Ukraine
What many of us have learnt over the last few weeks is that there are many people in our communities who have always had a place in their hearts for Ukraine—people who've moved to Australia from Ukraine and people who've had long associations. What we've discovered in Australia over the last month is that Ukraine has grown a little place in all of our hearts. Unfortunately, that has happened because of the shameful invasion that Russia has initiated. The actions that we take in this place, and the actions the government must continue to take, must protect Ukraine's future. As many have already said, this attack is wholly unprovoked and has absolutely no justification. Again, we must be very clear that Russia is the aggressor and is responsible for the bloodshed and lives that have been taken in this violence.
We stand with the people of Ukraine and we stand with those that seek to defend their nation, a nation that had been living peacefully until just a few weeks ago. I want to note in particular the families and civilians killed in this aggression. At the start of this week the best records available—and we know this is probably an underestimation—noted that 1,151 civilians had been killed, of whom 103 were children. That is why it is important for this parliament to discuss this issue and that we continue to state very clearly that this federal parliament—not one side or the other, but this entire federal parliament—stands with the people of Ukraine. We stand with them in our communities, we stand with them in our electorates, we stand with them in the important forums of United Nations and we'll stand with them wherever the Australian hand of friendship is needed.
How do we do so? We do so with our tougher sanctions. We do so by acting with our allies wherever we can cooperate to prevent further lives from being lost. We do so by sending humanitarian aid and, indeed, by sending lethal aid. It's not something that Australia ever does lightly, but we do so because it is the right thing to do. We also do so by standing with our communities in peaceful protest. The opposition have very clearly said that we will continue to give bipartisan support to the Australian government for the provision of the economic and military assistance necessary for Ukraine. We'll support the sanctions against Russia, provide where necessary a safe haven for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict and provide support for Ukrainian Australian associations. I want to put on record my thanks to the DFAT officials who have been helping my constituents. I don't want to go into the details of those matters other than to say I'm very grateful for the work of DFAT and the work of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and her office in assisting a number of my constituents in some incredibly difficult circumstances to both protect lives and to reunite families. As the member for Perth, I'm very grateful for that work.
It has also been necessary for many of us to stand with our communities. I've stood with the Perth community in two separate vigils, including a 'Stop the War' rally held in the Supreme Court gardens on the banks of the Swan River, where the gardens and the parkland were covered in blue and gold. Normally, when we cover things in blue and gold in Western Australia, it's for the West Coast Eagles, but this was much more important. This was so that we could show the support of the people of Western Australia for the people of Ukraine. I commend the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth and the state government for lighting up a number of buildings and monuments across the state in blue and gold, including Council House. I want to thank everyone who attended the rally on 5 March, when they marched through the streets of Perth to show their support for peace. Then, at Saint Mary's Cathedral, which was built in 1865 and stands proudly in the heart of the Perth electorate, we gathered again in a vigil to show support for the people of Ukraine. That had a roll call of a range of consuls-general and a range of political leaders. I particularly note the attendance and the very heartfelt and strong speeches of Dr Tony Buti, the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests; Senator Smith; the member for Stirling; Senator Cox; Senator Steele-John; and, indeed, Caroline Perks, who is the Greens's candidate for Perth. It was good to see the cross-partisan support shown very strongly in the heart of the Perth electorate.
We must continue to stand with Ukraine however we can and not let this slip off the agenda. This is not just an attack on one country but an attack on democracy the world over. This is an attack on the rules that keep all nations and all citizens, wherever they live, safe. It is an attack on our values and an attack on friends and people that are dear to our communities. While we can oppose this, we need to work in whichever ways we can to ensure this conflict does come to an end, and that that happens soon. I'll continue to campaign for peace in the Perth electorate until it does, and I look forward to hearing from President Zelenskyy tomorrow, when he addresses the parliament, about how Australia can further assist in the cause of peace. He is an inspiring leader, but we don't need inspiration. We simply need a path to peace. And we need it now.