Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Canada and to the 70th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ottawa and Montreal from 20 to 28 November 2024.

This delegation was led by the former senator Louise Pratt. There would be few people in the parliament with perhaps more diametrically opposed views than myself and Louise Pratt, but I want to place on record that Louise was an excellent delegation leader. Despite our differences, we focused on the national interest, and I want to thank Louise for her constructive approach. I also want to take this opportunity to wish her well in her post-parliamentary career. I also want to thank the delegation secretary, Ms Jenny Adams; her professionalism and her attention to detail ensured that we were fully able to participate in the deliberations of the assembly and in the broader visit to Canada.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization comprises 32 countries of the Western alliance. Australia, as one of the Indo-Pacific Four, has a special status at NATO meetings. It's very important for Australia to be represented at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is not a talkfest; it's a serious engagement between nations from across the Western alliance. The geostrategic movements in Europe are tied to the issues that Australia faces in the Indo-Pacific. For instance, North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, demonstrating the axis that exists between authoritarian regimes in Europe and Asia. Our participation in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly is a clear signal that Australia stands with nations that respect the rules based international order—nations who believe that might is not right.

At the NATO assembly, Australia's voice was strong. Senator Pratt and I both contributed in various committees, advocating for Australia's interests and values. I took part in deliberations of the Economics and Security Committee, and the Science and Technology Committee, where we examined the state of the Russian economy, Canada's Indo-Pacific policy and the growing importance of AI and semiconductors to the strategic challenges faced by the West. With our AUKUS partners, we responded to a proposed resolution criticising AUKUS by the French. Thanks to collaborations between the Australian and American delegations, we were able to successfully lobby for its withdrawal.

This is a time of consequence for NATO, as Ukraine seeks admission to its membership and NATO members grapple with the ability of Russia to skate around the international sanctions regime. The 2024 parliamentary assembly also took place shortly after the election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States. President Trump had made it clear that NATO members had to increase defence spending as a percentage of GDP, and Canada in particular was in his sights. Country delegations were talking about their own plans to increase defence spending as a percentage of GDP. There were lots of discussions about the admission of Ukraine as a full member of NATO, which would trigger article 5, NATO's collective defence clause. Ultimately, Ukraine's admission to NATO was delayed until the nation has undertaken and implemented governance reforms. But, personally, I think this is more about NATO's reluctance to be drawn into the war than wishing to see Ukraine improve its governance.

I had the privilege of meeting with the Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the chair of the Ukrainian friends of Australia, Galyna Mykhailiuk. Their bravery and resolve in resisting Russian autocracy are inspiring. When the coalition was in government, Australia was the largest non-NATO contributor to Ukraine. Ukrainians are grateful for the military hardware support that Australia has given. Ukraine needs more support from the democratic world and from all countries of goodwill to enforce the sanctions regime.

In addition to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Senator Pratt and I had a series of meetings relating to the Canada-Australia bilateral relationship, including a very fine briefing from the former high commissioner the Hon. Scott Ryan. I want to thank him and his team for the assistance they provided in organising meetings on issues as diverse as Canadian genetics, the way Canada is dealing with antisemitism and the Canadian nuclear program.

While visiting the Canadian parliament, Senator Pratt addressed the finance committee and I helped to inaugurate the Canada-Australia-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group. Whether it's in defence, health or the safety of our citizens, Canada and Australia face many of the same challenges, and we've much to learn by comparing approaches.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to address an unfortunate episode, from the federal election, that related to this delegation. Teal campaigners in my electorate accused me of missing parliament to go on a holiday to Canada. The claim was disgraceful and significantly misrepresented the nature of the work and parliamentary delegations more broadly. This was a visit of strategic and national importance to Australia. It was an opportunity to advocate for Australia's interests, engage with key allies and ensure that Australia continues to have a seat at the table when matters of collective security are being debated. The idea that the teals would try to score some cheap political points by misrepresenting this work shows how unserious they are about foreign and defence policy. It also reveals a significant misunderstanding of the responsibilities of federal parliamentarians, particularly at a time when the rules based international order is under strain.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was a reminder of the value of Australia's engagement, both with our allies abroad and across party lines at home. It was a privilege to represent Australia, and I thank the House for the opportunity to be part of the delegation.

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