Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (11:03): Noting that the office of the President has become vacant, I move:

That Senator Lines take the chair of the Senate as President.

The Clerk: Are there any further nominations?

Senator WATERS (Queensland—Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (11:03): I move:

That First Nations woman Greens senator Dorinda Cox take the chair of the Senate as President.

The Clerk: Unless there are any further nominations, t here being two nominations , I invite—

Senator HANSON (Queensland—Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation) (11:04): I nominate Glenn Sterle.

The Clerk: It would not be in order to do that, because the standing orders require that you nominate a senator who is present, but thank you. I invite the two candidates to address the Senate.

Senator LINES (Western Australia—Deputy President and Chair of Committees) (11:04): Thank you, Clerk. Senators, I am seeking your support today to be the President of the Senate, and if you bestow that honour on me, I will certainly carry out the role of President in an impartial way. I have had a long apprenticeship as deputy, so I know most of you, and I look forward to getting to know the new senators. I look forward to you putting your trust and support in me.

Senator COX (Western Australia) (11:04): I submit myself to the will of the Senate. Never in this country's colonised history has a First Nations person ever been appointed as the President of the Senate. At a time when there is more First Nations representation here, in the 47th Parliament, than ever before, it's now our chance to take that further step and realise the full ambition of our First Nations parliamentarians.

In May, across this country, Australians told us that they wished to see a different parliament. They made it clear that their parliamentarians don't just talk about their communities. They should also look like them, they should sound like them and they should be from those communities. This morning each of you were welcomed to country with an expectation we will set ourselves on the right path and begin a new legacy together of truth-telling, of accountability, of treaty and of justice.

I thank the Australian Greens party room for this important and history-making nomination, and I thank you all for your support.

The Clerk: The Senate will now proceed to ballot. Please write on the ballot paper the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. The candidates are Senator Lines and Senator Cox. I invite Senator Urquhart and Senator McKim to act as scrutineers.

A ballot having been tak en—

The Clerk: I announce the result of the ballot as follows: informal, two votes; Senator Cox, 12 votes; Senator Lines, 54 votes. Senator Lines is therefore elected President of the Senate in accordance with the standing orders.

Senator Lines having bee n conducted to the dais—

The PRESIDENT ( 11:21): Thank you very much, Senators, for the honour and privilege bestowed on me here today. I will do my utmost to be a fair and consultative President. I want to acknowledge the outgoing President, Senator Slade Brockman, and thank him for being collegiate and for including me in lots of his duties. I wish him well and I look forward to working in a similar manner with the deputy.

Thank you, Senator Cox, for participation in the ballot today. It is always good to see democratic processes in place, and I thank all senators for that honour today of electing me as the President.

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (11:22): I rise on behalf of the government to congratulate you on your election as President of the Senate. At the outset, I note the longstanding convention that the government of the day has the right to nominate the President of the Senate, and I thank the chamber for its continued respect of this convention.

In making this nomination, the government has nominated a senator who is appropriately qualified and suited to the significant responsibility that comes with occupying the chair of the Senate as President. As people know, Senator Lines has served the chamber since 2013, as Deputy President and Chair of Committees since 2016, and I have no doubt that her experience over these terms will serve her well as she takes on this responsibility.

I also make the point about the operation of the convention and the operation of this chamber. This can be a partisan place; we've all been part of that. But I always regard it as a matter of pride that in this place these elections, certainly between the parties of government, observe some of the principles that I think matter to our Westminster system, and both parties of government have always ensured that the party, notwithstanding that neither of us ever has the numbers in its own right, except on one occasion since I've been here, always observes its obligation to the system and to the conventions which underpin it, so I thank the Senate.

I make another point. I was elected quite a long time ago now, as people keep reminding me, and I remember that the first Senate President I served under was Margaret Reid. She was the first woman to serve as Senate President—I think between 1996 and 2002—and I acknowledge that it was the coalition who nominated the first woman. She held the respect and support of all senators, and I'm confident Senator Lines will do so and will be able to expect the same across the Senate. It's taken a long time, but I'm pleased that we see yet another woman serving in this high office.

I'm confident Senator Lines will represent the interests of the Senate and the parliament as a whole, particularly when it comes to matters of privilege. I'm confident she will join her predecessors as a principal defender of the role and authority of the Senate in relation to the other place. So, on behalf of the government, I congratulate you, Senator Lines. President, we wish you every success in this most important of roles.

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (11:24): President, I congratulate you on your election to this very important office within this chamber as President of the Senate. In doing so, I also acknowledge the longstanding convention in the Senate of the role of the party of government to nominate the President of the Senate. I congratulate you on being the nominee of the government and, with that, enjoying the support of both the government and the opposition to take this place. I particularly acknowledge the role of former President Senator Slade Brockman. I thank Senator Brockman for his all-too-short service in the chair and acknowledge that during that time he discharged his duties with nothing but professionalism, fairness and diligence, and worked cooperatively with you, President—then as Deputy President—as his distinguished predecessor, Senator Scott Ryan, equally had done.

It was, indeed, a long period of service that you held as Deputy President. It brings you, President, to this chair, with much knowledge and experience of the procedures and processes of the chamber, and the other important functions and roles of President that you will now discharge. You do so at a time of a new government, a new parliament and a new Senate. With that, it's important that all of us remember the very special responsibilities that fall upon you as President to this Senate and to all senators in the fulfilling of those duties, to ensure the proper functioning of this chamber and to ensure that the dignity of this chamber is upheld. These are duties that also fall upon each and every one of us in our conduct that we bring to this place, and I hope that all senators will work to make sure that you, the deputy and those who hold the chair from time to time are all supported as much as possible in that role. It is also important that the role provide every opportunity for each senator to advance their issues of concern, for each senator to be able freely to debate, to challenge and to contest ideas across this chamber, to scrutinise the government of the day, within the full limits of the standing orders, and to have the freedom and opportunity to be able to do so.

We wish you well in your service. We acknowledge, indeed, that you follow a long line of successful Presidents and the particular role as the first woman to hold this office from the Australian Labor Party, following Senator Margaret Reid, who had such a distinguished service as a Liberal senator in this place and as President. In wishing you success, we offer you our support for the office, for you to be a strong, fair and independent presiding officer in this place.

