Richard Marles
Corio · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“We've attended all the meetings of the state parties since 2022. There are three concerns that we have in relation to it, but we continue to observe it. We obviously support the underlying desire to have a world free of nuclear weapons.”
“At the Montebello Islands, off the coast of Western Australia; Emu plain, in South Australia; and, of course, Maralinga, we were a place of nuclear testing ourselves, and we know the impact that that has had in relation to our own First Nations peoples.”
“If you'll indulge me, Mr Speaker, I add my acknowledgement to my good friend Dato' Khaled bin Nordin, the Malaysian defence minister. It's great to see him in the House today. I thank the honourable member for her question.”
“You are right in saying that both of those events characterise a deep sense of feeling within the Pacific around the role and place of nuclear weapons, such that the Treaty of Rarotonga has characterised the Pacific by being a treaty which seeks to have the Pacific as a nuclear weapons free part of the world.”
“We are building very large industrial sites, like the Osborne Naval Shipyard and Henderson, where thousands of people are employed. But so much of Australia's defence industry now is small and medium businesses which have incredible capability that are supporting our Defence Force.”
“I thank the member for his question and acknowledge the incredible and proud way that he represents the beautiful suburbs of Tangney in this parliament. I got a bit of a taste of that last week when I went with the honourable member to visit a company in his electorate—Australian Safety Engineers, in Canning Vale.”
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“Presumably, those opposite think that the photos that have been published were magically generated by AI. Those opposite are an absolute joke. The shadow minister, in the question that he just framed, said that the alliance between Australia and the United States is a matter of bipartisan support. It has been the case that parties of government in this country have actually, irrespective of whether they are in opposition or in government, supported the nation in its relationship with the United States.”
“I genuinely do appreciate the question from the member opposite. Congressman Smith, welcome to question time. You're in for a treat! The question that we have just heard from the shadow minister is another example of how the Liberal Party, a party which actually has a proud history of governing this country, is today completely broken. The Pentagon itself has made clear that there was a meeting between me and Secretary Hegseth. The Pentagon itself today has made it clear that that meeting was coordinated in advance. But what we've heard through the course of this week is those opposite, firstly, suggesting that there wasn't going to be a meeting at all. Then there's a little bit of a debate about whether it's a meeting or whether it's happenstance.”
“It really is elevating our relationship with the United Kingdom to the very highest order, and this is all being built upon the bedrock of trust that has always been there between both countries. I know I speak on behalf of the foreign affairs minister when I say we are deeply grateful to both David Lammy and John Healey at a personal level for the personal relationships we have with them. This is now the second AUKMIN we have done as a group of four, and I can say to this House that the level of trust that exists between the four of us is so important in terms of being able to accelerate the agenda we have between our two countries, which is pursuing a relationship that is now right there amongst the most important relationships our nation has.”
“But with the advent of AUKUS it is hard to overstate the significance of the UK decision to build, sustain and operate their future attack submarines as the same class of submarines that will be operated by Australia. This is a huge decision, which is the fundamental bilateral component of the trilateral AUKUS arrangement. On Saturday, I and the UK Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, signed the Geelong Treaty. This is the treaty that provides the underpinning of those bilateral arrangements that sit under the architecture of AUKUS. And, of course, AUKUS itself is embodied in a trilateral treaty, which I signed on behalf of Australia in Washington, DC, in August of last year. All of this means that there is today a strategic, contemporary dimension to this, the oldest of our relationships.”
“Can I thank the member for her question and congratulate her on her re-election to this place. Last Friday the annual AUKMIN meetings happened with me and the foreign affairs minister—the annual 2+2 defence and foreign minister meeting with the United Kingdom. We met with UK foreign secretary David Lammy and UK defence secretary John Healey. Our relationship with the United Kingdom is obviously the oldest relationship we have. It is characterised by deep people-to-people links and a great history which informs so much of modern Australia today—our system of government, our language and the way in which we organise our security and our defence forces. Our economic relationship is such that, for both nations, we are each other's second largest investment partner.”
