OUR DUTY TO DEFEND FREEDOM

Last week the world witnessed a stark contrast in leadership.

In the United States, Americans came together to honour the life of Charlie Kirk – a man who dedicated himself to defending freedom, democracy, and the values of the West we hold so dear.

Charlie believed freedom was worth defending at all costs. He reminded us that Western civilisation is humanity’s greatest achievement, and that Judeo-Christian values are the foundation of liberty itself.

At almost the same time, in New York, Anthony Albanese chose a different path: formally recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas – backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran – still controls Gaza, still holds innocent hostages, and still calls for Israel’s destruction.

It was a stark contrast of values.

One was the celebration of a life devoted to liberty, responsibility, and Western civilisation. The other was a political gesture that rewarded those who hate and despise those very values.

This moment was a reminder that our values are not negotiable. They are the inheritance of Western civilisation and the Judeo-Christian ethic: freedom, responsibility, democracy, the rule of law, and the dignity of every person.

These values gave us freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equality before the law. They remain our compass in turbulent times. When we defend families, reward aspiration, strengthen enterprise, and deepen alliances, we are living out that tradition. And when we stand with Israel – the only liberal democracy in the Middle East – we defend those values in action.

Hamas, by contrast, rejects everything we stand for. It glorifies terror, represses women, persecutes minorities, and celebrates death over life.

That is why Albanese’s decision is so alarming: he abandoned a democracy defending Western values to reward terrorists who reject them.

This is not just a foreign policy blunder. It has consequences here at home.

Australians saw it during the march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge when a poster of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – the man who bankrolls Hamas – was openly paraded.

These scenes are a chilling reminder that extremism abroad can find expression on our own streets if leaders fail to stand firm.

We should stand against all such extremism including neo Nazis who tried to hijack some of the rallies across Australia in which many Australians raised concerns about Labor’s out-of-control migration.

Leadership is not about symbolic gestures or chasing applause on the international stage. It is about making tough, principled choices that keep Australians safe, protect our interests, and uphold the values that define us as a nation.

That has always been the Liberal way. When confronted with threats to our way of life, we have stood firm. We have never wavered in defending the values of the West.

That is why we will always stand with democracies under siege and never with terrorists or their Iranian backers who despise the civilisation we cherish.

We will always choose freedom over tyranny, human dignity over barbarism, and substance over symbolism.

Where Labor seeks approval on the floor of the United Nations, we will put Australia’s national interest and regional stability first.

The freedoms Australians enjoy today – freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the rule of law – are not accidents of history. They are the product of Western civilisation, defended at great cost and entrusted to us to preserve.

To know what we stand for is to know who we are.

The Liberal Party stands for Western civilisation, for the Judeo-Christian ethic, for the dignity of the individual, and for the freedom of all. These are not abstract ideals. They are the foundations of our society and the legacy we must hand on intact and unbroken.

If we do not defend these values, no one else will. And if we forget them, we risk losing everything they have given us. That is why the Liberal Party must never falter, never bend, and never apologise for standing up for our country, our allies, and Western values.

As Charlie Kirk reminded us: freedom is worth defending at all costs. It is the greatest inheritance of Western civilisation – and it is our duty to defend it, preserve it, and hand it on, unbroken, to the next generation.