Angus Taylor
Hume · Liberal Party · Australia
“It was in 1927 that the federal parliament moved from Melbourne, where it had sat for 26 years. It's a much better location here; I'm in agreement. It did take up a beautiful sheep station, but it has become a great city. It came to a provisional building, as we just heard, in the new capital of Canberra.”
“I'm sure that all in this place look forward to that special sitting of the parliament in Old Parliament House to commemorate the occasion, and I warmly welcome that opportunity.”
“On behalf of the coalition and the federal opposition, it gives me great pleasure to support the motion moved by the government. We warmly welcome the establishment of the Joint Select Committee on the Centenary of Parliament in Canberra.”
“He captured the aspirational spirit of the Australian people when he said: One's own life would hardly be worth living without its dreams of better things, and the life of a nation without such dreams of a better and a larger future … Prime Minister Stanley Bruce delivered an address in which he said: May those who enter this open door go…”
“Given the shortage of accommodation in the new capital, I think it was largely restricted to tents at that point. Consequently, the overcatered event reportedly saw a large quantity of Sargents meat pies left over. Legend has it they were disposed of in a pit where the Treasury building now stands.”
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Under Labor, aged care wait times have blown out to over a year. More than 200,000 Australians are waiting for care. Today, Labor was defeated in the Senate, which passed the coalition's bill to put people back in charge of aged care decision-making.”
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“It clarifies and preserves review and appeal rights, including internal reconsideration and external merit review pathways, including through the Veterans' Review Board. It tightens transitional rules for claims and decisions spanning the commencement date to reduce legal uncertainty and inconsistent outcomes. It ensures dependent compensation is not distorted by timing technicalities, clarifies funeral benefit rules, aligns education assistance under the consolidated framework and clarifies impairment and additional disablement payment rules so assessments and payments remain correct and consistent.”
“That's why we supported the primary reform legislation and that's why we continue to support the objective of a single ongoing framework under the MRCA, reducing duplication, improving administrative consistency and making entitlements, claims and review pathways easier to understand and to access. This bill is largely technical and consequential, but technical does not mean trivial when you are the person living with the consequences. These provisions go to continuity, clarity and certainty. Our priority throughout this process has been simple: no veteran and no ADF member should be disadvantaged during the transition, and review rights and entitlements must be preserved. This bill makes important clarifications to ensure the new single-scheme framework functions properly and fairly in practice.”
“To every Australian war fighter and every veteran warrior who has worn the uniform: we see you, we respect you and we will fight to make sure the system that's meant to support you actually works for you. This, for defence personnel, is not abstract. It's not theoretical. This is a person in uniform deciding whether to put their hand up for help. This is a partner filling out paperwork late at night. This is a family trying to navigate a system in the worst week of their lives. Now, the coalition supported the royal commission's push to simplify and harmonise veterans' compensation arrangements, because the current multiact system is complex, difficult to navigate and too often confusing for veterans and for their families.”
“I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 2) Bill and move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House calls on the Government to remove any references to a notification of the Chief of the Defence Force, considering the impact this would have on a member's right to privacy and access to care". The coalition will support the passage of this bill because it's necessary to keep the veterans' compensation reforms on track and to ensure the transition to a single, simplified compensation and rehabilitation framework operating properly from 1 July 2026. I want to begin with a simple message to every veteran and every service member who might be watching this debate.”
“That is the test that a government must meet to rebuild our strong economy, a sovereign nation and a safer future for our children; to move on from rhetoric to readiness; and to ensure Australia stands on its own two feet while standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies.”
“We cannot build unity and resilience in a nation where too many Australians are locked out of the opportunity of homeownership and rising living standards, and that is why prosperity and sovereignty live hand in hand. They are twin national priorities, not competing goals; they depend on each other. A stronger economy gives us the resources we need to invest in defence, intelligence, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, and to defend that critical infrastructure. Greater sovereignty in energy, industry and technology protects our prosperity from coercion and threats. Our path forward should be clear: Australians are entitled to leadership that levels with them about the risks, sets clear priorities and that has a credible plan to restore prosperity and strengthen our sovereignty.”
