Motion Noting the Events in Ukraine

Motion:

3 Mr Duigan to move ⎯ That the Legislative Council —

(1) Recognises Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and its right to peace, freedom, and democratic rule.

(2) Notes ⎯

(a) that Tasmania is home to both Ukrainian and Russian communities who have received this news with deep concern for their loved ones, and we stand with all Tasmanians in wishing to provide care and support for those communities; and

(b) Tasmania stands with the Australian Government in affirming our respect for Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and its right to peace, freedom, and democratic rule.

(3) Acknowledges that there is no justification for this aggression and condemns the aggressive action which has been borne by innocent Ukrainians.

(4) Further notes that Tasmania has a strong history of welcoming and providing support for national efforts in providing humanitarian responses to previous conflicts and will continue to work with the Australian Government in jointly responding to the unfolding events.

Text of Speech:

Ms WEBB (Nelson) – Mr President, thank you to the member for Windermere for bringing this motion and for the contributions made by other members.  It has been really interesting to listen to them and I absolutely agree with many of the heartfelt things that have been shared.  This is a topic that has been with us on a daily basis since the war in Ukraine began on 24 February. I am sure others, like me, have been following with growing horror the distressing stories that come through the nightly news and the social media coverage and analysis pieces we can all engage with online.  Here, on the other side of the world, we in Australia hear the reports of atrocities and potential war crimes being committed against civilians in Ukraine.  We hear about cities falling to the invading Russian army and while it is hard to imagine facing such a daily reality, I know that we all stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Mr President, while it is hard to imagine facing such a daily reality, we all stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, supporting their bravery and fierce resistance of invasion under the incredible leadership of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  Beyond our heartfelt solidarity, Australia is in a good position to put into practice our active support of the Ukrainian people, their sovereignty and basic human rights.  In doing so, we are presented with an opportunity to reflect on and learn how we in Australia can improve our nation’s support for the sovereignty of others and support for global human rights.

That is something that I was drawn to reflect on by this motion.  In speaking to the motion, I focus on two areas.  I will group the following points of the motion for reflection and comment.  The first point says:

(1)     Recognises Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and its right to peace, freedom, and democratic rule. 

Then part (2)(b), which says:

(b)     Tasmania stands with the Australian Government in affirming our respect for Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and its right to peace, freedom, and democratic rule.

and the third point, which says:

(3)     Acknowledges that there is no justification for this aggression and condemns the aggressive action which has been borne by innocent Ukrainians.

I think it makes sense to group these points together.  I fully support the statement in the motion which recognises and affirms the Australian Government’s respect for Ukrainian territorial sovereignty and its right to peace, freedom and democratic rule.  I add that I support that right for all people globally.

We know that the United Nations considers the attack by Russia to be, ‘a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine’.  It is important for all nations, I believe, including Australia, to express their support of Ukraine during this time and to advocate for the basic human rights of the people who live there.

Naturally, the idea of one nation invading another, breaching national borders and engaging in armed conflict, attacking and displacing peaceful citizens, offends our sense of what is right.  However, advocating these values can be done lightly, potentially, without acknowledging that it also must be done consistently.  It is particularly to advocate for them when it is politically convenient, especially when doing so puts us in line with the sentiments of our allies and is directed in condemnation of those to whom we are not closely aligned.

It is my belief that territorial sovereignty and the right to peace, freedom and democracy are universal human rights and should be supported without exception.  Inconsistency in this calls into question how genuinely we hold a commitment to these rights and principles.  In fact, it is not too hard to call to mind previous situations where we may well have expected countries like Australia to explicitly and actively uphold the rights of territorial sovereignty, democracy, peace and freedom, but where the Australian Government failed to do so, where we stayed silent and failed to act, or acted inadequately.

We can even turn our thoughts to situations where we have been supporters, or even participants, in military actions which could have been regarded as a violation of these self‑same principles.  Past Australian governments have supported violations of territorial sovereignty made by our allies – in Panama, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, for example, and in the occupation of Palestine by Israel.  In that case, while it is a very different and complicated ongoing situation, the fight of the Palestinian people against the occupation of their territory has often been condemned by Australia, rather than applauded, as we do now with Ukraine.  Former prime minister, Scott Morrison, recently dismissed Amnesty International’s conclusion that Israel is committing apartheid against Palestinians, stating that Australia and his government at the time would remain staunch friends of Israel.

