Thursday, 24 February 2022

Ukraine

Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:32):(By leave) I seek to make a brief statement if I can about the situation in Europe. Very briefly, can I just thank, firstly, for its indulgence, the house and say that on Sunday the member for Oakleigh and I, the federal member Bill Shorten and Senator David Van were on the steps of Parliament to support peace in Europe and peace in Ukraine. Noting that the conflict has commenced in that country and receiving in question time updates from my family about bombings that have commenced in that country on civilians, I say to this Parliament, which is one of the few in the world that unanimously passed a bipartisan motion to recognise the Ukrainian famine, particularly with the support of Labor member Matt Viney and me when in the other place—we passed that motion, which was a great reflection on this Parliament and this state, this recognition of Victorians seeking peace and solving conflict like this by peaceful means rather than by military force.

I thank the Parliament for its indulgence, and I just say again on record, to all Australians of Ukrainian and Russian heritage, these matters, while on the other side of the world, deeply affect many Victorians and should be solved peacefully and without any form of conflict.

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:33): When the Leader of the Opposition sought leave from the government just a moment ago to make a brief statement, of course the answer was yes. This is something that saddens all of us. Of course in my own local community in the southern part of my electorate there is both a facility for and a significant presence of Victorians of Ukrainian descent. To all of those people who have that heritage as part of their story and their journey to Victoria, our thoughts are with them today, our prayers are with them today. It will be a very, very anxious time—very anxious as they think about what the ramifications will be for their loved ones, for friends and family.

The Leader of the Opposition is right in saying that this Parliament is at its best when we work together, when we come together in a sense of unity and purpose to say, ‘This is wrong. This is an overt act of aggression. This will cost lives. It will cause misery and suffering. It is simply wrong’. It serves no purpose other than, well, whatever warped ideology passes for leadership within the Russian Federation. And I want to take up the point—a point well made by the Leader of the Opposition—that, yes, our thoughts are foremost in many respects with those who have Ukrainian heritage as part of their Victorian story, but of course for those in Victoria with Russian heritage this will also be a very challenging time.

It is good at the end of a sitting week, can I say, where there is all the usual back and forth which is part of a healthy democratic system, that while it is regrettable that we have to talk about these subjects, I am uplifted—I think we all are—by the sense that there is no division here. These matters are very important, and we should be able to as a Parliament call for peace, as a Parliament reassert that peace is the only way, that negotiation and diplomacy are the only way that you achieve good outcomes, and send our thoughts, our prayers, our love and our best wishes to everybody who has already been touched by this conflict and the many hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—more who will be touched by it in the weeks and months to come. I thank the Leader of the Opposition for raising the issue, and I join with him in that sense of unity to send our best wishes to all involved.

Mr Northe: On a point of order, Speaker, just in relation to an unanswered adjournment matter, 6112 from 27 October 2021, to the Attorney-General in the other place about Victoria adopting a gambling intervention program in our judicial system similar to what exists in South Australia; and a second matter of a constituency question, 6142 asked on 18 November 2021, to the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation about what actions the state government is taking with regard to gambling advertising in this state.