“Our disagreements lie with the authoritarian states that seek to upend the rules based order on which our freedom and prosperity depend, not with Australians who have come here seeking the freedom and prosperity and who yearn for their families to enjoy the same freedoms at home. Labor has weakened our standing with Israel, a long-standing democratic partner, and too often dragged its feet on AUKUS, leaving our servicemen and women waiting for the capabilities they need and denying Australian industry the jobs, skills and innovation we know AUKUS can deliver. But national security doesn't exist in a vacuum. We cannot defend our country with a weak economy.”
“But the Chinese Communist Party is a strategic competitor, with flares fired at our aircraft, live-fire exercises off the coast, foreign interference on our soil and state-sponsored cyberattacks on our infrastructure. In recent days, we have seen coercion directed at our great friend and trading partner Japan for merely asserting its right to self defence and peace in our region. At the same time, we must never confuse the threat posed by an authoritarian government with the contribution of its diaspora. From Ballarat to Young, Chinese Australian communities have helped build our towns and our prosperity.”
“Leadership starts with telling the truth, even when it is uncomfortable, yet Labor still struggles to name the threat plainly and consistently. We are not getting clarity from this government. We should be crystal clear about the world we face. We oppose Russia's illegal and brutal war in Ukraine. We welcome early steps towards a peace deal and the government's confirmation that more assistance is soon to be announced. That assistance must be substantial, timely and focused on learning the lessons of this conflict to better protect our great country. Turning to our region, it is vital to strengthen trade relationships with the Chinese people.”
“It's a contest between open societies and the axis of autocracies. Russia, Iran, North Korea and the Chinese Communist Party are working together more closely than ever and using every lever of power short of open conflict: manipulating international rules; funding proxy crime and terror groups; coercing smaller nations through trade, technology and energy; and waging persistent cyber and information campaigns against countries like ours. Australia sits in the eye of the storm, pulled by two powerful forces—a weakening economy and rising threats to our sovereignty. In such a moment, what we need most is clarity of leadership—clarity about the threat, our alliances and about the national priorities.”
“I rise to give attention to a sobering fact: Australia is under sustained attack, not a conventional war with tanks and troops but a campaign of coercion and interference, with cyberattacks on our banks and hospitals, espionage in our institutions, coercive trade measures, dangerous provocations against our servicemen and women, and assaults on places of worship. This is a warfare without a formal declaration but not without victims. Australians feel it when their data stolen, when services are disrupted, when communities are pitted against each other and when they are made to feel unsafe in their own homes and suburbs. Our security agencies have made clear we face the most dangerous circumstances since the Second World War. Great power competition has returned, and its centre of gravity is our region.”
“My electorate office is proud to support the appeal and help encourage local generosity. From early November through to 7 December, people across the region can drop off new, unwrapped gifts at several Wests locations, including at my electorate office in Camden. These go directly to children, parents and carers who, without this support, may have very little to unwrap on Christmas morning. Even small gifts can have a profound impact, especially for families who are feeling the weight of these cost-of-living pressures. I want to recognise everyone involved—the volunteers, the partner organisations, the donors and the staff—for their enormous effort. At a time when so many Australians are feeling forgotten or left behind, this appeal shows that generosity runs deep in the community.”
“As Christmas approaches, families look forward to a season of celebration, but for an increasing number of households the festive season brings more stress than joy. Rising grocery and power bills, higher rents and mortgages—the general squeeze on everyday expenses means that Christmas has become increasingly difficult for too many Australians. In the cost-of-living crisis under Labor, more households are struggling to afford the basics, let alone the extra expenses that come with Christmas. That's why initiatives like Wests Group Macarthur's Giving Tree Appeal in my electorate are so important. This year Wests Group has once again partnered with Big Yellow Umbrella, a local charity, to run the 2025 appeal, an effort that has become a lifeline for families who are doing it tough.”