Senator WATERS (Queensland—Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (11:27): On behalf of the Australian Greens, we offer you our congratulations for fulfilling the role of President of the Senate. We look forward to a very productive parliament. We are, of course, saddened that our magnificent First Nations woman, Senator Dorinda Cox, is not sitting up there. We hope that, as the chamber continues to become more diverse, some of these conventions that support the two-party system can also diversify and evolve, and we look forward to a parliament that truly represents the community, including the echelons of those decision-making roles. But we give our heartfelt congratulations to you and particularly recognise you as the first Labor woman to fill that chair. We wish you all the best and we hope that this parliament can address the challenges that the nation faces.

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (11:28): President, I wish to inform senators that the Governor-General would be pleased to receive the President and senators in the Members Hall at 2.30 pm.

Sitting s uspended from 11:28 to 14:25

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:25): President, the Governor-General will be pleased to receive you and senators in the Members Hall immediately.

The PRESIDENT: I invite senators to accompany me to the Members Hall.

Sitting suspended from 14:25 to 15:00

The President and honourable senators proceeded to the Members Hall and having returned—

The PRESIDENT (17:01): I report that, accompanied by honourable senators, this afternoon I presented myself to the Governor-General as the choice of the Senate as President. The Governor-General presented me with a commission to administer to senators the oath or affirmation of allegiance. I table the commission.

The PRESIDENT (17:01): I inform the Senate that I have received a copy of the opening speech which His Excellency the Governor-General delivered to both houses of parliament.

Ordered that consideration of the Governor-General's opening speech be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (17:02): by leave—I move:

That standing order 3(4) be suspended to enable the Senate to consider business other than that of a formal character before the address-in-reply to the Governor-General's opening speech has been adopted.

Question agreed to.

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (17:02): I advise the Senate that, following the election held on 21 May 2022, in which the Australian Labor Party was elected to government, the Governor-General commissioned the Prime Minister to form a government. Ministers and assistant ministers were appointed on 1 June 2022. For the information of senators, I table a list of the full ministry, which includes representation arrangements.

I also wish to inform the Senate that I have been appointed as Leader of the Government in the Senate and Senator Farrell has been appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Gallagher has been appointed as Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Senator Chisholm will serve as the Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate. I also advise that Senator Urquhart has been elected as the Chief Government Whip in the Senate and Senators Ciccone and Pratt have both been elected as deputy government whips in the Senate. I seek leave to have the ministry list incorporated into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (17:04): I advise the Senate that, following a meeting of the Liberal Party Senate party room, I was elected Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and I welcome the continuation, following her successful election, of Senator Cash as the coalition's deputy leader, albeit on this side of the chamber. I acknowledge also the election of Senator Bridget McKenzie, who continues in her role as Leader of the Nationals in the Senate, and Senator Perin Davey having been elected as Deputy Leader of the Nationals across the parliament. I further advise the Senate that Senator Wendy Askew has been elected as Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate, and I congratulate Senator Askew on her election, along with Senator Scarr and Senator O'Sullivan, who have both been elected deputy opposition whips.

I thank Senator Dean Smith for his service as the Government Whip in the Senate over a significant period of time—since 2015—and congratulate him on his appointment to the opposition frontbench as shadow assistant minister for competition, charities and Treasury. I inform the Senate that Senator Ruston will serve as Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate, and Senator Duniam will continue as the deputy to Senator Ruston in relation to the management of business.

I congratulate our senators on their various appointments, and also thank Senators McGrath and Chandler for their service as deputy government whips at the time in those parliamentary roles. I congratulate them also on their shadow ministry appointments. I congratulate all senators on their appointment to this place following the election. I particularly congratulate the three new coalition senators who have joined our ranks, albeit noting the loss, sadly, of some of our colleagues.

I offer my congratulations to government senators and particularly to those government senators who have been appointed to ministerial and assistant minister roles. It is a great honour that those on the other side have, to be part of the government of Australia and to be able to undertake those roles. I acknowledge Senator Wong as Leader of the Government in the Senate, returning to a ministerial role, and I acknowledge the other ministers, including new ministers, across this chamber. Whilst on our side we would have wished for an alternative election result, we know that serving the people of Australia as part of a government is an enormous privilege, and we wish you well in doing so, if not wishing you ongoing electoral success in the future.

The coalition takes very seriously our role to be a responsible opposition working in this chamber, with the larger crossbench elected by the Australian people, to hold the government to account and to represent the views of our constituents, our communities and all Australians. We look forward to working in this chamber in a collegiate manner—respectful in our differences, bipartisan where possible and in the national interest—but demonstrating to the Australian people that our values are the values of Australia and Australians.

I seek leave to incorporate in Hansard a list of our shadow ministerial arrangements.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

SHADOW MINISTRY

Each box represents a portfolio. Shadow Cabinet Ministers are shown in bold type .

Senator BABET (Victoria) (17:09): by leave—I advise the Senate that I should be designated as a whip for the purpose of standing order 24A, relating to the Selection of Bills Committee.

The PRESIDENT (17:10): I remind the Senate that it should now choose one of its members to be the Deputy President and Chair of Committees.

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (17:10): I move:

That Senator Andrew McLachlan be appointe d Deputy President and Chair of Committees.

The PRESIDENT: Are there any further nominations?

Senator WATERS (Queensland—Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (17:10): Thank you, President. With great pleasure, I move:

That Senator Jordon Steele-John take the chair as Deputy President and Chair of Committees.

The PRESIDENT: Are there any further nominations? As there are no further nominations, we will now proceed to a ballot. I invite the candidates—first of all, Senator McLachlan—to make a short statement.

Senator McLACHLAN (South Australia) (17:11): My fellow senators, I seek your support for election to the position of Deputy President. I ask senators to think of me kindly and to have regard for my work as temporary chair and my work as chair of other committees during my time in the Senate. I hope that, when you turn your minds to this, it will be a testament to the dedication that I will bring to the role. If I am successful at ballot, I will do all I can to support the President, who is a senator I hold in the highest regard.

