Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

I join with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in extending condolences to the families of the 29 miners who have lost their lives in New Zealand. Coalmining is an important Australian industry and we have made huge advances in recent times in safety in this industry. But it is still dangerous and, sadly, from time to time we have experienced in Australia also significant loss of life, particularly in underground coalmining accidents. We therefore grieve for our colleagues across the Tasman. This is a major disaster for them, and the families and the people of Greymouth have obviously been very seriously affected.

We think deeply of them and also, especially, of the two Australians. Can I make a special mention of Willy Joynson, who lived in the same suburb of Maryborough as I do. I did not know him and his family well, and for the last 12 months he has been engaged in a contract at the mine in New Zealand. Willy is a lifetime miner. He has spent his life and his family have been involved in the mines in the Maryborough Basin over the years. When the Burgowan Mine closed in the Maryborough Basin he worked in mines in Central Queensland like Blackwater and Moranbah. He was a lifetime miner who knew the risks. He was always admired by his colleagues as somebody who was a good bloke and who people thought very highly of. He always had a smile. His family and children were well known and loved at the Parke State School just outside of Tinana. Certainly the people of Maryborough and district grieve at the loss of one of their fine citizens.

I extend my particular condolences to Kim and Jonathan and Benjamin on the loss of their husband and father. He was a man who had given his life to the coalmining industry and now, sadly, his last resting place may well be in the workplace—which he enjoyed—and in which he made such a contribution over the years.

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