“Tahmoor Colliery is a vital asset, not just for our region but for Australia's steel and resources industries. With the right leadership and investment I believe it can thrive again—creating jobs, supporting local businesses and delivering long-term benefits to the community.”
“It's a key link in that supply chain, supporting local jobs and our domestic steel industry. There are buyers out there. People are looking at this mine and saying: 'You can make money from this. There is no need for the workers to be stood down.' The royalties from Tahmoor are important to the New South Wales government, and here's the thing. The mine doesn't need government subsidies. It's been operating for over 40 years and has a proud history in the region, as does coalmining more generally in the Burragorang Valley nearby. The miners just want to get back to work. They deserve better than what they're seeing now. We need a resolution and we need it quickly. The next step is simple: pay the workers, stabilise the operation and restore confidence.”
“As the local member I can't stand by and watch this continue. Last week I wrote to the mine's owner, Mr Sanjeev Gupta, and told him that enough is enough. Their management is not providing the stability, financial integrity or long-term certainty needed to keep the operations running. GFG needs to either restart the mine or sell it to someone who will. This mine is the heartbeat of our community—hundreds of jobs, local businesses and families depend on it. Let's be honest. It didn't shut down because it wasn't profitable; the problem lies with financial issues in the broader GFG group. That's what's driven this outcome. Tahmoor is a good mine. It produces metallurgical coal—the kind that's essential for steelmaking—which goes by rail down to Port Kembla and a significant portion of it is used in the steel mill down there.”
“I rise today to speak about the Tahmoor Colliery, a coalmine that has supported generations of workers and families in my electorate of Hume, the future of which now hangs in the balance. About 400 people and many more service providers and contractors worked there, and it supported countless local and regional businesses right across the Wollondilly Shire and beyond. Recently, a decision was made to stand down 250 workers, around half the workforce, which was tough blow, not just for workers but for the families of any small businesses that rely on the mines. It is disappointing and, frankly, a line needs to be drawn in the sand. For months the community has been patient—hopeful that GFG Alliance, the owner, would deliver on its promises, but patience has worn thin. GFG needs to be upfront about the future of Tahmoor now.”
“That was celebrated at the Campbelltown Catholic Club just recently—a fitting tribute to 95 years of service. I left the luncheon feeling genuinely inspired by the stories of resilience, the unwavering commitment to community, the positive mindset of the members—and the absolutely fantastic food, which is what you always get at a CWA. I'm really looking forward to joining them in five years time, looking ahead, to celebrate their centenary. The countdown to 100 is officially on. It's organisations like these that hold our wonderful community together.”
“Their energy and ideas are vital and, of course, will be the underpinning of an organisation that has a great future. The branch isn't just about service; it's about a way to make new friends. New members are always welcome. They come from all walks of life and all age groups. This week, it held its annual general meeting, and a big congratulations to Darlene Burkhardt, who was re-elected as president. She's backed by a passionate committee of volunteers who give their time and energy to keep the branch thriving. They meet on the third Tuesday of every month, and I encourage anyone interested to go along. I'm also proud to share that CWA Camden was recently nominated for the 2025 South Western Sydney-Macarthur Volunteer Team of the Year.”
“Many of the founding members had already been active in World War I through other women's organisations, and their legacy of service runs deep. But their work didn't stop there. Beyond wartime efforts, the CWA has been a quiet force behind so many local initiatives: supporting schools and hospitals, and providing disaster relief during floods, droughts and bushfires. We've had our share of those in that area in recent years. They're always there when help is needed. This is an organisation that's the real deal. It's about genuine people taking real action and speaking with honest voices. I'm thrilled to say the Camden branch is looking ahead, as well. It was fantastic to see a number of junior members actively involved in the anniversary luncheon.”
