Deborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to place on the record my deep sorrow and sympathies for the people of north-east Japan, who have suffered disaster on a scale that we Australians can barely begin to comprehend. At 2.46 in the afternoon, Japan time, on Friday, 11 March, when the massive earthquake struck off Japan’s north coast, I am sure that many Japanese workers and their families were looking forward to the end of their working week. What they encountered instead was later confirmed as the fourth strongest earthquake in recorded history. It was later given a reading of 9.0 on the Richter scale. As many have observed over the last few days in the aftermath of this major earthquake disaster, the quake that levelled large areas of Christchurch in February had a reading of 6.3. While the difference in scale may not seem much, it has since been pointed out in the media coverage that the Japanese quake was hundreds, if not thousands, of times more intense than the Christchurch earthquake. Whatever the intensity, the effects of both quakes were devastating.

In the case of Japan, the quake triggered a devastating tsunami that within minutes was speeding towards the north-east coast. As many other speakers have encapsulated tonight, there was no chance of escape for many in coastal communities. As a resident of a coastal area of Australia myself, I cannot help but reflect deeply on how helpless we would have been in the same circumstances. No country is as prepared for disaster as Japan. The thought and images of that unstoppable, remorseless black tide swallowing up all living things in its wake is chilling.

The toll is still growing and will be unknown for some time. Many families have been lost entirely. Others have been wrenched apart and had their lives destroyed. This is a terrible fate to befall any of our fellow human beings. So first and foremost I pay my respects to the lives lost and the lives ruined. I am proud that Australians have responded as the friends we are, and I encourage all Australians to keep up their assistance through donations to the Red Cross appeal. The Australian government is making a $10 million donation to support the recovery effort. I am proud, as I am sure all members of the House are, that in the rescue phase we were able to send our New South Wales search and rescue team of 72 officers, together with Queensland sniffer dogs and their handlers.

Japan has been there for us in our recent disasters. This is the nature of our abiding friendship. I know we have had many fundraisers of our own to attend this year, but we will attend more. There has been much reflection on the endurance and fighting spirit of the Japanese people. The Prime Minister in her condolence earlier this week spoke of a famous Japanese proverb, ‘Fall over seven times, get up eight times.’ In Japanese, I am told, it is said, ‘Nana-korobi ya-oki.’ On that eighth time, I would like the Japanese people to think that the hand helping them up had an Australian face at the end of it.

While I have never been to Japan, I understand the coastline of north-east Japan is particularly beautiful. There is a group of pine-tree-clad islands off the coast of Miyagi prefecture called Matsushima. Matsushima is renowned as one of Japan’s three great panoramic views. It is a landmark that has been celebrated in Japanese literature for centuries as a place of unique scenic beauty. Japan’s most celebrated haiku poet, Matsuo Basho, travelled there in 1689 and recorded his trip in a famous travelogue, the Narrow Road to the Far North. This month, even the famous Matsushima was not spared damage by the tsunami. Six people are confirmed to have died there, which leads me to the haiku attributed to Basho, who was said to be—on a rare occasion—lost for words when he saw these beautiful pine-clad islands floating on the sea. His haiku was:

Matsushima—ah!

Ah—Matsushima.

Matsushima—ah.

Our prayers and hopes are with the people of north-east Japan.

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