Urgency Motion
19 November 2024
I also join to speak on this urgency motion moved by Senator McKim and the Australian Greens. I must say it is quite absurd for Senator Shoebridge and the Australian Greens to come into this place to lecture us about national security. The Greens, as we know, have a history of jumping to false conclusions. I do trust that the Australian people will see through these very much misleading statements that have been made not just today but on an ongoing basis.
The Greens allege that the trilateral AUKUS treaty that was signed in August last year was secretive and ‘driving us further into US war plans with China’. This is simply false—a baseless claim. The full agreement was tabled in the parliament in the first sitting after it was signed, in line with all the signed treaty processes that every Australian government has gone through since Federation. The Greens also know that the government has also ruled out Australia disposing of any intermediate and high-level radioactive waste from the United Kingdom and the United States of America, yet they continue to spread misinformation on this very issue. Suggestions by the Australian Greens, including Senator Shoebridge, that this is a one-sided deal dismiss the fact that the United Kingdom and the United States have also agreed to share their prized military capabilities and technologies with our country, something that the Greens always choose to ignore.
The Albanese government is united with our AUKUS partners in our commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, and this will not change. In all the government’s engagement with the United States across the full political spectrum, there has been a very consistent message in support of AUKUS. Furthermore, our trilateral security partnership is yet another example of the government’s proud record on positively engaging in international affairs, defending Australia’s national interests and, more importantly, creating Australian jobs, and we will continue to accelerate the delivery of the capabilities to ensure that the ADF can keep Australians safe and our region secure. That is our No. 1 priority. It’s also worth mentioning that this is the single biggest investment in Australia’s defence capability in history.
AUKUS is a key pillar of our national security policy, and it is really good to see that there is bipartisanship on this matter. But again what we hear from the Australian Greens is talking down our national security and talking down Australia’s standing in the Indo-Pacific, rather than actually working with colleagues in this place on how we can have a much more secure, safe region. What we hear from the Australian Greens is that they are anti jobs, anti defence and anti national security, yet they are pro misinformation. That is their No. 1 priority—to try to spread mistruths within the Australian community in the lead-up to the federal election.
The fact that AUKUS is a key transformative matter for Australia’s defence policy and for enhancing our capability is something that is really important for future strategic challenges. It’s not just about developing capabilities to acquire and sustain conventionally armed nuclear powered submarines; it’s also, as I mentioned earlier, about jobs, which are at the front and centre of this policy. The AUKUS plan for Australia will see around 20,000 direct jobs created here in Australia, right across the industry, in many places, like South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and other parts of the country.
All those small SMEs in defence industry will benefit greatly. But again Senator Shoebridge is talking down the industry and Defence. He is talking down all the fine men and women who put on that proud uniform every single day, defending our national security, like the men and women who were here in the public gallery earlier today. As I was saying, AUKUS will allow for deeper information and technology sharing and greater integration across security and defence related matters.
