and we are seeing less and less of the fight on the front pages of our newspapers and on our nine o'clock and seven o'clock news every day.

Global misinformation and disinformation campaigns from our adversaries are changing the way that we are seeing this war, and the Australian government and its agencies must be alive to these misinformation and disinformation threats to Australia's social cohesion. The risk of this internal division only serves those who oppose the democratic values that we cherish, making it crucial to counteract that misinformation and maintain a unified stance in support of Ukraine.

We are seeing Iran using Gaza to increase tensions across the Middle East. North Korea is becoming increasingly more bellicose and threatening South Korea and peace on the peninsula. China remains a looming threat to the Indo-Pacific. All of these only go to support Russia in its fight in Ukraine. None of them are divorced from each other. They are unified efforts to distract the Western world from the fight in Ukraine. They, too, are signals of rising aggression, as distractions on the world stage are tools to spread the attention and the resources of the US, Australia and our allies to breaking point.

As I said, the world is witnessing two significant wars being fought by bad actors. That's not even to mention the ones in Yemen and the like. We cannot afford to stand idly by and let Ukraine lose this war. We cannot afford to give these aggressors the green light to continue this global attack on peace and democracy. We must continue to support Ukraine. A Russian victory in Ukraine would reverberate globally. A Russian victory in Ukraine would embolden authoritarian regimes. This conflict is not a distant issue; it is a real and present challenge to the values we hold dear. Australia must stand resolute in its support for Ukraine.