Senator STEELE-JOHN (Western Australia) (17:53): Thank you, President. I come to the Senate today to seek your support to be elected to the position of Deputy President of the Senate. If you were to elect me to this role, a person who identifies openly as a disabled person, it would be a historic moment.

The Deputy President of the Senate is a leadership role in this place. Appointing a disabled person to this position would send a very clear message to disabled people across the country. It would send a message that disabled people belong in politics and that disabled people are able and are trusted to lead. It would send a message that this government, the opposition and the newly appointed crossbench are committed to centring disabled people and, from day one, will waste no time in breaking down the structural ableism that disabled people experience each and every day as a result of the decisions made in this place.

I am proud to have the support of my Greens colleagues to put myself forward for this position today. The Greens will always prioritise and promote upholding the voices of disabled people in this place. I encourage every member of the Senate to take this opportunity to do the same.

The PRESIDENT: A ballot will now be held. Before proceeding to ballot, the bells will be rung for four minutes.

The bells having been rung —

The PRESIDENT: The Senate will now proceed to ballot. Please write on the ballot paper the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. The candidates are Senator McLachlan and Senator Steele-John. I now invite Senators Askew and McKim to act as scrutineers.

A ballot having been taken—

The PRESIDENT: Order! The result of the ballot is as follows: Senator McLachlan, 57 votes; and Senator Steele-John, 13 votes. Senator McLachlan is therefore elected Deputy President and Chair of Committees in accordance with the standing orders. I look forward to working with you, Senator McLachlan.

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (11:27): I would like to make, if I may, some brief remarks to congratulate Senator McLachlan on his election as Deputy President on behalf of the—

An honourable senator interjecting

Senator WONG: government. I'm still getting used to saying that! There might be a few faux pas for a little while!

I did note this morning, following the election of President, the longstanding convention as to the government of the day nominating the President and the opposition of the day nominating the Deputy President and Chair of Committees. I want to make a comment about that, because there were a couple of interjections. It's a reflection of the Westminster system. It's a reflection that, under our system, a party forms government and a party forms opposition. A party forms opposition. If somebody else formed a government or an opposition one day, the same convention presumably would apply. It reflects—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Senator WONG: respectful debate on something where we are electing the Deputy President. It is a reflection of a Westminster system, which, in this chamber, also recognises that no single party of government, as I said, holds the majority—generally—in the chamber.

I'll make a couple of comments about Senator McLachlan. He may have only served in this chamber since 2020, but he had been a member of the Legislative Council in our home state of South Australia for some time prior to that. I do want to say—and this is no disrespect to you, President—that I'm delighted that another South Australian is taking a leadership role in this place. I note—

An honourable senator interjecting—

Senator WONG: The Tasmanians have got the whips sewn up though! He's also served as president of the legislative council for a couple of years. I think that role, his experience in presiding in that role, has been evident in his work in this chamber. I look forward to working with you. We hope you and the President will form a very good team in the way that we've seen under previous presidents and deputy presidents, a very collegiate approach to the management of the chamber, and I look forward to your fair and inclusive chairing continuing. The government congratulates you, Senator McLachlan, and we wish you all the best in your role.

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (17:30): I echo the remarks of Senator Wong, who has indeed touched on the many attributes that I'm sure Senator McLachlan will bring to serving alongside you, President, as the Deputy President in this chamber. His experience stretches far beyond his service in this place, which has been distinguished and active but, indeed, it's an experience that does stretch, as Senator Wong has acknowledged, into the South Australian parliament and to serving as a presiding officer in that parliament.

I know that he will bring a sense of duty and a commitment to the impartiality of the chair, in working alongside you, that he will work as diligently as possible in the different roles that you and he undertake, particularly his roles in relation to Senate committees and the Chair of Committees in this place. I thank the Senate for its support of Senator McLachlan and the government for its continued recognition of the conventions of the Senate of this place, of our system of government, to which we remain equally committed.

Senator WATERS (Queensland—Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (17:31): The Greens rise to congratulate Senator McLachlan on his appointment as Deputy President and Chair of Committees. We're, of course, disappointed that our outstanding Senator Steele-John, a proud disabled man, has not been successful in this role. It would have sent a really powerful message of inclusion to the entire community. We also look forward to entering this century and becoming a republic.

Senator McLACHLAN (South Australia) (17:32): by leave—I would just like to quickly thank my fellow senators for placing trust in me, and I undertake to you that I will work faithfully and diligently to advance the interests of the Senate. Madam President, I congratulate you on your election earlier today and I look forward to working with you.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you. There being no further speakers, we will now move on to the appointment of Temporary Chairs of Committees.

Temporary Chairs of Committees

The PRESIDENT (17:32): Pursuant to standing order 12, I lay on the table a warrant nominating senators as Temporary Chairs of Committees when the Deputy President and Chair of committees is absent.

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (17:33): I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings:

Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response) Bill 2022; and

Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Self-Employment Programs and Other Measures) Bill 2022.

I also table a statement of reasons justifying the need for the bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statements incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

Senator McKIM (Tasmania—Australian Greens Whip) (17:34): by leave—I move:

That leave of absence be granted to Senators Faruqi and Thorpe for 26 to 28 July this year, for personal reasons.

Question agreed to.

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (17:35): by leave—I move:

That the Senate adjourn without debate today on the motion of a minister.

Question agreed to.

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (17:35): by leave—I move:

That the Senate records its deep sorrow at the death, on 8 July 2022, of Abe Shinzo, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, places on record its acknowledgement of his role in the development of his nation and tenders its profound sympathy to his family and the people of Japan in their bereavement.

On the night of 9 July, landmarks in my home state of South Australia were lit in red and white, the colours of Japan. Adelaide Oval, the South Australian parliament and the Torrens footbridge, along with the Sydney Opera House, the MCG and the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, and many more around the country, were all lit in solemn tribute to one of our nation's truest friends. It was a sign of the esteem in which former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was held across Australia.

