Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1)commemorates the 80th anniversaries of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, which caused the deaths of over 200,000 people and left enduring human, environmental and generational harm;

(2)congratulates Nihon Hidankyo on their 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for their lifelong work to draw the world's attention to the impact of nuclear weapons, and acknowledges the profound suffering of direct and descendent nuclear bomb survivors (Hibakusha) and nuclear test survivors, including First Nations communities and military veterans affected by British nuclear testing in Australia and the Pacific;

(3)recognises the importance of a robust international legal architecture for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including the cornerstone Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga) and a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty;

(4)reaffirms that Australia shares the ambition, with States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, of a world without nuclear weapons;

(5)welcomes global efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and strengthen disarmament norms; and

(6)calls on the Government to continue engaging constructively in international disarmament forums and to work with allies, civil society, and affected communities to advance practical steps towards a world without nuclear weapons.

I rise today in solemn remembrance of one of the darkest chapters in human history: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which occurred 80 years ago this August. Over 200,000 lives were lost, many in an instant and many more through the long shadows of radiation sickness, injury, displacement and generational trauma. They were not just numbers. They were children walking to school, parents preparing meals, nurses, artists and builders, their lives interrupted, families erased, futures lost. Those who survived—hibakusha—carried not only the physical scars but also the burden of memory, of trauma passed through generations, and I acknowledge and welcome to the parliament Mr Isao Morimoto, a second-generation hibakusha.

Despite such profound suffering, the survivors have chosen the path of peace. They have spoken not in vengeance but in warning. They have shared their stories with unwavering courage and in doing so have changed the conscience of the world. We honour the survivor group, Nihon Hidankyo, awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. For decades they have borne witness to and remind us again and again of what nuclear weapons really do. Their work embodies human resilience and moral clarity, they have ensured that the world cannot look away.

As a representative of Hasluck, I also reflect on our own history here in Australia of the First Nations communities and military personnel affected by British nuclear testing on our soil. Many lived through the devastation without consent, without information and, for far too often, without justice. In places like Maralinga and Montebello Islands in WA, the legacy of these tests linger in the land, in the bodies of survivors and in the intergenerational trauma passed on down through the families. We can cannot look forward to peace unless we are honest about the harm that was done here at home. I acknowledge and welcome to the parliament Karina Lester, a second-generation nuclear-test survivor and ICAN ambassador.

I represent the people of Hasluck and I style myself as a fighter for Hasluck. I fight for opportunity, I fight for fairness and I fight for a future grounded in hope and stability. But, as we have seen, that fight would be over the moment a nuclear war begins. None of our dreams will survive it; there will be no winners. The idea that some lives are dispensable, that some human beings are essentially worth less is not only morally obscene but is also the foundation of this kind of destruction. We must fight against apathy and against the illusion that the threat is someone else's problem. Our enemies are not other nations or other people; they are the forces of fear, cynicism and indifference. Nuclear war must never happen. We must never allow it to happen, and there is no greater security issue facing any of us.

This motion reaffirms Australia's longstanding commitment to a world without nuclear weapons. It speaks to our values, the dignity of every human life, the rule of law and a fair go for future generations. It reflects our defence interests because nuclear conflict serves no nation and secures no lasting peace. And it underscores our humanitarian responsibility to those who have suffered and to those who stand to suffer if we do not act.

Change is possible. In 1986, there were over 70,000 active nuclear warheads. Today, that number is under 4,000. That didn't happen by accident. It happened because people fought for treaties, for diplomacy and for a new way forward. Treaties matter. Effort matters. Australia has long supported the international legal frameworks that underpin nuclear disarmament, particularly the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the treaty of Rarotonga, which keeps the South Pacific nuclear free. We, furthermore, welcome the growing number of countries joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. While Australia has not yet signed this treaty, I strongly support the ongoing engagement in the multilateral disarmament efforts.

We must work constructively with allies, civil society and, crucially, affected communities to make tangible progress. Let us honour the victims, the survivors and the advocates with more than words; let us honour them with action. I commend the motion to the House.

See this speech in context