2025-10-21
By David Shoebridge
Senator for New South Wales
As we approach the end of another year of profound global challenges, the Greens continue to stand as an unwavering voice for justice, human rights, and peace.
Following the election, our office has taken responsibility for the Foreign Affairs portfolio for the Greens, building on the exceptional foundation laid by Senator Jordon Steele-John. I want to thank Jordon for his tireless advocacy on international human rights issues - his work has been invaluable in establishing the Greens as the clearest voice in Parliament for justice in Australian foreign policy.
Palestine Recognition: A Step Forward, But Gaza needs Sanctions
The Albanese Government's recent decision to recognise the State of Palestine is a well overdue step that would not have happened without the work of so many activists, connecting with millions of Australians, over decades. To achieve the goal of a Free Palestine and a just peace it must be accompanied by sanctions and ending the two-way arms trade with Israel. We continue to call for these meaningful steps to be taken.
Throughout 2025, I have maintained our clear position that there can be no lasting peace without an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. I have continued to call for immediate action beyond symbolic recognition - including comprehensive sanctions, arms embargos, and meaningful humanitarian assistance. My office has undertaken modelling the impact of imposing on Israel sanctions equivalent to those imposed on Russia. In short it would end the two way arms trade, remove any support for an illegal war and an illegal occupation and sanction key decision-makers These must be put in place.
AUKUS Escalation Under Trump 2.0
The Albanese Government has pushed funding for AUKUS to $18 billion over five years, largely in the form of tribute payments to President Trump and the UK. This massive increase in military spending represents exactly the kind of dangerous escalation we warned about.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House has emboldened the Albanese Government's militaristic agenda, with Australia now committing unprecedented resources to a nuclear submarine program that makes us less safe, not more secure. It is a program designed to enmesh us in a future US war with China. As such the promised Virginia-class submarines from the US, scheduled to (but highly unlikely to) arrive from 2032, represent a fundamental shift toward making Australia a nuclear target in any future conflict.
Throughout 2025, we have continued to campaign against this dangerous military spending spree, working with peace activists, First Nations communities, and concerned citizens who understand that real human security comes from diplomacy and investment in social and environmental programs, not nuclear weapons. The communities in Adelaide, Perth, and the Illawarra in particular remain at risk of becoming nuclear waste dumps or strategic targets, and I will always act in solidarity with them to protect their land, water and lives.
Trying to fix the NACC
Over the past year, I have been deeply concerned by the National Anti-Corruption Commission's failure to live up to its founding principles of transparency and accountability. Through a lengthy FOI battle, I obtained documents revealing that former High Court Justice Jeffrey Nettle found each of the six bungled Robodebt referrals 'raises a corruption issue', yet these critical findings were deliberately hidden by the NACC.
We also have consistently raised the conflict of interest arising from Brereton's dual role as both NACC Commissioner and Major General in the Defence Force Reserves given the NACC is currently considering at least 120 referrals about Defence.
There are also deep concerns about the lack of public hearings and addiction to secrecy by the NACC. The NACC cannot operate effectively in the shadows - it needs immediate reform to restore its credibility and fulfill its mandate to the Australian people.
Whistleblowers Still Under Attack
While Julian Assange's freedom in 2024 was a victory for press freedom worldwide, the systemic problems that led to his persecution remain unresolved. David McBride is still in jail for exposing war crimes in Afghanistan and Richard Boyle is being prosecuted for exposing gross wrongdoing in the Tax Office, highlighting the ongoing failure of both major parties to protect those who speak truth to power.
In 2025, I have seen new cases of whistleblowers facing prosecution while the crimes and corruption they exposed goes unpunished. Labor's purported commitment to transparency remains hollow rhetoric while those who expose government wrongdoing face jail time.
I continue to work alongside civil society groups for comprehensive whistleblower protection laws, the establishment of an independent whistleblower commission, and repeal of secrecy provisions that limit public accountability largely to avoid government embarrassment.
Immigration: Fighting Racism and Bureaucratic Cruelty
Our immigration portfolio work has intensified in 2025 as we continue to oppose Labor's increasingly punitive approach to migration. The Albanese Government's policies are designed to impact the most vulnerable people in our community, those seeking refuge, families trying to reunite and people with medical needs. A priority campaign is to provide a safe pathway to permanent residency for the 8,000 people who wrongly had their refugee claims rejected by the Coalition’s appallingly unfair Fast Track system.
Our office has done extensive advocacy work directly with communities and families to bring their loved ones here. We have exposed case after case of visa applications being rejected on discriminatory grounds, particularly affecting families with disabled children and people fleeing conflicts in various parts of the world. We have a large case load of individual matters where there is a clear link to NSW and issues consistent with our policy framework.
The treatment of Palestinians seeking refuge in Australia has remained particularly concerning, with applications overwhelmingly refused despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. This systematic rejection of people fleeing genocide exposes the hypocrisy of the Government's recent recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Exposing the F-35 Parts Cover-Up
A significant achievement has been forcing the Albanese Government to finally admit what we had long suspected - Australia has been directly supplying F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel throughout the genocide in Gaza. After months of relentless questioning of Penny Wong and Richard Marles, who kept claiming Australia exports "no weapons" to Israel, leaked shipping documents have been important to exposing the shameful truth.
When I confronted the Government with evidence of direct exports, their response was to shift from outright denial to claiming these were merely "non-lethal fighter jet parts" - a distinction that would be laughable if it weren't so morally bankrupt. As I pointed out repeatedly in Parliament, there is no such thing as a "non-lethal" part of a weapons system being used to commit genocide. Every component that keeps those F-35s in the air makes Australia complicit in war crimes.
Pressure does work though, repeated pushes in Senate estimates and parliamentary questions finally forced the Defence Department to discontinue 16 export permits to Israel,mthough this still falls far short of the complete arms embargo the Greens demand.
Digital Rights and AI Governance
The work done by my team on artificial intelligence has become increasingly urgent. The Senate inquiry into AI adoption has revealed concerning gaps in protecting privacy, preventing deepfakes, and addressing the massive environmental impact of AI systems.
We continue to push for comprehensive regulation of the AI sector, including strict copyright protections, privacy safeguards, and environmental impact assessments for large-scale AI deployments.
Our Digital Rights reference group brings together engaged members across the country to help us with this work. Questions of effective local control, human rights protections, transparency and environmental protections all intersect with AI and guide our work in this space.
Community Solidarity and Organising
Our community engagement has remained a cornerstone of our work, particularly with communities facing persecution and discrimination.
We have continued our strong relationships with Palestinian, Lebanese, Kurdish, Iranian, Bangladeshi, Sikh, Tamil and West Papuan communities (to name a few), providing consistent support for their struggles for justice and self-determination.
The rise in attacks against these communities, including police targeting and political persecution, has made our solidarity work more important than ever. In a political climate where fear and division are deliberately sown by those in power, the Greens remain a consistent voice for human rights and international justice. Our investment in community organising continues to strengthen the movements for peace, justice, and human rights. These grassroots connections are essential for building the power needed to challenge the status quo and create meaningful change. Making the connections between anti-AUKUS, Free Palestine, peace and global solidarity.
It is a privilege to be a Greens Senator and to represent NSW. The work my office does is a truly collaborative effort between Greens members, diverse communities and my incredible team.
I want to make a really loud shout out to the remarkable people I work with in my team. Thanks to each of Kym, Nicola, Kilty, Bella, Sam, Aish, Harry, Hash, Baran, Larissa, Taylor and Gigi for their comradeship in this work that we are so lucky to do together. For people and the planet.
- David