It is problematic to judge your friends by a different measure than those you do not count as friends.  The magnet of friendship should not pull the needle of our moral compass away from true north.  Inconsistent application of values and principles also brings to mind Australia’s inconsistent response to refugees.  In response to the urgency of helping the Ukrainian people fleeing the conflict in their country, the Australian Government has decided to expedite the processing of their visa applications as a priority, which I applaud.  Temporary humanitarian visas were made available to all Ukrainians living in Australia on other temporary visas, and those who held a temporary visa ending before June 2022 were given automatic six‑month visa extensions.  For Ukrainian people who had any family connection here in Australia, fast-tracked tourist visas were made available, and a new class of temporary protection visa was provided for them to apply for once here, which would then allow them to stay for up to three years.

The process to apply for these temporary protection visas has been specifically streamlined for the Ukrainian people seeking to access them and there is no cap set on the numbers to be provided, is my understanding.  I believe Australia has granted more than 6000 tourist visas to Ukrainian nationals, and about 1500 of those have already travelled here, including about 10 families to our state.

Let me say firmly that these efforts from our country to assist in the humanitarian crisis resulting from the Ukrainian war are commendable and necessary and I applaud them.  However, the current special measures established for Ukrainian refugees contrast with many of the federal government’s previous decisions on refugee intake.  For example, when the US pulled out of Afghanistan and Afghani people were at significant risk from the violent regime seizing power, we provided a much more limited response.  Those Afghani people who had worked with the Australian military, or the Australian Government, while we had a military presence in the country, were able to get a visa to Australia although not all those who were granted a visa were able to get out, unfortunately.

We were very targeted in who we would accept in that circumstance.  Having a family connection in Australia already was not sufficient for an Afghani person to get an emergency visa.  If Afghani people tried to apply for a tourist visa to Australia, in an attempt to get here, then to seek a temporary protection visa ˗ just as the Ukrainian people are being encouraged and supported to do now ˗ they were not being approved for them.  The Genuine Temporary Entrant – the GTE provision of the tourist visas – was strictly applied in the case of the Afghani people seeking a tourist visa at that time, which we are not seeing for Ukrainian people now.

Some additional funding was provided, including $50 000 from our state government to the Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service, to assist Afghani people to apply for offshore humanitarian visas.  However, this is a process that takes years to progress.  There is no streamlining or fast-tracking for them, and there is massive competition for the very limited number of capped places. 

Of course, these situations are complex and there would be many factors that play into decisions our government makes in terms of our response and our support, but we need to have our eyes wide open and be prepared to honestly question situations in which our response seems inconsistent and reflect on what that means in regard to the values we propound.

I am prompted to reflect on Australia’s own treatment of refugees which has been found to breach human rights in violation of international law.  The United Nations Refugee Agency states there are 26.4 million refugees worldwide of which 68 per cent come from five countries: Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Myanmar and South Sudan.

While in 2015, the federal government permitted a one-off intake of 12 thousand refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, all of these visas for resettlement were granted by March 2017.  The Syrian civil war is still ongoing.  As of mid-2021, there remain 6.8 million refugees as a result of this conflict.  A further example of our inconsistent approach is the federal government’s granting of only 412 humanitarian visas to Rohingyas, fleeing Myanmar between 2008 and May 2015.

According to the Refugee Council of Australia, only 37 Rohingya refugees were resettled in Australia between 2013 and early 2017.  Reports emerged in 2017 that the federal government had offered to pay Rohingyas to return to Myanmar, where ethnic cleansing had been committed against people of their ethnicity.  This would potentially have been in breach of non-refoulement obligations against international and customary law.  Along with the situations I have already mentioned, the UNHCR lists there are currently humanitarian crises in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sahel, Yemen, Afghanistan, Burundi, the Central African Republic Region, Central America and South Sudan.

We are prompted to ask ourselves whether our country treats some refugees as worthier of basic human rights such as freedom, democracy and peace by allowing them into Australia, while ignoring others who flee conflict and persecution.  We are eager to proudly promote these values, but I argue that applying our values inconsistently risks the appearance we do not genuinely hold them.  I am far from an expert on these matters, my understanding of them is limited, but I do know as a citizen of this country, the Australian Government makes decisions and takes actions in my name and on my behalf.  I believe that fact makes it incumbent upon each of us to hold some personal responsibility for those decisions made and actions taken in our name.  To at least be clear-eyed and honest about our national adherence to stated values and principles.

