Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to join my parliamentary colleagues in expressing my sympathy and sorrow and to extend solidarity and support for the people, families and communities suffering as a result of the horrific Victorian bushfires. I do so in my own name and for all the people in Page, the area that I represent, who have been touched deeply by this terrible tragedy. When I listened the other day to the member for McMillan as he spoke on the tragedy that is happening in Victoria, I felt that he spoke so elegantly. I felt that he spoke for all of us.

This week, parliament is a different place, as is our whole nation. We are subdued. Things that have seemed urgent and important have been relegated to a different order of priority. Dare I say it, we have been nicer to each other, realising the fragility of life. People are grieving, and grief is a very individual thing. People must be allowed to grieve in their time and in their way. We can simply support those who are still facing the bushfire crisis—the crisis is still there. We can support those who are into the recovery and reconstruction phase—reconstructing their communities and their lives. In the face of mass atrocity, it is never quite possible to go back to what was, but it is possible to recreate that sense of community that people are feeling they have lost at the moment. These wildfires have touched all communities across Australia. A local member of my community has tragically lost three family members, and I express my deepest sympathy to him.

My electorate of Page in the Northern Rivers has responded wonderfully with donations of cash, blood and goods. Our local firefighters have also gone down to Victoria. As a community, all of us have a need to give in the face of these tragedies and a need to act in the face of helplessness. We are giving generously right across Australia. I say thank you to all those who are helping, to all the wonderful volunteers and to all the wonderful Aussies. It makes me feel proud to be an Aussie at a time like this, just seeing how we respond. Our local volunteers just get in—they do not say anything; they roll up their sleeves and get on with the job. I pledge my solidarity and support for the long haul to the people whose lives have been directly and indirectly impacted.

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