“When you consider that acquiring a nuclear powered submarine capability is a challenge that is measured in decades, if you are focused on a plan B—and there is always a chopping and changing—then that is not a decision to walk down the path of plan B; that is a decision not to have a capability at all. I mean, unless you stick to a plan for longer than a couple of years—which the coalition were unable to do, which the former member for Wentworth was unable to do—then you don't get a capability at all.”
“That goes to the very question of what a former member for Wentworth often talks about, which is whether or not there should be a plan B, and, indeed, the former member for Wentworth was part of what was going on with the coalition, as one of the three prime ministers who were part of that government. The issue with that government then was that they were completely focused on and obsessed with plan Bs. They were in and out of a deal with Japan, then in and out of a deal with France, and it took the better part of the entirety of their government before they ended up settling on the arrangement with the United States and with the United Kingdom through AUKUS.”
“I thank the member for her question. When we signed the optimal pathway with the United States and the United Kingdom, we were aware of the challenges of US production and sustainment of Virginias and the need to lift that production to see more Virginias in the water for the US Navy in order to create the space whereby Australia would be able to acquire Virginia class submarines from the United States in the early 2030s as part of the pathway to Australia acquiring a nuclear powered submarine capability. To put that in context, what we saw going back and forth in terms of the way in which the coalition managed our future submarine acquisition in the decade that they were in power really left us with a capability gap, which is being filled by the acquisition of those Virginia class submarines in the early 2030s.”
“It has been an interesting start for the shadow minister for his new portfolio. It is a place where words matter, where much is read from little, and we have seen the shadow minister all over the place in terms of the way in which he is describing events internationally and, more to the point, the way in which he's asking questions in this place. But the shadow portfolio that he holds and the portfolio that I hold come with an enormous amount of responsibility for the national interest, and pursuing whatever interest he might have within the Liberal Party, in terms of that chair, should not be done at the expense of the national interest.”
“This is a matter which is of deep concern to us here in terms of Australia's social cohesion. I reiterate the point that we are not making weapons for Israel. We are not exporting there. But it is really important that every member of this House owns the responsibility that they have to make sure that misinformation is not what characterises the debate in this country.”
“We have not been doing so since the conflict began on October 7, but we were not doing it for years prior to that. We are not making weapons for Israel. But the point I want to make is that we have seen various actors seek to manipulate various information that they have derived which is, in fact, not evidence of any of that. They try to misconstrue this and put out misinformation which goes to suggest the opposite. I want to make the point that to put that misinformation into the public domain does not help one single person in Gaza. It just doesn't. What it does is raise tensions in this country, which is deeply destabilising for Australia's social cohesion. Those who walk down that path really need to think about what they are doing for their own self-publicity.”
“I thank the member for her question, and I deeply respect the role that she plays in this House. In answer to the specific question that she has asked me, I can absolutely guarantee that Australia is not complicit in the way which she's described, but I can also say that Australia is not making weapons in this country and supplying them to Israel. We have made that clear on multiple occasions. I also reject the proposition that we are not transparent in the way in which all of this is reported. I think we have been incredibly transparent in terms of the way in which we engage in all of our controlled exports around the world and the role that our defence industry plays around the world. We are not making weapons for Israel. It is as clear as that.”
“At that same NATO summit I announced increased sanctions to an additional 44 people and entities, which now means that in total there are about 1,500 people and entities in Russia that are the subject of Australian sanctions, which sees a significant impact on the Russian economy in areas such as electronics, energy and finance. It is a really important part of what we need to be doing to contest Russia in this moment, but it's not everything, as you know. We continue to support Ukraine across the board. Since we've come to office we have had iterative announcements in supporting Ukraine with renewed assistance. That includes, most recently, 49 Abrams tanks, the first tranche of which are now in the hands of the Ukrainian Armed Forces—”
“Firstly, can I thank the member for his question and in doing so acknowledge his commitment to the support of Ukraine in its resistance against the immoral invasion by Russia of its territory and reiterate that our government, and I know the whole of the Australian people, stand with Ukraine in their resistance against Russia. I was at the NATO summit, able to meet with my counterpart, Rustem Umerov, to express our support for Ukraine in its resistance to Russia. He indicated to me, as I know President Zelensky has to the Prime Minister, the deep sense of gratitude that the Ukrainian people have to the Australian people for supporting their cause. In relation to the question of sanctions, sanctioning Russia is a critically important part of what we need to do in terms of supporting Ukraine in its efforts to resist Russia.”