“Over the years, the CWA has made a well-earned reputation for wonderful scones and tea, and they do that brilliantly—but there's way more to the CWA than that. At its heart, it's about improving the lives of women and families, especially in rural and remote parts of Australia. But Camden, on the edge of Sydney, is one of those places where it has had an impact for a long, long time. Through fundraising and community service advocacy, it continues to make a real difference. During World War II, the CWA, including the Camden CWA, stepped up in a really big way by knitting woollen garments, making blankets and preparing food supplies for service men and women on the front lines and elsewhere; and they even made camouflage nets to help conceal equipment and personnel from enemy aircraft.”
“I rise today to shine a light on the Camden branch of the Country Women's Association, which is proudly based in my electorate of Hume. Recently I had the pleasure of attending their 95th-anniversary luncheon at the Camden Estate Cafe. It was an absolutely wonderful celebration of the branch's rich history and the incredible work that they've done over many years. We had branch members from many of the surrounding branches, at Picton, Campbelltown and elsewhere, which made the day even more special. I can't stress enough how important it is across these branches that they network with each other, and they do that in a way where they share knowledge, lend a hand and work together on a range of projects.”
“These are things that we must have if we are to be in the position we need to be in, in a world, as I said, where we face greater strategic dangers than we have faced for a long time. These principles are the foundation of a Defence Force ready to deter aggression, defend our sovereignty and uphold the peace that generations before us fought to secure. I commend this bill and this amendment to the House.”
“It's a real challenge for a big organisation to show the sort of agility that small organisations are usually responsible for, but that's what we have to be able to do. And we have to put people at the centre of national security. It is great people who are responsible for agility, for readiness, for standing on our own two feet. As I said, we have great people in our Defence Force, but we've got to make sure that we have the right mix of people. The government has fallen seriously short of its own targets in terms of recruitment and retention, and that is really showing in our Defence Force. These are not slogans. Readiness is not a slogan. Sovereignty is not a slogan, nor is agility.”
“What we've seen in Ukraine—and I saw it just last week in the Middle East—is a need for rapid innovation in defence capability, because the world is innovating at a pace that I haven't seen in a long, long while, with drone technology and missile technology, electronic warfare, space—all of this is now intersecting in ways we could never have imagined even a few short years ago. The Ukraine conflict has really brought this home. This is a fundamentally different-looking conflict to conflicts we've seen in the past, because technology has changed. With it, agility becomes an asset in itself. If you do not have agility in this modern world of warfare you do not have strength. You will be outdone every single time by more agile adversaries.”
“We have to have sovereign capability in critical areas—sovereign missile manufacturing, for instance. We've seen a lot of false starts on that over the last little while with GWEO. We need to make sure that that sovereign manufacturing is going into place to support our Defence Force. There's no point in having critical inputs that we need in a conflict coming across the ocean over long periods of time with the risk of blockades. You've got to have the most critical items here in this country. We need to make agility a strategic asset.”
“But we're going to continue to see it in other areas as well, and I think that will continue to have an impact on the morale of our Defence Force and the ability to attract, retain, excite and motivate people in our Defence Force. We have great people, incredible people, in our Defence Force. I meet them every day and I am so privileged to see and meet these incredible people who are motivated by not just their own interests but, more importantly, the interests of this great nation. Every single day they get up to serve our nation in uniform, and we should be very proud of these people. But we've got to make sure they have what they need to get their job done. Within that our priorities are clear. We have to move from rhetoric to readiness, and stand on our own two feet.”
“In the absence of that, what we are hearing and seeing is that the funding necessary for AUKUS is being taken from the rest of the Defence Force, which is being completely cannibalised. In fact, both are underfunded. AUKUS is underfunded and the rest of the Defence Force is underfunded, and we're going to continue to see that. One of the areas we'll see that in is sustainment, where it's clear there is a serious underfunding of sustainment of equipment across the Defence Force. We're going to continue to see some of the results of that. We saw that recently with the LHDs. The report from the ANAO has made that very clear.”