I believe I speak on behalf of all Australians in expressing shock and grief at his terrible loss. I express my deepest sympathies and those of the Australian people to Mrs Abe, Mr Abe's family and the people of Japan. I echo Prime Minister Albanese's reflection of the bleak paradox that someone of such courage and strength of character could be taken away with an act of such cowardice, and I affirm the Prime Minister's vow that this low act of violence must not be allowed to overshadow a life that was lived to such high purpose.

Mr Abe was the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japanese history, but his contribution far surpassed the time he served. He was a political leader of consequence who looked beyond election cycles and made a lasting difference. Transformative leaders are rare, but Mr Abe made Japan bigger in the world. He had a vision of a Japan that exercised a degree of influence in the world commensurate with its economic weight and cultural significance, and he helped Japan assume its proper place in the community of nations. Given our shared values and interests, this vision was also of great benefit to our country.

Through his signature 'Abenomics' agenda, Mr Abe sought to shape an enlightened activist role for government in stimulating economic growth. Tourism boomed, trade was liberalised and women were given greater incentives to enter into and stay in the workforce. Mr Abe also reformed Japan's security posture in ways that enabled Japan to play a greater role in upholding regional stability. While these measures did not pass without some controversy in Japan, they were grounded in his conviction that Japan should be able to exercise the same rights as all other countries, such as the UN Charter's right to collective self-defence. His security and defence reforms enabled greater engagement and cooperation between the ADF and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Japan is now Australia's closest defence partner in Asia.

When he addressed the Australian parliament in 2014, he spoke of his ambition for the relationship between Australia and Japan and how our two countries could work together to uphold peace and the rule of law in our region and beyond. He understood our partnership had been founded on trade and investment, later complemented by our growing strategic and security cooperation, by growth in tourism and student exchanges, and by cooperation in the arts, culture, sport and research. It is a relationship between our two countries that is above politics, and I acknowledge the roles of both parties of government in fostering that relationship. The deep affinity between our peoples has been a constant, and I believe we all felt that affinity strongly in the presence of Mr Abe. His vision helped elevate our bilateral relationship to a special strategic partnership in 2014. He oversaw the signing of the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement the same year, and he gave impetus to negotiations towards our Reciprocal Access Agreement, signed in January of this year.

Shinzo Abe was also a global leader, and he will be remembered as one of this century's most eminent political figures. It was during his first term that he revealed himself as a regional visionary, sowing the seeds of what would later become the concept of the Indo-Pacific in his speech on the confluence of the two seas at the Indian parliament in 2007. Australia became the first country to formally adopt the Indo-Pacific as a regional frame of reference in the Gillard government's 2013 defence white paper. The concept came to define Japan's foreign policy under Mr Abe's second term, to shape the mission of the Quad and to frame the regional outlooks of the United States, ASEAN, European partners and others. The elevation of the Quad in recent years owes so much to his energy and his statesmanship, as does the conclusion of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Shinzo Abe was a leader in the G7, the G20 and the United Nations, championing a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and an international order governed by rules rather than by power alone.

Despite regretting how much he had left to accomplish, by the time he retired due to ill health in September 2020, Mr Abe had left a profound imprint on Japan and on the world. When he last visited the Australian embassy in Tokyo in April this year, Mr Abe was as energetic and determined as ever to strengthen cooperation between Australia and Japan in the region, to see the free world combat Russia's aggression in Ukraine and to foster global peace and prosperity. These common values help explain why Australians have united in solidarity with Japan to express our grief at Mr Abe's passing. Many have described him as one of Australia's closest friends on the world stage. He visited our country five times as Prime Minister.

Shinzo Abe was a statesman, a stabilising force in Japan, a giant on the world stage and a true friend to Australia. On behalf of the Australian government and the Australian people, I again convey our sincere condolences to Mr Abe's family and to all of the people of Japan for this most terrible loss. Australia has lost a true friend, and we mourn with you.

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (17:43): I rise to support the motion of Senator Wong and to associate the Liberal and National parties with the words and sentiments she expressed. Like all Australians, I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the shooting in Japan which took the life of Shinzo Abe. During the hours that followed that initial news that Shinzo Abe had been injured in a shooting, my hopes and prayers—and those of many Australians—were, sadly, not to be answered on this occasion. It was within just a few short hours that we heard the confirmation of our worst fears for this great leader and for our friends in Japan.

Shinzo Abe was truly a giant of democratic leadership in our time. He championed values that underpin peace, progress and opportunity. He demonstrated the value of economic liberalism. Shinzo Abe was the most transformational and consequential politician of Japan's postwar era. That he has had such an impact not only on his own country but also in his own region and globally is a testament to the man and his legacy—a legacy that will endure. For his life to end in a brutal act in a country that, in the modern era, is renowned for its peaceful democracy is an affront against so much that so many of us in Japan and in Australia hold dear. It was an affront especially to the values that Shinzo Abe espoused in thought and indeed throughout his life.

It is a sad reality that Shinzo Abe's death is yet another stark reminder, if indeed one was ever needed, that nothing can be taken for granted and that the fight to defend democratic values is one that never ends. That Shinzo Abe's life should end at the hands of a coward who fired what would be fatal shots at his back whilst he was participating in the democratic process he so strongly espoused, respected and loved makes the reality of this brutal act even harder to comprehend.

As Mr Dutton, the Leader of the Opposition, said in marking the tragic end of his life, Shinzo Abe was well known to Australians as a sincere, staunch and trustworthy friend. It was my pleasure to have personally met him on several occasions, engaged with and—to some degree as part of our government-to-government relations—worked with Shinzo Abe. I particularly recall having the honour of meeting him at the Darwin airport, on one of the five visits to Australia that Senator Wong referenced that he made during his time as the Japanese Prime Minister. Visiting Darwin, the scene of World War II bombings in Australia, was one of those integral steps that Shinzo Abe took as part of his efforts to reconcile Japan's difficult past. Shinzo Abe knew that, by reconciling with its past Japan would be better able to more strongly embrace its future. He was clear-eyed that the deeds of one generation should not consign future generations or Japan as a whole to being second-class or lesser global citizens.

