Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

This is a bill that is extremely important to me, important to the Leader of the Opposition and, most importantly, these amendments are important to the 300 that have already suffered at the hands of terrorists: people such as Colin and Fiona Zwolinski and Jennifer Williamson, locals in the Hunter who were killed in Bali, and to people that came home, like Paul and Penny Anicich, Tony and Maryanne Purkiss, Eric and Jenny Pilar, Aleta Lederwasch, Nicholas and Jennifer Scott, Kim and Vicki Griffiths, and Bruce Williamson, who lost his wife.

There is a time when the government must stand up and do the right thing. This government has had no restriction at all in spending money as displayed by previous evidence in this House—money that was spent on pink batts and wasted; money that has been overspent on BER projects. But this government, which always talks about having a social conscience, cannot do a single thing to help out these victims of terrorism. They are asking for no more than what the state would provide them if these acts had occurred in Australia. I am saying to this government and in particular to the members for Newcastle, Shortland and Charlton, who represent these people in the Hunter: have a heart and come and support these amendments. These amendments do what is fair and right in providing support to those victims of terrorism.

We have been arguing this for a number of years. This was going to be part of the national disability support scheme, according to the former Prime Minister. It is not a lot of money. Averaged out over the 10 years this would have been $2.25 million. The Attorney-General might be questioning that. It was actually here in question time that former Prime Minister Rudd, in trying to admonish me for raising this—

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