by leave—Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people. This is not the position of one government or one party; it is a longstanding bipartisan commitment grounded in our belief in the inherent rights and dignity of every person. When serious crimes occur, the grief and anger are real, and the desire for justice is entirely human.

But when we look at how the death penalty is used around the world, it becomes clear that it does not deliver justice; it is an affront to it. First, the evidence shows that the death penalty is too often applied unfairly to people facing economic or educational disadvantage; people living with intellectual, cognitive and psychosocial disability; foreign nationals; women; and ethnic minorities. Second, when mistakes are made—and they are—there is no undoing them; there is no second chance. Third, the death penalty offers no prospect of rehabilitation. Fourth, the death penalty does not make communities safer; there is no evidence that it deters crime more effectively than other serious penalties. Finally, in some countries, people can still be put to death for who they love, for what they believe or as a form of political persecution. That is not justice.

Australia works for global abolition through every channel available multilaterally, regionally and bilaterally. We use international forums, particularly the UN, to call for universal abolition. We raise our position directly with retentionist countries, including our close partners. These conversations are often private, but they matter. And we do this work alongside civil society, whose efforts are vital.

Australia's own journey is one we can be proud of. Our last execution, of Ronald Ryan, took place in 1967; the 60th anniversary of this event is coming up next year. The death penalty was abolished across every Australian jurisdiction in 1985, and in 2010 parliament legislated to ensure it can never return. In 2018 we launched our first strategy for the global abolition of the death penalty under then Foreign minister Bishop. In 2022 we co-led the UN General Assembly resolution on the death penalty, and a record number of nations voted in favour.

Last year, the Prime Minister and the Foreign minister asked me, as Special Envoy for International Human Rights, to take on a special advocacy role for universal abolition. Today I'm proud to announce another milestone, the launch of Australia's refreshed strategy for abolition of the death penalty. Under this refreshed strategy, Australia will broaden and strengthen our abolition efforts. This will include deepening our engagement with civil society, countering the disproportionate and discriminatory application of the death penalty on certain individuals, combating efforts to subvert international human rights obligations and ensuring abolition is a whole-of-government effort. The refreshed strategy is closely informed by the recommendations of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, which the government welcomed earlier this year. This occasion is an opportunity to reflect on global progress. There are 146 countries which have now abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Lebanon abolished it this year, becoming the first country in the Middle East to do so. I was honoured to personally congratulate Lebanon's ambassador to Australia a few weeks ago. Vietnam has reduced the number of offences carrying the death penalty, and Zimbabwe has abolished it for ordinary crimes. In 2023, Malaysia abolished the mandatory death penalty, and Pakistan repealed it for drug related offences.

In these times, when so many hard won gains are being tested, we must guard against backsliding. Progress is not inevitable. Amnesty International reports that executions worldwide in 2025 were the highest since 1981, a 78 per cent increase on 2024. Drug related offences accounted for at least 46 per cent of them. Our home, the Asia-Pacific, remains the region with the most executions. Given this, Australia's leadership remains crucial. Today I remember those who have been put to death, including Australians. I also think of those who remain on death row worldwide. I recognise the tireless advocates, lawyers, parliamentarians and civil-society organisations who refuse to look away. Abolition has been achieved by countries in every region of the world, across different cultures, traditions, religions and legal systems. It is not the project of one group of states. It is a global movement rooted in the protection of human rights, so I repeat: Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people. Under our refreshed strategy, we will continue working until universal abolition is achieved. I ask leave of the House to present a copy of Australia's strategy for global abolition of the death penalty 2026.

Leave granted.

by leave—In his recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, published in May this year, Pope Leo XIV wrote:

No sin, failure, humiliation or exclusion can diminish the profound value of a human life …

I reflect on these words as I rise to acknowledge the government's tabling of Australia's strategy for global abolition of the death penalty 2026. I oppose the death penalty, and while I open with the words of Pope Leo, my opposition is driven not by my religion but by my conscience. Indeed, allow me to quote from another great theologian, John Henry Newman, who famously declared, as if he were proposing a toast:

I shall drink to the Pope, if you please, still, to conscience first, and to the Pope afterwards.

When the former coalition government launched Australia's strategy for the abolition of the death penalty in 2018, it outlined four compelling reasons for opposing capital punishment. First, the death penalty is irrevocable. When justice fails and an innocent person has been executed, there can be no remedy. Second, it denies any opportunity for rehabilitation, redemption or reform. Third, there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than life imprisonment. And, fourth, it is disproportionately imposed upon society's most vulnerable, including the poor, minorities and those least able to defend themselves.

These were compelling arguments in 2018, and they are compelling still today. I acknowledge that the government's updated strategy reaffirms these principles, but, personally and guided by conscience, I believe there is a fifth. Although in order of importance, I put this one first, right at the top. That is that the death penalty is inherently inhumane. It violates the sanctity of life and the fundamental dignity of the individual. This is not to diminish the gravity of heinous crimes nor the suffering of the victims and their families. Justice must be served. The gravest crimes demand the most severe penalties. The rights of victims must be honoured, and society must be protected, but we can condemn the crime, punish the offender and uphold justice without resorting to taking a human life. Human dignity is not something bestowed by governments. It is not something earned through good behaviour. It is not something forfeited through wrongdoing. I believe no state should possess the power to extinguish it.

My office received the government's strategy only last evening, affording me limited time this morning—indeed, little more than the past hour—to take a quick read and formulate my remarks this morning in response to the tabling of the report by the special envoy. My colleagues and I will therefore examine the strategy in detail before offering a formal response on behalf of the coalition, but I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tireless work of those who have championed this cause over many years, in particular the Parliamentary Friends of Global Abolition of the Death Penalty, co-chaired by the envoy and Senator Dean Smith. I also want to acknowledge the fine work of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, particularly their Human Rights subcommittee, which tabled a comprehensive report in December 2024 on its inquiry into Australia's efforts to advocate for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty. Their work reminds us that some causes are greater than partisan politics.

Each of us is privileged to serve in parliament, and we carry a responsibility to uphold and promote the values that define Australia as one of the world's greatest liberal democracies—values of freedom, equality and a fair go. I have long argued that a nation's foreign policy is an outward expression of its values and interests, and, if we believe in the sanctity of human life and if we believe in the dignity of the individual, then those convictions must find expression in our dealings with the world. That is why advocating for the global abolition of the death penalty must remain a core tenet of Australian foreign policy, not because we seek to lecture others but because we have a responsibility to stand for what we believe is right and because the universal dignity of human life knows no national borders.

Justice must always be pursued, but justice must never come at the expense of our humanity. That is the principle I stand for, and it is the principle Australia must continue to advocate for.