Australia should be grateful that Shinzo Abe's work, including his redefining of Japan's constitutional restrictions, has enabled Japan to step up in a bilateral sense, in a regional sense and across the world. Whether it was in that engagement on the tarmac at Darwin airport or in bilateral meetings I was privileged to be part of in Australia, Japan or third nations, I always found Shinzo Abe to be a warm, engaging, thoughtful but purposeful interlocutor. He made all those in the room feel like he had time for them, and he built personal connections that strengthened his status as a statesman of influence right around the globe.

Even while speaking through an interpreter, Shinzo Abe was able to promote, influence and charm in the nicest and calmest of ways. I recall the first bilateral meeting between Shinzo Abe and then Prime Minister Morrison that occurred at a G20, where, again speaking through an interpreter, we realised part way through that in referencing the Prime Minister of the day he continually referenced 'ScoMo-san', picking up on the Australian approach for a little bit of personal engagement and informality.

There have been many tributes paid to Shinzo Abe in the days and weeks since that terrible moment on 8 July which will be etched in the collective memory of Japan forever. His achievements have, rightly, been well documented. As Prime Minister he travelled to more countries than any of his predecessors, expanding the reach of his diplomacy far beyond Japan's traditional partners. He secured the US-Japan alliance even in the face of intense pressure, playing a critical role as, dare I say it, a 'Trump whisperer' in some difficult times. He forged trade deals across the world, as part of his signature ongoing economic reform agenda of Abenomics, to lift Japan's economy out of two decades of stagnation and in doing so also strengthen international cooperation with so many partners.

Australia was in fact the first major developed economy with which Japan secured a free trade agreement through that era via the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement, signed between Prime Minister Abe and then Prime Minister Abbott in 2014. Alongside this, he drove, as Senator Wong acknowledged, the elevation of Australia's relationship with Japan to a 'special strategic relationship'—a phrase that, I understand, he reportedly coined himself. Later that year, he addressed the Australian parliament and said that, through the agreement, we had deepened our economic ties and would nurture our region and the world order to safeguard peace.

In addition to the special purpose agreement and free trade agreement, Shinzo Abe advanced the Australia-Japan relations via commencement of the reciprocal access agreement now in force, through strengthened defence and intelligence relationships, including trilateral cooperation between Australia and the United States. Crucially, Shinzo Abe, alongside former Prime Minister Turnbull, was instrumental in saving and securing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, not once but twice—first, following the withdrawal of the United States and then again following the near withdrawal of Canada—ultimately seeing the conclusion and entry into force of the comprehensive and progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership that has provided one of the two great regional trade blocs now in operation through the Indo-Pacific.

Shinzo Abe knew that both our nations had the strongest possible interest in a strong and robust rules-based international order. He was a crucial architect of the Quad, a long-held ambition—and one which required great persistence—to bring Japan, United States, India and Australia together in a strategic security dialogue from which Australia has benefited greatly. I would like to think that, in those final months of his life—as they turned out to be—he would have taken great pride in seeing the first face-to-face leaders meeting take place of the Quad.

Even after standing down as Prime Minister in 2020 as a consequence of the return of a health condition, Shinzo Abe remained in service to the people of Japan in the Diet and active in the democratic process, his reputation and standing growing both in Japan and globally following his retirement as Prime Minister. That his life came to an abrupt end as he was actively participating in the democratic process makes his passing so much harder to bear for the Japanese people; for Australia, which has lost a true friend; and for the world, which has lost one of the great leaders of recent decades.

On behalf of the coalition parties in the Senate, I send our condolences to Shinzo Abe's family—particularly his wife, Akie—and to the people of Japan. We share your shock, your dismay and your grief. We also share your pride in the life and achievements of one of Japan's greatest leaders and give thanks for his special connection to Australia. We reaffirm our ongoing commitment to the democratic processes to which Shinzo Abe's life and death were dedicated, and to the relations between our nations and our great connection and cooperative work across our region in the world, which we can build upon as part of his legacy. I thank the Senate.

Senator WATERS (Queensland—Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate) (17:53): On behalf of the Australian Greens, I offer my condolences to Shinzo Abe's family and friends, and the people of Japan, following his unexpected and tragic death. Mr Abe served his country over many years, including two stints as Prime Minister, weathering ill health as he did so. Like the rest of the world, we felt the shock of his assassination. Mr Abe's death while campaigning was an assault on Japanese democracy, perhaps more tragic because death by gun violence is so rare in Japan.

Those in this chamber would know that the Greens were quite regularly at odds with Mr Abe and the Japanese government over whaling. Senator Whish-Wilson even managed to personally hand him a letter from Sea Shepherd during his visit to Australia in 2014. Senator Whish-Wilson describes breaking diplomatic protocols in approaching Mr Abe, which he nonetheless graciously and respectfully received. Of course there were other issues, too, where we didn't see eye to eye, but none of this diminishes the shock and the pain upon hearing of his assassination. Democracy relies on elected representatives and those campaigning being available to the people. Events like this don't just hurt those close to the victim; they threaten democracy itself.

I can only imagine the sadness that his death has caused his loved ones and many in his country, and I hope that the condolences of the Australian parliament, supported by the Greens, offer some small comfort in these sad times.

The PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie.

Senator McKENZIE (Victoria—Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) (17:54): Thank you, Madam President, and congratulations.

On behalf of the Nationals, I would like to contribute to this condolence motion and associate our party particularly with the comments by the Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Shinzo Abe was a man who fought for a safer, more secure region in the world—a great champion of democracy, of freedom and of growing friendship between Australia and Japan. It was a great honour for all of us to be invited to the Japanese embassy over recent weeks, since his shocking assassination, to sign a condolence book, which I hope many of us took advantage of, given the deep and abiding friendship between our two countries.

The chronology of his life has been delivered already, but, for the Nationals, there is a deep and abiding relationship with the people of Japan that stretches more than six decades. The assassination of former Prime Minister Abe in Nara earlier this month was therefore a terrible shock, but, afterwards, a cause for some reflection on this man's remarkable achievements as a statesman and a friend to Australia. I would like to recount the events surrounding the biggest political risk to the former Country Party leader John McEwen's career in establishing a trade deal between Australia and its former enemy Japan in 1957. The co-signatory to that deal was Prime Minister Kishi, grandfather of the late Prime Minister Abe.

