ADJOURNMENT
Senator COLLINS (New South Wales—Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate) (19:35): This week we will mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 or 11 September 2001, a day that forever altered the course of history and left an indelible mark on both the United States and Australia. Twenty-five years ago, the world watched in horror as terrorists turned civilian aircraft into weapons of mass murder.
Nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children lost their lives in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. Among those murdered were 10 Australians. They were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and colleagues.
Their lives were cut short by an act of evil Islamic terrorism that shocked the conscience of humanity. We remember the families whose lives were lost forever and the heroism of ordinary people who in the midst of chaos displayed extraordinary courage. The attacks of 11 September were intended to spread fear and division; instead, the United Nations and common purpose.
They reminded us that freedom is precious, that democracy cannot be taken for granted, and that those who would seek to destroy our way of life must never be allowed to prevail. Our Prime Minister, John Howard, was in Washington DC at the time of the attacks. Having spent the previous day commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty alongside President George W Bush, he found himself witnessing one of the darkest moments in modern history.
Just days later, Australia made a historic decision. For the first and only time in its history, the ANZUS Treaty was invoked in response to the attacks on the United States. That decision sent a clear message to our ally and to the world: Australia would stand with America in its hour of need.
We would not waver, we would not hesitate and we would not leave a friend to stand alone. That response reflected something fundamental about the Australian character. Australians step up when their mates are in trouble.
It is who we are as a people. When a friend faces hardship, Australians answer the call. When freedom is threatened, Australians stand firm.
And when there is a fight worth having, Australians have never been a nation that backs down. Since the Second World War Australians and Americans have stood shoulder to shoulder in defence of freedom, stability and international security. Together, we have faced aggression, confronted tyranny and defended the rules and institutions that underpin peace and prosperity across the globe.
The alliance between our nations is not merely a matter of strategy; it's an enduring partnership forged through shared sacrifice and strengthened through generations of service. Following 11 September, Australia joined the United States and its allies in the global campaign against terrorism. Our brave men and women served with courage, professionalism and distinction in one of the most demanding operational environments of the modern era.
As we reflect on the last 25 years, we should also recognise an enduring truth: the Australian-United States alliance remains the cornerstone of Australia's national security and today that partnership continues to evolve. AUKUS represents the next great chapter in the history of the alliance. It is a forward-looking initiative that strengthens deterrence, enhances regional stability and ensures Australia can meet the challenges of an increasingly uncertain strategic environment.
Just as ANZUS helped secure the peace in the decades following World War II, AUKUS will help shape the security of generations yet to come. With the unjust and illegal war in Ukraine, Australia has been sent a powerful message: freedom does not happen by accident. Freedom must be fought for then defended and protected every single day.
Strength in allyship is key to our regional security, and liberal democracies must stand with each other or we fall alone. Twenty-five years after the attacks of 11 September, we remember the 10 Australians who never came home. We honour the courage of the police officers and firefighters who ran towards danger while others ran from it.
We acknowledge the sacrifice of those who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and the broader fight against terrorism, and we recognise the statesmanship of Prime Minister John Howard, whose leadership during those dark days guided Australia through a moment of profound uncertainty. Above all, we reaffirm a simple but powerful truth: when freedom is threatened, Australia stands with its allies; when our mates are in trouble, Australia shows up; and, when history calls upon us to defend the values we hold dear, Australia does not shrink from the task.
Lest we forget.