“I'll finish with a couple of comments about our broader view on defence policy, which will be reflected in the way we approach this committee. We have begun outlining our priorities for defence. Our priorities are focused on results and reality, not just rhetoric. Part of what is required there is to get defence spending to three per cent of GDP, not because anyone else has asked us to do it but because it's the right thing for us. It's right thing for this nation. We have seen multiple experts tell us that, in order to implement the recommendations of the government's own strategic review, it is necessary to lift spending to three per cent of GDP—with real money, not with accounting tricks or creative accounting. That's not how you do it. We need to see a real commitment to getting to three per cent of GDP.”
“If the government is serious about bipartisanship—and I certainly hope it is—it will honour the conventions that have protected our intelligence and security institutions for more than 20 years and ensure this committee's membership is confined to those who believe in defending Australia, who support AUKUS and who back the investment needed to make our Defence Force ready, resilient and respected not just within Australia but across the globe. This is the spirit in which the coalition approaches this bill. We are strong supporters of this committee, and we will not oppose this bill's passage through the House, but we will hold the government to the standard it has promised and the standard that Australians expect. This committee must be built on clarity, strength and unity of purpose.”
“We can't afford a paper ADF, as ASPI has put it. This is the risk. In the new world of geopolitics—a world which resembles worlds we've seen in the past; there's a realism about what we are seeing around the globe right now—deterrence is only achievable through strength. We have dictators in the world today who show no respect for the international rule of law. They couldn't care less. The only message they understand, the only thing they understand, is strength. Strength is the key to deterrence, and that's why—putting aside conflict itself—a paper ADF is completely unacceptable if we want stability and prosperity.”
“That's why bipartisan oversight must go hand in hand with bipartisan resolve, including higher defence investment each year. Australia must move from rhetoric, and we've heard a lot of rhetoric. We always hear a lot of rhetoric from those opposite, and that in itself might be okay, but it's got to be rhetoric accompanied by readiness and reality. The committee established by this bill, properly constituted, can play a constructive role in that task. It can improve contestability of ideas, strengthen the parliament's understanding of classified issues and give Australians greater confidence that both sides of politics are united in securing this nation's defence. But the committee is not a substitute for delivery. Accountability and transparency must not be an excuse for delay. We can't afford capability gaps.”
“If he breaks those conventions, he will politicise the very institution that keeps Australians safe and, in doing so, betray his own defence minister's assurance that this committee will remain composed of an appropriate group of people who support the Defence Force and, importantly at this time, AUKUS. As I said, the Australian government's own Defence Strategic Review recognised the deteriorating strategic environment we face. We are seeing unsafe intercepts of Australian aircraft, cyberattacks on our institutions, and foreign interference of increasing magnitude and regularity in our communities. The ADF is being asked to do more with less while recruitment falls and capability timelines stretch further out into the distance.”
“Almost every prime minister since John Howard, Labor and coalition, has respected the convention that membership of these committees should be limited to the government and opposition parties of the day—the parties of government. The Prime Minister does not need new legislation to appoint crossbenchers; he has the power to do so now. But whether he chooses to exercise it will speak volumes about his character and his judgement. If he honours the conventions that have served our nation well, he will demonstrate respect for our Defence Force and for the bipartisanship that keeps us strong.”
“He worked across the aisle to build support for this committee, ensuring it would reflect the success of PJCIS while being tailored to defence. Both Jim Molan and David Fawcett made immense contributions to strengthening Australia's strategic culture and to bringing realism, accountability and unity to defence policy across this parliament. Their legacy and Linda's legacy should guide how this committee operates—not as a political forum but as a disciplined, trusted body that strengthens defence through insight and commitment, not ideology. The Prime Minister will now face the same test that has confronted every prime minister since the Howard government first legislated the Intelligence Services Act 2001. The law hasn't changed.”