With the wartime memories of the prisoner-of-war camps in Changi and the Burma railway still raw and real in the minds of many Australians, McEwen's diplomacy helped seal a deal that contributed to postwar prosperity for our two countries that has largely continued, albeit with some notable disruptions, to the present day. But it could have been disastrous, and the Australian Prime Minister of the day was very clear with the National Party leader at that time, that any downside to the deal was going to land at McEwen's feet. The wonderful historic symmetry of that deal was completed 57 years later when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe himself signed an economic partnership agreement with another Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.

When Shinzo Abe's time arrived—his father was also Japan's foreign minister—he was prepared to embark on his own far-reaching ambitions, domestically but also for the entire Indo-Pacific region as well. Some of his domestic efforts were successful, others not so much: 'Abeconomic' strategy to beat deflation and revive economic growth, along with introducing structural reform to cope with a fast-ageing, shrinking population. Abe tried to boost the country's dwindling birth rate by making workplaces more family friendly.

But, on the international stage, the former Japanese Prime Minister agreed to another audacious act of international diplomacy, which was to commit his country to a submarine partnership with Australia—this, from a former enemy country which had sent submarines into the heart of Sydney Harbour during World War II. As we now know, Abbott and Abe's submarine partnership did not eventuate, and yet another far more important legacy was secured by the late Japanese Prime Minister. Shinzo Abe was both the architect and the father of the Quad. Australia, together with India and the US, are allies in the Quad alliance, alongside Japan, a grouping that will help balance power-sharing in our region over coming decades.

Much has been said, and much will be said, about the achievements of Shinzo Abe. His lifetime of service showed each of us that our times as politicians are not merely for the present, or the day-to-day conflicts, but that we can all be audacious and aim to leave a legacy for our nation's future. Our sympathies to his family and the people of Japan. We hope we all learn from his leadership for a safer, more peaceful and prosperous world. Sometimes that means doing very brave things.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Payne.

Senator PAYNE (New South Wales) (17:58): Thank you, Madam President, and congratulations on your elevation to the role of President.

It is important, and a strong mark of respect, that this parliament records our sincere and shared grief at the shocking death by assassination of a faithful friend of Australia—a great leader, the former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. I also offer my sympathies to his family, to his dear wife and to all of the people of Japan.

None in Japan have so profoundly deepened the Australia-Japan relationship than Mr Abe. Ours is a relationship informed by a complex shared history, but Mr Abe did not allow those historic enmities to undermine progress between our nations. Indeed, as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Birmingham, said, Mr Abe was the first Japanese leader to visit Darwin. Instead, he understood perfectly that our unique past was, in fact, the strongest of foundations from which to forge closer ties.

Like other colleagues in this place have already mentioned, I vividly recall Mr Abe's address to a joint sitting of our parliament in July 2014. On the cusp of signing the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement with then Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Mr Abe spoke of the example set down by his grandfather some 57 years prior, recalling Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and Prime Minister Robert Menzies signing the commerce agreement, amongst the first of its kind in the postwar decades. Mr Abe didn't waste a moment. He used that same speech welcoming the JAEPA to outline a raft of additional economic agreements he wanted to pursue: the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and pursue it he did; the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and he did; and the free trade agreement, which he also did. These agreements would be the fruit, in the words of Mr Abe, of a relationship 'with no limits'. This encapsulated the essential character of Shinzo Abe—a boundless energy for tackling challenges and opportunities alike; a clear vision for Japan, our region and the world; and a commanding understanding of history and how it shapes our lives. The people of Australia remain the thankful beneficiaries of Mr Abe's efforts towards trade liberalisation.

In my own time as minister, I borne close witness to the careful work of Mr Abe, including in fostering vital, closer bilateral defence cooperation with Australia. In our governments, he found a strong and willing partner. The Australia-Japan Acquisition and Cross‑Servicing Agreement, the ACSA, signed in Sydney in early 2017 by Mr Abe and then Prime Minister Turnbull, clearly demonstrated the importance that Mr Abe placed on our special strategic partnership. Later that year, when I visited Tokyo for our annual two-plus-two talks, meeting with Prime Minister Abe to discuss these initiatives in the defence cooperation environment, I was struck then, and I said then, that I was left in no doubt as to Mr Abe's strong personal support for our shared mission of creating a safer, more secure environment for our nations. And, as Senator Birmingham has recorded, it was always a great pleasure and honour to meet Prime Minister Abe.

Most recently, due in very large part to the leadership and work of Shinzo Abe, in January, now Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison signed the vital Reciprocal Access Agreement, which, most importantly, enables the ADF and the JSDF to work more closely, more cooperatively, more collaboratively on the great security challenges of our region and the globe.

Underpinning our deepening security and defence relationship over the years and continuing now is Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, to which Senator Wong alluded, which was strongly, proudly championed by Mr Abe. This doctrine is the central organising principle for Japan's engagement in our region, and it's provided many nations with the vocabulary, if you like, required to navigate this time of strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific. It is one of the most significant contributions made by Mr Abe not just to the safety of our region but to the world.

Mr Abe matched words with deeds. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which Mr Abe played such a substantive role in helping to form, is a key forum through which the four like-minded democracies of Australia, the United States, Japan and India are advancing our shared vision for a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific region. When the first in-person meeting of the Quad foreign ministers took place in New York in September 2019, this was a significant event. I took my seat with then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Indian Minister for External Affairs, Dr Jaishankar; and my friend Toshi Motegi, Japanese foreign minister.

This was indeed an historic moment on many levels. In very considerable part, the commitment of Shinzo Abe and his government, including of foreign minister Motegi, made this possible. For the Quad to have grown to leaders meetings, virtual and in person, is an enormous contribution in strategic and security terms to our region and to the globe, including through the Quad's COVID-19 support and in addressing the actions of authoritarian states that threaten that security and stability. In my view, thanks also to Shinzo Abe and subsequently his successors, Prime Minister Suga and now Prime Minister Kishida, Japan continues to make that strong and growing contribution in global security and strategic terms.

