Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Youth and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to also support this motion and extend my own deep condolences to all of those that have been affected by these terrible fires. I rise to acknowledge all of those we have lost, all of those who are now suffering and all of those who have so tragically lost their lives. To be perfectly honest, despite all of the television footage, the newspaper articles and the photographs, I still cannot truly imagine it. I cannot imagine the panic. I cannot imagine the confusion. Do we go? Do we stay? I cannot imagine the fear of waiting and being completely helpless. In some cases I still get goose bumps thinking that so many of my fellow Australians have gone through this in recent days.

I rise today to say to them: I am sorry. I am so sorry that good Australian families—mums, dads and kids—had to go through these terrible times. I say this on behalf of the people of Adelaide, who I am privileged enough to represent in this place and who, like all of us, have been touched. Like so many, they have dug deep and donated. They have gone out of their way to offer whatever it is that they can do to help, to be of some assistance during this time, and I thank the good people of Adelaide for those efforts as well.

Many speakers before me have expressed the horror far more eloquently than I will even attempt to do of what has happened in recent days and I commend all of those speakers to the House. Like those who have spoken before me, I think it is something that can really unite this parliament and it has been a good thing to see everybody standing together. As members of this parliament we are saying to all of those suffering that we will support them however we can and that we will be there with them to undertake the very tough task of rebuilding these communities.

We have also heard many stories of Australian heroes over the last few days, whether it be the amazing volunteers in the CFA who put themselves in harm’s way and often sacrificed much in their own lives in order to go out there and do what they could to protect others, whether it be the role that the police have played or whether it be all of those who, even now, have the darkest of tasks of going in to those communities in the victim recovery units. There are all of those in the Red Cross who are working so very hard and who sprang into action without having to be asked twice. There are the heroic community members, who we have read stories about, who have stepped up to help each other, to help their neighbours and to do what they can. There are the strong family members who are now having to be there to support others through this incredibly tough emotional time and there are the kind strangers, those people who have stepped up to help people whom they have never met but who are members of their communities and who they want to help.

This has reiterated for me that in times of hardship Australians stand up. That is something tremendous about our character. There are thousands of stories that have already emerged about different groups of Australians standing up and doing what they can. It is not my intention to outline all of these to the House but I did want to talk about one particular area. It is often said that sport holds a special place in our national identity and we talk about being a sports mad country. Some people focus on it and, I know, deride sport saying it is all just a game, just a bit of fun, that people look at perhaps on weekends. What I want to outline and show some examples of is that sportspeople have been standing up and sending a very clear message that they want to be an important part of this community and to do what they can in times of hardship and tragedy. We have seen several examples of that in recent days.

In my home town of Adelaide, just a couple of days ago, we saw Cricket Australia raise a staggering $6 million in one cricket match to go towards supporting the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. There was the moving image of the Australian and New Zealand players heads bowed in a minute of absolute silence. It is not often you get silence on the hill at Adelaide Oval, but the whole community stood in solidarity and it moved us all. Then there was the $6 million raised from the players donating their match fees, from the money from everyone who attended the game and paid for the car park which was donated towards this appeal, and from the people who went around with buckets at the time. Over $6 million raised is truly staggering and a fine contribution.

We have seen the Football Federation of Australia donate $100,000 to the appeal and it will provide replacement football equipment to the schools and to the junior football clubs when needed. Last night we saw the Socceroos take on Japan in their World Cup qualifying match wearing their black armbands but also showing their international solidarity with buckets going through the Japanese crowd raising money for the bushfire appeal to help to rebuild. In addition, the Football Federation has put in place arrangements to raise money and show respect at the A League semifinals this weekend. The AFL has also stepped up. They have moved the first blockbuster of the season between Essendon and the Western Bulldogs on Friday night to the Telstra Dome. It is expected that ticket sales will also raise over $1 million with other measures to follow.

There are many other examples. In rugby league, the NRL and the ARL are providing an initial $100,000 upfront as well as providing $70,000 in partnerships with Lifeline and the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital burns unit. The Australian Olympic Committee has pledged $100,000, with countless sports and teams across the country willing to step up.

I should also say that, with the cricket team, it was not just that they managed to raise $6 million in a night; Ricky Ponting and the boys also were adamant that they wanted to travel up to the bushfire affected area and go out there to show their support and do what they could to support the local communities. I think that in times of tragedy, in times when there is no one thing that can be done to make things right or to set things back on the right path, sometimes having our national heroes, those people that we look up to in different fields, come up and put themselves out of their way to show that they are there to support local communities is incredibly important.

From golf, Craig Parry and Nick O’Hearn will each donate $200,000, which will come from the annual charity event in the US. I know that women’s golf is also expressing support, with money for every birdie and money from a number of different events going forward. They are lucky I am not playing, because that would not be particularly helpful!

The V8 Supercars have donated $100,000, and there are many, many other examples. Netball Australia has committed to fundraising. The Australian Rugby Union will be coordinating efforts at future Super 14 games. Basketball Australia has donated $10,000 and will be paying respects at upcoming games. Hockey Australia took up a collection at the Kookaburras match. Bowls Australia will be using their marquee bowling event to support the appeal. Equestrian Australia are collecting donations and coordinating practical assistance for the horse owners who need support at this difficult time. Rowing Australia are collecting donations. Gymnastics Australia, Tennis Australia and Motorcycling Australia are all developing ways in which they too can assist.

This support is not limited to just the national sporting organisations. Individual teams and individual players are stepping up right around Australia to say, ‘We want to do what we can to help in this terrible time’—the Perth Wildcats, the Richmond Football Club, the Melbourne Storm, the Brisbane Broncos, the Newcastle Knights, the Wests Tigers, the Gold Coast Titans and the Canberra Raiders have all stepped forward and made remarkable efforts. I am sure that there are many, many more that I have left off this list.

This generosity of sport continues at the grassroots level. Particularly for the children who have gone through these recent times, we want to return some element of normality to their lives just as soon as we can. That is going to take a long time and it is going to take big efforts, but it may be helped by something like a local sporting club donating some equipment so that they can go out and play, so that they can just have a little bit of being children and doing what comes naturally.

We know that no one sector or organisation can make this all go away, as much as I am sure we all wish it would. But we also know that in times of sorrow and in times of national tragedy there are heroes right across Australia who stand up. There are countless heroes across Australia today, as there will be tomorrow and in the days that follow. In standing to place on the record my deep sympathies and condolences for all of those affected by those fires, I also say thank you to Australian sport for standing up when we need you.

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