“Right to his last, he was writing and talking about the importance of ensuring that we have a national security strategy for this nation, and he strongly advocated for a parliamentary committee that ensured we had accountability for our ADF—the ADF he was part of for many years, of course, and he felt very strongly that it needed to be fully accountable. Former senator Linda Reynolds was a strong advocate for ensuring we had a committee of this nature, and former senator David Fawcett—again, a good man and a great contributor to defence policy in this country—carried the torch on this issue, demonstrating tireless commitment to policy contestability, capability delivery and industrial reform, ensuring we have sovereign capability in this nation, and he continues to argue the case about this.”
“This is not a committee that should question whether AUKUS should exist; it's a committee that should ensure every dollar being spent on AUKUS and the rest of the ADF is a dollar well spent, in getting to the strength that we need to ensure that the deterrence that is so central to the peace and prosperity we all want to see occurs. It is very clear that this proposal we're talking about today stands on the shoulders of three great advocates for parliamentary oversight and defence reform. The late senator Jim Molan was a close friend of mine, a good man and a man who stood up for the strength of our great nation.”
“It would risk jeopardising the handling of classified information and send exactly the wrong message to those who seek to test Australia's resolve and the resolve of our alliances, which are absolutely central to that interlinked prosperity and security I talked about a moment ago. That's why the amendment I move today lays down a simple but very clear principle: that membership of the committee should be predicated on support for defence spending—indeed, there should be higher defence spending—and a recognition of the threat environment we face. It should also be predicated on an unequivocal commitment to AUKUS.”
“That is the right model, but only if the same conventions are upheld as have been upheld in the case of that very successful Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. For two decades, PJCIS has earned the confidence of Australia's security community precisely because it has remained bipartisan and disciplined. Its membership has typically been drawn exclusively from the government and the opposition parties of the day. Any breach of that precedent—any decision to appoint Greens or Independents to a classified defence committee—would be serious and dangerous. It would risk politicisation of our national security architecture. It risks weakening trust with our allies, which is more important than it has been for a long, long time.”
“It's incredibly important that, in that context, we have clear and strong parliamentary oversight of how that money is being spent. While building consensus around Australia's strategic priorities, the coalition has long supported the establishment of a parliamentary joint committee on defence, but it must be implemented in a way that strengthens bipartisanship, not politicises it. Defence is not a political plaything. It demands continuity, consensus and competence, and the test of this bill is whether it will build that or undermine it. The government has said that this committee will mirror the successful model of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.”
“Prosperity and security go hand in hand, and we forget that, having gone through such an extraordinary era since the end of the Cold War, which was so pivotal in shaping my views of the world. After the Cold War came to an end, we came to believe that prosperity and security automatically happened. It was just part of a new world where the international rule of law was upheld and managed, but the truth is that we are facing real threats to that right now, which is why it has never been so important that we invest more in our Defence Force. It has never been so important, given that there needs to be more funding. There must be more funding, and there must be, and there are, more demands on our Defence Force than has been the case in the past.”
“Whether it's the unacceptable and unprofessional conduct of the People's Liberation Army aircraft against our Australian surveillance fleet in the South China Sea or the photographs of former premiers on stage in the family photos with many of the dictators responsible for this global instability and these global threats, the message is clear: these choices and these threats are on our doorstep. We face increasing trade-offs between the liberal and positive impulse to trade—the impulse for free markets and for faith in international order—and our security interests. In short, prosperity and security have never been so interlinked. They've always been interlinked.”
“Every day, Australians read and watch with sadness the great human cost of conflict in Europe and the Middle East. As defence officials made clear to Senate estimates, Australia is not immune to these conflicts. Whether it's the foreign interference of Iran launching attacks on Australia's Jewish community or the cyberattacks of the Chinese Communist Party highlighted in ASD's latest threat assessment—and, let's be clear, it's been attributed; it is very clear that the Chinese Communist Party was involved in those cyberattacks—or the startling revelations about the importation of sanctioned Russian oil, Australia cannot ignore the realities of a more dangerous world or the new reality of modern strategic competition around the world, where nations seek to achieve their strategic ambitions without firing a bullet.”
