Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to join with the member for Canberra in comments with regard to these tragedies. On 17 July, bombs exploded at the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta. At the Marriott three Australians were killed and a number of locals and other foreign nationals also lost their lives in the bombings. It is believed that there was an intention by the bombers to detonate a bomb in a hotel room, thereby driving greater numbers through the lobby of the Marriott for the main bomb blast. These events remind us yet again that there are evil, cowardly people in the world who live with no honour and no integrity. They have no regard for innocent life but are driven by reckless hate and a religious belief with which they justify their murderous work. These events remind us that, in this war, our enemies are prepared to do anything, and we must be prepared to fight them and to stop them.

I would also pay tribute to the efforts and commitment shown by the Indonesian government to fight Jemaah Islamiah. Their efforts to destroy that terrorist network have been very good, in the most challenging circumstances. We should also not forget that the President and the government of Indonesia operate in an extremely challenging environment. We must remember that Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world and that there is some support amongst the population for the operations, if not the beliefs, of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah. Within that context we should appreciate the great advances made by the Indonesians.

Although I despise the evil perpetrators of these acts of murder, my main purpose is to speak of those three Australians who died at the Marriott hotel blast. Those three Australians were Austrade official Craig Senger, mining executive Garth McEvoy and Perth businessman Nathan Verity. Firstly I will speak of the Austrade official, Craig Senger. I understand that Craig was on his first overseas posting and fulfilling his duty of advancing Australia’s interests when he was killed by the bomb. Overseas postings do not come easily in either Austrade or Foreign Affairs, and those that do get them are people of very high ability. Hard work before and hard work during his posting defined Craig Senger as a very effective representative of Australia and Australian businesses, particularly in the mining team for the South-East Asia region. He is survived by his wife, Kate, and I offer my deepest condolences to her and his family.

Garth McEvoy was an executive for the mining and construction company Thiess in Jakarta. He was for four years a Northern Territory policeman who went on to study the law and to work as a prosecutor in Darwin. He then moved into private enterprise. He is remembered by all who worked with him as being a very hard worker and dedicated to making a difference. He was, without doubt, highly regarded. He enjoyed living and working in Indonesia as a commercial manager, and he had a great affection for the people of that country.

Finally, I will speak of Nathan Verity, who was from Perth. Nathan Verity was a highly capable businessman who had worked in a variety of consultancy type positions. I understand that he worked very closely with Jim Truscott, a former SAS officer whom a number of us in this place know. Jim Truscott had also carved out a business in the Asia-Pacific region in crisis and risk management, and worked with Nathan Verity on those projects. Nathan Verity, however, branched out even more widely, moving also into recruitment. It is clear that he was very well regarded and had the sort of personality with which he could get on with anyone. There is something particularly tragic about the death of a parent of young children. Nathan Verity was married to Vanessa and was a father to five-year-old Chris. The particular tragedy I refer to is both the fact that Nathan will never see his son grow up and also that Chris will not have his dad around to do all the great dad things that we enjoy with our children, and that is a very great tragedy.

Some people say that these terrorists undertake their murderous attacks because of economic privation, Western oppression, Western action in Iraq or Afghanistan or because of other nebulous faults or grievances, which individually or together remain nothing more than whitewash over the truth. These terrorists are evil incarnate. They are brutal murderers without remorse or compassion. They live without honour, integrity or a sense of morality. They cannot be reasoned with and they cannot be negotiated with. They call themselves by different names, being Jemaah Islamiah in this case, but they are the same whether they be Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, al-Qaeda or someone else. Regardless of what their name is, they live and kill with the same lack of humanity. They can be dealt with in only one way—by force. This will very likely be a fight and a war that will span generations. We should be ready and never lose our resolve to protect ourselves, our values and our way of life.

Debate (on motion by Mr Hayes) adjourned.

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