Having made these reflections, let me reiterate I fully support the immediate response Australia has made to Ukraine, I regard it as exactly what we as a peaceful and safe nation should be doing.

Lack of respect for the fundamental principle of territorial sovereignty is a contributing catalyst for international conflict, which we have seen through Russia’s actions in invading Ukraine.  Yet, a poignant and ongoing domestic example of Australia’s failure to respect terroritorial sovereignty is here at home in the treatment afforded our First Nations people.  The invasion, dispossession and depravation of rights experienced by Indigenous Australians in the past and the ongoing discrimination, inequality and disadvantage they continue to face today provides us with an opportunity right here on our doorstep to show our commitment to principles of sovereignty, freedom and democracy.  Yet, we have continued to fail to do this in many ways.  Where is our respectful response to the Uluru Statement from the Heart? Where is our First Nations voice to parliament? Where is our honest and committed national path to treaty and where is our ongoing process of land return?

I first prepared this speech prior to the federal election result on the weekend and I am now pleased to say I have been given fresh hope on these questions by the explicit commitments made by our new incoming Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, stated as a matter of priority, in his victory speech on election night.  I look forward to progress on this and a closer alignment of our stated values with actions and our attitudes to our First Nations people.

I affirm my support for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and its right to peace, freedom and democratic rule.  I also take this opportunity to remind myself that such fundamental rights, values and principles are not like a set of clothes, where we can pick and choose which ones we will put on for the day in order to look our best.  They must in fact be part of our DNA, they must flow in our bloodstream.  They must be inextricably connected to our heart and our soul.  From there, they will connect us to the hearts and souls of others in our global family.

The second area that I will speak to in this motion relates to point (2)(a).  It notes that Tasmania is home to both Ukrainian and Russian communities who have received this news with deep concern for their loved ones and that we stand with all Tasmanians in wishing to provide care and support for those communities.  I applaud the work of Tasmanians in attempting to assist those affected by the conflict in Ukraine, and the wish of care and support for Ukrainian and Russian communities in Tasmania. 

In 2020 the Ukrainian community in Tasmania celebrated 70 years of migratory settlement since 340 displaced Ukrainians arrived in Tasmania after the Second World War.  The Association of Ukrainians in Tasmania was established in 1954. The member for Windermere reflected on this in his contribution which was really interesting, thank you.

The Association of Ukrainians in Tasmania is doing commendable work to support Ukraine and Ukrainians arriving in Australia because of this conflict including through donations, rallies, gatherings and collection of food vouchers and other support.  It is my understanding the association plans to meet every Saturday on the Parliament Lawns until the end of the war, in a strong show of solidarity.  Other groups are also providing support through donations and fundraising.  I know that the Rotary Club of Hobart has provided welcome packs and packages of support to the association of Ukrainians.

Earlier this month I was very happy to attend a fundraising dinner hosted by the Australian Lithuanian community in Tasmania, held at the Beltana Bowls Club where a room full of people were generously giving to provide assistance to Ukrainian families arriving in our state.  Important support is also being provided through organisations such as the Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service and the Migrant Resource Centre of Tasmania with legal and settlement assistance to migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants to our state.

These organisations do an incredible amount with very limited resources and with the assistance of many dedicated volunteers.  I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they do.  The Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service has some outstanding applications for funding that it is waiting to hear on and I am hoping that it will be granted so that it can continue to do the very important work that they undertake both through their Afghan assistance project which is specifically funded, and also now through assistance to the Ukrainians who are arriving in the state, with their temporary visa applications.

I certainly hope we might see some excellent funding directed in that way in our state Budget this week.  The Migrant Resource Centre’s Humanitarian Settlement Program provides support to humanitarian entrants upon their arrival and provides services to teach people skills and knowledge to help them begin their life in Australia.  I also thank the member for Windermere for outlining a range of other support arrangements that are being put in place in a very coordinated way through many government agencies and levels of government.  It is incredibly pleasing to hear about that work being undertaken.

I state very firmly how glad I am that as a community we provide these crucial services to assist people in need, in this particular case the Ukrainian people arriving in our state and the families and communities who they are coming here to join.  Let me finish by thanking the member for Windermere for bringing this motion and providing the opportunity to make these reflections and to affirm our support for the Ukrainian people in the face of the invasion and violence that they face.  I support the motion.