Labor leader Anthony Albanese has called for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to order the expulsion of Russian diplomats in Australia, but has stopped short of demanding the departure of the ambassador.
So far the federal government has resisted similar calls from Ukraine's Australian envoys, arguing such a move would not have an impact on the Russian president.
But the Opposition leader maintains there is no longer any reason for a number of Russia's representatives to be allowed to remain.
"Given the reported atrocities by Russian forces in Ukraine, I call on the Morrison Government to expel Russian diplomats, in lockstep with European partners," Anthony Albanese said in a statement.
Mr Albanese has pointed to the actions of European countries including France and Germany to expel hundreds of Russian diplomats and staff, while allowing Ambassadors to remain.
"Australia should follow suit. It is hard to conceive how the decision can be made to allow these individuals to stay, given the sickening abuses being carried out by Russian forces."
The Opposition leader said Labor was supportive of sending Australian experts to assist with any investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Russia's forces.
"The mass killing of innocent civilians and the use of rape as a weapon of war can only be described as war crimes," he said.
Moscow has denied targeting civilians, and has called the evidence presented a forgery staged by the West to discredit it.
"Those responsible must be held to account – and in the first instance there must be immediate diplomatic consequences."
Foreign Minister Marise Payne was quizzed about the government’s position on diplomatic expulsions in an interview with Channel Nine yesterday.
She confirmed the Russian Ambassador was called to a meeting with the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs again last week "to ensure that we are able to say directly to Russia’s representative that their actions are unacceptable, that they are in breach of international law, a wholesale breach of the UN Charter, and particularly on this last occasion to raise our concerns in relation to humanitarian access".
"We’ve been able to deliver that message directly, but it is always a matter that we keep under review in relation to the position of diplomats, and I understand why some Australians have a view that we should be expelling diplomats, and we will continue to review that, as I said, at the highest levels of the Government," she said.
