The PM Malcolm Turnbull will speak again with US President Donald Trump over the phone this morning. The conversation will be one of many Mr Trump has had with allies about the threat of North Korea.
The rogue state carried out a sixth nuclear test over the weekend, the latest in a string of provocative actions by Pyongyang. Both leaders have called on China to play a greater role in controlling the regime.
Mr Turnbull says they discussed the importance of the full enforcement of the current sanctions regime and the importance of additional sanctions being imposed.
Those further sanctions are under consideration at the moment.
Mr Turnbull says he and Mr Trump were thinking similarly in condemning what he calls North Korea's reckless conduct.
"Everybody wants to get this dangerous situation resolved, bring this reckless, dangerous, provocative regime to its senses without conflict. A conflict would be catastrophic -- everyone understands that. And the best avenue to achieve that, that we can see, is continued enforcement of strong economic sanctions, and, of course, the country with the biggest lever in that regard is China."
Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten says every member of the Australian parliament wants a stable, secure and peaceful region and Labor supports every practical step that can be taken to reduce the risk of conflict.
"North Korea's repeated defiance of international law and UN Security Council resolutions is unacceptable. North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear tests are not only a direct threat to its immediate neighbours but they undermine global peace and security. No nation can believe itself immune from the threat that this crisis poses. Every nation must do all it can to pressure North Korea to halt this extremely dangerous conduct."
Senator Penny Wong and Mr Shorten will be travelling to Japan and the Republic of Korea later this month.
