Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

The Fremantle community 'contains multitudes', to use the Walt Whitman phrase. Our social heritage includes crucial Defence estate sites, vital veterans organisations and precious memorials to those who died and suffered in war. But Fremantle is also a place with a sustained commitment to peace. It has a strong Quaker community. I've been fortunate to know, and be influenced by, people across the peace movement who embody a devotion to conflict resolution through nonviolence and to nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.

While I am an optimistic and hopeful person, partly by nature and partly by resolution to work towards the possibility of better days, I accept that there will never be a time where humans overcome the tendency to believe there is something to be gained in violent conflict. That is why every effort and every emphasis on peace is so crucial. That's why every ounce of scepticism and every grain of peaceful resistance that can be brought to bear against the use of unjustified military force against unchecked state violence, against the idea that some problems can only be solved by war, is absolutely vital.

The long, imperfect and inconsistently applied post World War II compact that nevertheless provided the basis for avoiding global scale conflict has frayed and is fraying still. Right now, we have a fresh conflict in the Middle East, and we say clearly that the principles of the Geneva Conventions and the requirements of international humanitarian law must continue to apply—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives

Sitting suspended from 10:40 to 10:54

As the Foreign minister has said, our posture in relation to this conflict is defensive. We want to protect Australians, and we want to protect our friends in the region. Last week, Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Carney separately made a compelling argument for middle powers to rally around and seek the reform of multilateral institutions while building new collaborative bulwarks against the destabilising and dangerous application of hegemonic power for its own sake. It is neither naive nor unrealistic to seek to be the friends and allies that great powers need, rather than the friends they might prefer.

This government has walked that path. We've sought and achieved an end to the serious encumbrances on trade with China and a resumption of respectful engagement that does not shy away from disagreement. Across two presidential administrations, we have forged new economic and strategic ties with the US while of course being prepared to use our own national interest positions to good effect. We've had differences of approach with the US, including on tariffs, the imposition of which we regard as not being the act of a friend, and, working with the US, we achieved a just outcome in seeing Julian Assange come home. Australia has recognised Palestine alongside our partners the United Kingdom and Canada and also sanctioned Israeli government ministers for human rights abuses against Palestinians. That is how Australia should conduct itself in accordance with our national interest and our national character—understanding the world as it is but always seeking to influence the world in the direction of justice, equality and sustainable shared wellbeing, all of which can only exist on the bedrock of peace.

See this speech in context