“This is an important piece of legislation, not just for what it seeks to achieve but how it stands to be implemented. Australia faces the most dangerous set of circumstances since the Second World War, a fact that mas made clear in the government's own Defence Strategic Review but also confirmed recently by Defence officials at estimates. We see increasing cooperation between an axis of dictatorships, theocratic states, that seek to upend the world order and reshape the institutions and principles that have delivered an era of great peace, prosperity and liberty to billions around the globe. The war against the West that commenced during the early 2000s has spread from one led by non-state actors to one championed by dictatorships.”
“I rise to speak on the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence) Bill 2025 and move the amendment circulated in my name: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that: (1) Australia faces the most challenging strategic environment since World War II, increasing the importance of bipartisan support for our ADF and strategic priorities; (2) AUKUS represents a generational opportunity to: (a) transform Australia's defence capability and industries; (b) create highly skilled jobs; and (c) deepen investment links between Australia and our security partners; (3) the scope of Australia's strategic challenges will require increased defence spending over the next decade; (4) membership of this committee should be predicated on support of higher spending on defence, a recognition of the threat environment, and support for the success of AUKUS; (5) this bill has been modelled on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, which has operated consistently and successfully scrutinised Australia's intelligence community on a bipartisan basis for decades with membership exclusively composed of the Opposition and Government parties of the day; and (6) any breaching of similar appointment conventions would represent a serious departure and politicisation of our defence force at a time of increasing danger for our region".”
“In finishing, I stand with the thousands of Australians who have attended vigils to mark the second anniversary of October 7. The relationship between Australia and Israel has stood the test of time. We hope this continues well into the future and that this peace deal in the Middle East will underpin a far better future for the Middle East than what we have seen in the past.”
“It does provide the very best prospect we've seen in years to bring lasting peace and to advance towards a genuine two-state solution. Recognition of Palestine is something that we ultimately do want to see through a two-state solution, but first of all we need to get the prerequisites in place, and I think this agreement puts us in a position where we have a real prospect of that occurring. It is incredibly important that countries across the globe—including, of course, the Arab states, who will have to play an enormously important role in this—commit to ensuring that this is a successful and lasting peace that is good for Israel and the Jewish people, Israelis, and good for those living in Gaza. This is incredibly important to all of us.”
“With regard to the protest organised at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, the opera house belongs to all Australians, not activists and protestors. On a day when the Australian Jewish community would be coming together to mark the second anniversary of these barbaric attacks, the fact that these activists continue to sow division and tear at social cohesion is disgusting but not surprising. No-one wants to see innocent civilians killed. We want the people of Gaza to have safe access to food and aid. But can I say that today's announcement that a peace deal has been reached, following negotiations led by the United States and backed by the majority of Arab states, is a moment of historic and enormous significance. This is our best chance for the peace in the Middle East that, I think, everyone unites in wanting to see.”
“This government's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood was a mistake. It rewarded the terrorists. Hamas even praised the decision—and you know when a terrorist organisation praises your policy you have a problem. Sadly, since October 7, we've seen an unprecedented rise in antisemitism across Australia and the globe. There was the recent stabbing attack at a synagogue in England's north, absolutely abhorrent graffiti in Melbourne glorifying the murder of innocent people and reports of a firearm bring threatened at a place of worship. Society cannot justify hate speech as free speech and legitimise antisemitism as anti-Zionism. There must be zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour. The issue of antisemitism demands a strong and unified response, with unequivocal leadership.”
“They are not alone in their grief and sadness, and we sympathise with their pain. This was the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It resulted in more than 1,200 innocent people being murdered and tortured. The victims included women and babies and hundreds of young people. Women and girls were sexually assaulted—and, of course, there were the 254 hostages, with 48 yet to be returned to their families. We very much welcome the peace deal announced today, and I'll say more about that in a moment. The coalition has always believed that Israel has a right to defend itself. Hamas is a listed terrorist organisation. It knew what it was doing that day and what would follow. The terrorist group thrives on the misery of the Gazan people and wants the destruction of Israel.”