Shinzo Abe reimagined the modern-day JSDF and, although he did not achieve all of his goals in that respect, the enormous difference that he made will be writ large in the pages of history. Most recently, it's notable that NATO's invitation to countries of our region—Australia, New Zealand, the ROK and Japan—to first join the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels in April, which I attended, to add our voice and support to the opposition to Russia's illegal, unlawful invasion of Ukraine was the first such invitation and, indeed, the first time the Japanese foreign minister and leaders subsequently had sat around the NATO table since its formation in April of 1949. I was pleased to sit around that table with foreign minister Yoshi Hayashi.

Shinzo Abe's projection of Japan in the regional and global security conversation in the military space was profound and meaningful. Given the issues that face us now as a world and as a region, it was also essential. Under his leadership, Japan was a faithful actor in many international fora, as both Senator Wong and Senator Birmingham have noted. Committed to collective engagement and action, he was a decisive and consequential figure in the G7, in the G20, with ASEAN and in the United Nations, and was a leading voice for adherence to international rules and norms, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. I want to acknowledge today my many Japanese colleagues with whom I worked as minister and mark the appalling loss they have experienced in the last few weeks. I particularly acknowledge my good friends Taro Kono, Toshimitsu Motegi and Yoshimasa Hayashi, all foreign ministers of Japan—and some also defence ministers of Japan—with whom I served. To Ambassador Yamagami and his team here in Canberra: my sincere condolences.

The assassination of Shinzo Abe while giving a campaign speech in pursuit of the democratic process in the city of Nara was nothing less than a wanton assault on democracy. I think most of us will never forget where we were when we heard that Shinzo Abe had been shot. The free exchange of ideas in the democratic process was tarnished badly that day, not just in Japan but for liberal democracies everywhere. That cowardly, callous, criminal act is a brutal reminder of the absolute necessity to ceaselessly safeguard democracy, safeguard freedom, safeguard the rule of law and human rights—values which Shinzo Abe championed relentlessly and which in Mr Abe's memory we must work even harder to nurture and protect.

Rest in peace, Shinzo Abe, a great friend, a great leader.

Senator O'NEILL (New South Wales) (18:09): Madam President, on my first contribution in this, the 47th Parliament of Australia, I acknowledge your significant role as the President and wish you every wish in the international relations that you will be undertaking for our great nation. I want to congratulate the Deputy President and all those who have assumed leadership roles in the course of their service of the Australian people through the 47th Parliament. I also acknowledge the incredible privilege we have as parliamentarians in this fine democracy to have been elected to the Senate to do the kind of work that Shinzo Abe gave his life to. It is no small thing for us to be here, and his service and his final demise are an instruction in not only how fragile life is but also how democracy can be severely attacked and assaulted.

I speak today on the condolence motion for the esteemed former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. Abe was a towering leader in Japan, a political titan who was called 'the shadow shogun' by commentators both during his record tenure as Prime Minister and afterwards. His legacy is the shape of modern Japan and its direction for the next few decades. He was both a powerful and dedicated servant of democracy and an amazing leader of a country.

Unlike those who have contributed to the debate so far, who had much more personal experience of interaction with this fine man, I saw him only through his address here to the parliament, and the three words that came to mind when I thought of his contribution that day were that he was a man of incredible warmth, intelligence and humour. To that Senator Birmingham today added the word 'purposeful', and it was one that resonated with me when you made that contribution, Senator Birmingham. Prime Minister Albanese described the courage and strength of character to which Senator Wong referred in her contribution, and her description of him as a regional visionary is something that we should definitely dwell on—a leader in the Indo-Pacific and responsible for the elevation of the Quad. Senator Payne I think aptly described the loss as appalling.

The baffling and unprecedented nature of this assassination has led to a deep confusion and anguish amongst the Japanese and among global admirers. As US President Joe Biden remarked on this murder, it will have a profound impact on the psyche of the Japanese people, I believe, for a generation. This killing comes at a worrying time. We are seeing democracy under threat across the world from the growing authoritarianism of leaders like Viktor Orban, the further descent of Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin along totalitarian paths and the shattering of the United States' democratic consensus by Donald Trump that became manifest in the events of 6 January in the physical assault on the Capitol.

Shinzo Abe positioned Japan as a lynchpin of the democratic global world order and was steadfast in his support for other democracies in the face of that growing tide of opposition. He became over his tenure a key advocate and thought leader of a democratic internationalism adapted for the 21st century, and his murder is an untimely blow against it. His administration was a bulwark against North Korean aggression and gave assistance to those fighting the rise of ISIS. Japan under his stewardship became increasingly an active multilateral partner in the Indo-Pacific, knitting together nearly a dozen nations with what eventually became known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

His influence was still powerful even following his departure from the premiership in 2020. Experts credit his still massive influence in the government, evident in the decision by Japan to declare it would phase out Russian coal and oil imports in the face of its illegal aggression in the Ukraine.

Mr Abe's vision was to shape Japan into a nation that could address the future. His first speech as president boldly stated his ambitions for his country:

… my mission is none other than to draw a new vision of a nation which can withstand the raging waves for the next 50 to 100 years …

All politicians might strive to declare and deliver on such a vision.

Mr Abe's legacy is a revitalised democratic universal order featuring a more proactive and outward-looking Japan at its centre, a nation better able to withstand the raging waves of a tumultuous century. I am sure all of Australia and this house stand with me in thanking Mr Abe for his myriad contributions upon the world and domestic stage. I pass my deepest condolences to the family of Mr Abe and my best wishes to the government and the people of Japan as they navigate the aftermath of this tragic and senseless act.

Senator VAN (Victoria) (18:14): I rise to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose time amongst us was tragically cut short by such a heinous crime. Shinzo Abe was not only Japan's longest serving postwar prime minister; he was also the most consequential leader Japan had had in decades, whose statecraft and wisdom transcended the islands of Japan to become a global leader.

