Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) | Hansard source

In the first part of this year, I have spent a lot of time with Australians hearing how they have dealt with natural disasters. I've had this privilege because I am chairing the disaster resilience committee. Unlike a lot of inquiries in this place, this one looks forward, not back. We know extreme climate events are getting worse and what everyday families are having to cope with is just plain awful, from what we are hearing.

Between the floods and the fires, the message I've been getting is loud and clear: without the Australian Defence Force being called in, we are in a great world of hurt—and that is without them being in a place of war. Right now, we are very privileged to be able to use them. But I've got a problem: the ADF is already stretched. What happens when they aren't here? Our SES and firies are also massively stretched. They're getting older, and the generation down, like me, are not signing up to volunteer. Everyone from the UN to the top investment managers are saying we need to be on a war footing to cope with the extreme weather events. I can assure you that something needs to be done. I'm calling for volunteers.