A federal Nationals MP wants Australian politicians to pause and reflect on the 75th anniversary of one of the most humiliating defeats for allied forces in World War II.
Andrew Broad's rural Victorian seat of Mallee was first held by Winton Turnbull, a survivor of the fall of Singapore, who was held as a prisoner of war at Changi for more than three years before returning to Australia and entering politics.
"That is the character of the people we had in our parliament," Mr Broad said on Wednesday.
"People who had suffered the atrocities, and then went on to go and become trading partners with their enemy."
Australia was gripped with fear in the wake of the fall of Singapore, with Darwin bombed just four days later.
"They actually closed the books and both sides of the parliament prayed ... such was the gravity of the situation that the Australian Parliament prayed for wisdom because we were under that much threat," Mr Broad said.
Contemporary world leaders must understand trade and peace were inextricably linked.
"We have leaders from different parts of the world going out and saying that they're going to do their own national interests first and bugger everyone," Mr Broad said.
"That leads to a poorer world; it leads to a world that's more conflicted, it leads to a more selfish world."
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