STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms COFFEY (Griffith) (13:56): Earlier this month, I joined with the Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs, the member for Bruce, at a citizenship ceremony welcoming more than 500 new Australians, including 70 from Ukraine. I am lucky to have the Ukrainian Community of Queensland very close to my electorate of Griffith, and I acknowledge the work of the president, Peter Bongiorni.

Four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Australian government stands firmly with Ukraine against Russia's aggression. Last month, Australia and Ukraine signed a bilateral security agreement, with a further $60 million in assistance, bringing our total support to almost $1.9 billion. This support helps Ukrainians defend their homes, protect their families and resist Russia's aggression.

That's why I was deeply troubled to hear Senator Shoebridge retreat from supporting a democracy under attack—a move that would embolden authoritarian states to act with impunity and would lead to a more dangerous world. He said military assistance could only be provided to Ukraine subject to a UN Security Council resolution, yet we know Russia holds the power to veto.

It's shocking to hear Senator Shoebridge taking on the same position as One Nation—like Senator Roberts, who has said that Putin had 'earned his respect' by invading Ukraine, and continues to oppose Australian support for Ukraine. We all want a world that is without war, and we must never stop working towards that goal, but we cannot ignore the reality of the world that we live in.

Standing for peace means standing firmly against Russian aggression. Slava Ukraini.