Abe-san grew from simply being Japan's leader to being a global leader—a statesman of such standing that one does not come by very often. He saw the threats to Japan and the free world as they are, not what people wish they would be. With his citizens' security and welfare in mind, he acted boldly and with confidence.

During his tenure as Japan's longest serving prime minister, Abe-san revolutionised his nation's foreign policy by centralising the national defence system, reinterpreting the constitution to make collective defence possible and adopting an activist role in world affairs. Moreover, he devised a grand strategy for managing China's rising economic and military power more deliberately and successfully than any other world leader.

One of his crowning achievements, as has been mentioned, is how he breathed life back into the Quad and drove it to be one of the strongest forces for stability in the Indo-Pacific. He did champion the term 'a free and open Indo-Pacific', something important to all Australians and peace-loving people in the region. The strength of the Quad, of integrated deterrence, of having friends is one of the key strengths Australia has on the world stage. This was amplified by our joining the Quad that Abe-san so ably helped build.

The legacy left by such a giant of global politics cannot be summarised in the few words I have here. However, we are forever grateful for his contributions to developing the Quad, a stronger Japan and a more stable Pacific. We are indebted to him for his sacrifice, his service and his devotion to promoting democratic values across the globe. At a time of increased geopolitical upheaval, the world needs more leaders with the courage and conviction that Shinzo Abe possessed, not less.

Abe-san's passing will be deeply mourned around the world. While Japan has lost a great leader and Australia has lost a true friend, his wisdom and global leadership will be sorely missed. I pass on my condolences to the government and people of Japan and especially to His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan to Australia, Shingo Yamagami.

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management) (18:18): As Senator Wong said in her contribution on this condolence motion, Mr Abe's untimely death created deep shock right around Australia. It was one of those events I think that all Australians' attention was grabbed by. That was of course partly due to the shocking nature of Mr Abe's death—something that should never happen in any society. It was partly due to Mr Abe's genuine stature as a real national leader, and I think it was also partly due to the deep, long-term, sustained relationship between our two countries. That's what I want to focus my brief remarks on in this condolence motion, especially in relation to the portfolio I have the great privilege now of representing—the portfolio of agriculture.

Australia's agriculture relationship with Japan is one of our strongest and most highly developed in the Indo-Pacific region. Our trade with Japan in agriculture is extremely strong. In fact, Japan is our biggest market for beef and cheese, and our farmers are strongly committed to supplying to Japan and want to maintain and increase market share. We have deep and longstanding ties in agriculture. Japan is one of Australia's largest and most valued trading partners, as it has been for more than five decades. This relationship has underpinned the broader relationship between our two countries, as is evident in trade more generally, in national security and in people-to-people links. The reason that I mention that in this condolence motion is Prime Minister Abe's integral role in forging and strengthening those links.

Prime Minister Abe, as has been noted by a number of speakers, was a true friend to Australia. Under his prime ministership, our bilateral relationship was upgraded to a special strategic partnership in 2014. By 2015, we had signed the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement, or JAEPA, which underpins our economic relationship and supports our broader cooperation on economic security and the prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.

Prime Minister Abe was a reformer, and he had a vision for the Japanese economy. As has been noted, he was known for his signature 'Abenomics' policy, which included agricultural reforms in which his government made small but important reforms to the Japanese agriculture sector, focusing on competitiveness and exports.

We share similar goals to Japan in growing our agriculture industries. Japan is looking to grow agriculture exports in the same way that our agriculture industry wants to expand its farm-gate returns. Again, Mr Abe can take credit for the fact that, bilaterally, we continue to increase our cooperation on food value chains and to collaborate with Japan on activities that strengthen global agriculture supply chains. Multilaterally, Japan has been a like-minded partner in many forums, including the G20, APEC and the UN, as well as a leading proponent of trade agreements, including the CPTPP. Again, Mr Abe can take personal credit for much of that.

The other reason I wanted to speak in this motion is that, apart from my role as the new agriculture minister for our country, I wanted to speak on a personal level as someone who's had a long-term interest in and friendship with Japan. I studied Japanese at school a very long time ago, or, should I say [Japanese language not transcribed]. There's not much more to my Japanese knowledge that I've recalled from my school days. But I was reflecting on this in preparing these notes, and I remembered that the reason that, more than any, I studied Japanese, of all the languages that were on offer at my school, was that, at that point in time, the mid-1980s, when I was starting high school, Australia was really coming to understand exactly how important Japan was to our future, and there was a really big push for students in high schools to study Japanese. It was something that I really enjoyed. I might say, it was one of my better subjects at school, because I did really enjoy it. It really gave me a deep interest in Japan, its history, its culture and its relationship to our own country.

I also had the privilege of visiting Japan as part of a delegation of federal and state aspiring politicians, shortly before I started in this place. I was accompanied on that delegation by Senators Dean Smith and Bridget McKenzie, which is probably the reason that, despite our political differences and our tendency to trade blows, we're actually pretty good mates. I put it down to that delegation that we undertook to Japan along with a number of other MPs. That visit confirmed to me, through the meetings that we had with government industry and other officials in Japan, the enduring strength of our two countries' relationship.

Mr Abe's untimely death is an extremely sad blow to the Japanese people. We grieve with them, and I sincerely pass on my condolences to Mr Abe's family, his friends and the Japanese people at large. In closing, I might just say, kono tabi wa okuyami moshi agemasu.

Senator FARRELL (South Australia—Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) (18:24): I wish to associate my comments with those of Senator Watt and indicate my sadness in former Prime Minister Abe's very untimely death. But I would like to acknowledge and welcome the presence in the chamber of the Ambassador and Mrs Yamagami, and, on behalf of the Australian Senate, I extend our sincerest condolences to you, as the representative to Australia of the government and the people of Japan.

The PRESIDENT: I ask senators to join in a moment of silence to signify assent to the motion.

Honourable senators having stood in their places—

The PRESIDENT: Thank you. The motion is carried.

Senator FARRELL (South Australia—Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) (18:27): I move:

T hat the Senate meet on Wednesday, 27 July 2022 .

Question agreed to.

Senate adjourned at 18 : 29