“In the here and now, over the last two financial years, Defence has spent more on procurement than ever, the bulk of which has gone to Australian defence industry, supporting defence jobs. This government is, amidst all the noise, delivering a thoughtful, sober and serious plan to keep Australia safe.”
“That means that we need a defence force with greater capacity to project a long-range submarine capability, which we are delivering through AUKUS; a more capable surface fleet; a more mobile army; longer range missiles; and an air force which can project from our northern bases. We are a long way down the track of putting all of that in place. This has involved significant reprioritisation of the Defence budget and difficult decisions, but the consequence is much greater quality in our defence spend and a much more potent defence force as a result. It has also seen the biggest peacetime increase in defence spending in Australia's history. Relative to what we inherited from those opposite, it's an additional $58 billion over the decade, $11 billion over the forward estimates.”
“For many years, defence policy in our country was characterised by just doing what we always did, which is actually a description of strategic drift. But, from the moment that we came to office in 2022, we implemented the D efence s trategic r eview . We handed down the first national defence strategy; the second will be handed down in the next 12 months. This is giving a clear articulation of our strategic threat and the kind of defence force that we need to build to meet it. We need a defence force which will give pause for thought for any potential adversary which seeks to coerce us. We need a defence force which will make Australia's contribution to the collective security of the region in which we live.”
“I thank the member for her question and congratulate her on her election to this House. It was a joy to join her recently at the Redcliffe RSL. Her question is an important one as our defence force is engaging in its most important exercise, Talisman Sabre 2025. At the end of May and beginning of June I attended the annual Shangri-La defence dialogue in Singapore, and about a month ago I represented Australia at the NATO leaders summit at The Hague. Albeit the Indo-Pacific, albeit the North Atlantic—what is clear is that we are living in a more volatile world with increasing challenges, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. What this demands of us is crystal clear, strategic clarity for our nation.”
“We stand for investing in health. We stand for building opportunity. We stand for building aspiration. In the words of the Prime Minister, we are a government which is holding no-one back and leaving no-one behind.”
“Back then, we had a prime minister who, unbeknownst to us all, was also the Treasurer and the resources minister. The Treasurer and the resources minister at the time didn't know that either. That was the chaos of the government that led this country through a lost decade. Let me be clear: the lost Liberal decade remains absolutely fresh in the minds of Australian voters. It will very much be there when the Australian voters go to the polls in the coming weeks and the coming months. Let's also be clear: the guilty party—the Liberal Party—remain absolutely present in terms of their place in this parliament and the choice that is given to the Australian people at the next election. On this side of the House, with the Albanese government, we stand on the side of Australians. We stand for cutting taxes. We stand for investing in education.”
“All of those measures are focused and have been focused on enabling people to deal with the cost-of-living challenges that the nation has faced—that, in fact, the world has faced—over the last few years. All of that has been done in the face of the opposition of the Liberal Party. Now, they drag their members into this chamber to vote against lower taxes, and they sneer at those who are receiving lower taxes, because of the amount that's being talked about—$50 a week. That is what the accumulated amount of tax cuts represents for those who we have provided tax cuts to since we have been in power. That is what they are voting against. It's the cost-of-living relief that we've been putting in place that they are challenging. Those opposite managed the economy appallingly.”
