Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, Mr Speaker: I am happy to associate the opposition with the words of congratulation from the Leader of the House. This was a very public event, telecast into the homes of Australians every night for quite some period of time. We do indeed take our hats off to those who were visibly and actively involved in this rescue mission. It was in very dangerous circumstances, with cyclonic conditions and high winds. Of course, any helicopter rescue of this nature is dangerous, but this one had extra hazards associated with it because of the dangerous conditions. It reminds us all of how important our volunteer and professional rescue authorities are and how much we depend upon them in times of crisis. These six Australians have been specifically honoured, and we congratulate them, but we also pay tribute to the many other Australians who are prepared to give their time voluntarily and to risk their own lives in times of danger for their fellow countrymen.

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