Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In this contribution, I could not hope to emulate the poetic eloquence of the honourable member for Chifley, who just spoke—particularly when he quoted poetry. But let me say that in Australia we are singularly fortunate to live in what many people describe as the lucky country. Other honourable members have outlined the beauty of our landscape and the beauty of our climate, and we have also heard the most terrible stories of how we live in such a harsh environment. At the present time in Queensland we have some two-thirds of the state either drought declared or flood declared, and in some cases areas are declared to be both. That of course is in the north of our country. In the south of our country we have the most horrendous bushfires we have ever seen. I have to say that in times of adversity Australians really demonstrate what is our national mettle. I have been very impressed with the way the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have confronted this national tragedy. They have worked together and the government is working with other governments, not only within Australia but around the world, to assist people in their time of need and then of course to assist in the process of recovery, which will not be achieved overnight.

We have had messages of sympathy from right around the world, from Her Majesty the Queen down. A couple of days ago in the House, the Prime Minister outlined some of the governments who had passed on their sympathy with respect to this tragedy and also had offered assistance in various ways. I hope that we are accepting as many of those offers of assistance as we need and I hope that in the fullness of time we will know what assistance from around the world we have accepted. Whenever there is a tragedy anywhere on earth, the Australian people and the Australian government are the first to offer assistance. I have to say that what goes around comes around. We have a situation where people around the world are now endeavouring to reciprocate.

I have also been particularly impressed with the way there has been facilitation in the parliament to allow those members who represent the most affected areas to make contributions: to set out poignant stories and to tell us about the challenges, the endurance and the horrible events but also to tell us about some inspirational actions by people. The fact that this debate is moving back to the main chamber when one of the most affected members wishes to speak is an example of how this parliament should operate.

The honourable member for McEwen was praised today by the Prime Minister for doing an outstanding job. She has confronted challenges, as have other honourable members in their electorates, but she remains at the wheel, so to speak, and has stayed where she ought to be. I look forward, in the fullness of time, to hearing a contribution from the member for McEwen. We have heard from the members for Gippsland, Indi, Murray, Mallee, Corangamite, Bendigo and Wannon—and I apologise if I have left any honourable members out—whose electorates are those principally affected.

I must say that I have learnt quite a lot about bushfires from listening to the debate. I thought that when a bushfire confronted property, threatening lives, that there were certain processes that were followed—I know that there are—but I just did not comprehend that you could have fires the centres of which could have temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius. They are fires which melt metal—they can melt gearboxes! There are huge fireballs that drop out of the sky, like bombs, onto homes. At times some properties are spared and other properties are gobbled up by the flames. There seems to be a sense of irrationality as to what properties are spared and what properties are consumed. People have come forward with some heroic acts. There have been some remarkable survivals which, in many cases, are entirely inspirational.

The member for Chifley mentioned his horror at the prospect that some of these fires may have been deliberately lit. I share his horror, and I know that all honourable members do. In fact, the Prime Minister in the House today—and I think previously—highlighted the need for us to look at this area of the law. There is no doubt that someone who deliberately lights a fire that becomes a bushfire which consumes life and property, as these bushfires have, is guilty of nothing less than murder. I know that our law enforcement agencies are being given all the assistance they need because people who do these things have to be made an example of. It has to be clear in our community that conduct such as lighting fires is absolutely unacceptable.

Mr Deputy Speaker, as you would know, I am privileged to represent the Sunshine Coast. It is a wonderful part of the world. It is a part of the world that many people visit. Many people from Victoria spend their holidays there, and because of internal migration in Australia many people living on the Sunshine Coast, and in Queensland more generally, originate from the areas where these bushfires are. My office has received lots of phone calls from people making offers of help, and I would commend the various appeals that are under way.

I stand in this chamber today to convey the very sincere sympathies of people resident in the electorate of Fisher towards those people who have lost loved ones, who have lost property and who have undergone experiences just too horrible to contemplate. It is important that, in a bipartisan way, all assistance is given—assistance firstly to extinguish the fire and secondly to ensure that there is not a repetition. That process will take a while, but the process of doing that is much shorter than will be the process of rebuilding communities and, even more importantly, enabling shattered lives to be put back together. It is impossible to read a newspaper without being brought almost to tears. When one looks at the media coverage on television or listens to the radio, the circumstances are simply beyond belief. I would like to formally associate myself with this motion and commend the mover of the motion and, more importantly, associate my constituents with the various expressions of sympathy to those people who have lost loved ones and lost everything.

See this speech in context