“In the process, we've been focused on making sure that we are giving people cost-of-living relief along the way by cutting HECS debt, which was in the budget last night and is an historic investment in education; by the biggest investment in Medicare that we have seen since the establishment of Medicare more than 40 years ago, an investment which will mean that nine out of 10 visits to the GP will be bulk-billed—there will be no gap fees and people will need to pay nothing; or by energy bill relief or cheaper medicines, such that the maximum price for a PBS medicine payment will be $25. The last time people were paying $25 for medicines was back in 2004.”
“Literally, the first act of the Albanese Labor government was to intervene in the national wage case to see an increase in the minimum wage above the rate of inflation. From there, we saw increases in wages for those in aged care and for those in child care—feminised industries where people are not paid a lot. It is off the back of those interventions—those acts of policy on the part of the Albanese Labor government—that we are in a position where, on this day, real wages are growing across the country again. We understand that an economy where wages are growing, where unemployment is low, where we've had economic growth in every quarter throughout this period and where we have got inflation down is an economy which works for the people who have the least, and we are focused on that.”
“That's what we've done. But we've done it because we understand what we are about. We understand that the people who feel the economy most are the people who have the least. It is in places like in the Treasurer's seat of Logan or in my seat of Corio where people feel what it means when the economy is doing it tough. That's why we understand that the most Labor act that we can take is to manage the budget in a prudent way. That's why, as we have faced the global inflation challenge, we have done so in a way where we have not only brought inflation down but have made sure that unemployment has remained low and that we've got real wages going again for the first time after a decade of wage stagnation. We've done that by improving the wages of those who need it the most.”
“Again, the party of smaller government, the party of so-called prudent economic management, gave this country debt as far as it could see. That is what we inherited. That is the situation that we were dealing with. In the very first full financial year that we presided over this nation's affairs, we delivered a surplus, and, in the following year, we delivered another one. Two surpluses, two years—that is something that the Liberals promised they would do every single year but didn't do once. As a result of the budget that we handed down last night, the budget bottom line now is $207 billion better than what was forecast when the Liberals were in power. That means that over the course of the decade $60 billion worth of interest is being saved by the Australian people. We have released the country from $207 billion of Liberal debt.”
“At every step along the way, as we have sought to put in place policies which make it easier for people to deal with the circumstances that they face, those opposite stand resolutely opposed to it. The Australian people understand that, and, in the coming weeks and months as we lead up to the next election, they will not forget it, nor will they forget the country that those opposite left us. When we came to power, inflation was running at 6.1 per cent, and it was going higher. Today it is 2.4 per cent, and it is going lower. When we came to government, those opposite had left us a trillion dollars of debt with nothing to show for it. And to be clear, the debt story started well and truly before the pandemic. There was nothing they wouldn't throw money at.”
“In total, the tax cuts that we have put in place will see $50 a week for the average income earner stay in their pockets; that's a result of the tax cuts that we've put in place. But those opposite sneer at that. They say it's nothing. They're out there pretending that what we are doing in terms of income tax relief and energy bill relief is making no difference. They will give every description under the sun about the challenges that people are facing right now, but, when it comes to actually doing something about that and helping Australians who are facing those challenges, they stand in opposition to all of it. They have been opposed to tax cuts. They have been opposed to energy bill relief. They have been opposed to more affordable child care. They have been opposed to cheaper medicines.”
“He simply comes in here and rolls out his old bag of tropes, which he has had for the last two decades, around what he says in relation to the Labor Party. In terms of the contribution of the shadow Treasurer today, every time the Shadow Treasurer opens his mouth is a moment closer to the Rhodes Trust asking for their money back! He has done absolutely nothing to make an argument about why the Liberal Party should be in here voting against lower taxes, and yet that is the situation that we find ourselves in. We understand the challenges that Australians are facing. Those on the other side are sneering at the money that we are ensuring is in the pockets of Australians around this country.”
“The words that you've just heard from the Leader of the Opposition are the ultimate testament to Liberal lunacy. The Leader of the Opposition and the shadow Treasurer have dragged their colleagues, hangdog, into this chamber to vote against lower taxes. That's what's going on here. All of those are lining up opposite to vote against lower taxes. The party of so-called small government in this moment is in this chamber voting against lower taxes. Robert Menzies would be rolling in his grave—which is perhaps why the seat of Robert Menzies is no longer in their pile! All we hear from the Leader of the Opposition is his method of division and his attempt to come and scare the Australian people. Fear and division is what he has been about.”
“But I really do want to finish by thanking and acknowledging you, Member for Goldstein, for your advocacy on their behalf. I know it means a lot to them, but it means a lot to this House and it means a lot to this nation.”
“The Minister for Foreign Affairs has spoken to her counterpart in Laos and made clear that it is the expectation of the Australian government that there be a thorough investigation into these events—into this crime—and that the perpetrators be found and made it clear that it is the expectation in the context of our relationship with Laos that that happen. That has been directly related by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to her counterpart, and we will continue to press Laos to pursue this investigation, as we will continue to offer the assistance of the Australian government, through the Australian Federal Police, in this investigation. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been in contact with Bianca's and Holly's families, and they will continue to do so. Obviously any information that we have, we want to share with them.”
“The Australian Federal Police have made an offer to the authorities in Laos to provide their assistance in the investigation, and there is a whole lot of capability that the Australian Federal Police could bring to bear in terms of this investigation. Sadly I have to report to the House that, at this point, the Laos authorities have not taken up that offer on the part of the Australian Federal Police. But I want to assure the families of Bianca and Holly that we remain in contact with the Laos authorities and that the offer of assistance is being consistently raised with the Laos authorities. Beyond that I want to make this point as well.”
“I thank the member for her question. I also thank her for her advocacy in giving voice to the families of Holly Morton-Bowles and Bianca Jones. What happened to Holly and Bianca struck at the heart of the nation. All of us stand in the embrace of their families. It is unimaginable to think about what they are going through in facing the loss of their beautiful daughters. What is understandable is a desire on their part, as you have raised here, not only to find out more information but ultimately to find out who did this terrible act and to see the perpetrators of this crime brought to justice and held to account. This is an investigation which is being undertaken by the authorities in Laos.”
“If the Liberals are allowed to take Australia back to flatlining wages, to a decimated Medicare scheme right there, the household budgets of middle Australians will be absolutely smashed. But don't worry: they do have one cost-of-living measure. They want all Australians to pay for businesses to provide free lunches—a policy that could cost up to $10 billion. That is the same amount of money as the Medicare payments to the entirety of our GP workforce. How on earth can that be the right priority? As Australia faces a very big decision in the coming months, we know that the Liberals will be focused on themselves and on their own political fortunes. On this side of the House, we make a pledge. It is the focus—it is the priority—of Anthony Albanese and his government to provide for the security and the prosperity of every Australian.”
“We get that the last few years have been difficult and that many Australians are still doing it tough. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, there's a lot more work that needs to be done, and we are committed to that, but the Liberals represent a material risk to finishing this job because they have a very different set of priorities. There is no culture war that they will not fight. They literally seek to politicise everything. They've made it totally clear that their priority is to cut government services to the tune of $350 billion, and they will need to find another $600 billion to pay for their nuclear plan. You can't do that unless you start hacking into Medicare, just as the Leader of the Opposition did when he was the Minister for Health.”
“Governing is about priorities, and the priority of the Albanese government from the moment that we took office has been tackling cost of living. We've done this from day one because of global inflation but also because of the low-wage, high-inflation mess we inherited from the Liberals. So we've made medicines cheaper; we've made child care more affordable; we've provided energy bill relief to every Australian; we've got wages going again, beginning with the lowest paid, such that on this day there is now real wage growth in Australia; and we've provided a tax cut to every income earner. We understood that we needed to get inflation down, so we delivered two budget surpluses, something those opposite never did. And having inherited a number of 6.1, inflation is now at 2.4 per cent.”
“I inform the House that the Prime Minister will be absent from question time today as he is in North Queensland visiting severely flood affected communities with the Queensland Premier. I'll answer questions on behalf of the Prime Minister.”