Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of all Territorians to offer our condolences to the family and friends of the victims of MH17. The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was an act of unspeakable brutality and an atrocity that sheds new light on the West's relationships with Russia and the motives of its President, Vladimir Putin.

I hope and pray that the loved ones of the victims of this terrible tragedy get answers to the questions they have about this disaster, and that the perpetrators are brought to justice as quickly as humanly possible. But I know that time will never fully heal the grief and despair they have at the enormous loss they have endured and the senseless and shocking way it occurred. My thoughts are with all those people affected by the tragedy, and also with the recovery teams that have been to the crash site as part of Operation Bring Them Home.

Of the 298 passengers on board MH17, 38 called Australia home. Three were from the Northern Territory. One of those, Emma Hall, was a much loved school teacher in the coastal Top End community of Maningrida. She will forever be remembered for her commitment to education, and for the generosity of spirit and enormous kindness that led her so far from home to teach in a remote Indigenous community.

The other two, Theresa and Wayne Baker, were long-time Territory public servants who loved the Territory and had so many friends and family around the Top End. Wayne and Theresa's sons, Geoff and Steven, are well-known in the Territory, and our thoughts are with them. Wayne and Theresa's ties with the Territory are very deep. In fact, Wayne was the best man of a good friend of mine, local businessman Tony Skelling. This linkage only serves to illustrate the reach that this tragedy has had around the globe.

Last month I attended a multifaith commemorative service at Darwin's St Mary's Star of the Sea cathedral for the victims of the tragedy. It was an extremely moving service against a beautiful backdrop that gave Territorians, and those close to those killed, the chance to pay tribute to the people who lost their lives when the plane went down. It was a reminder, as Bishop Eugene Hurley said at the service, that peace and love must begin at home—that goodness must be nurtured with the family.

I would like to finish by quoting Bishop Hurley, who spoke passionately about the innate goodness of people and the consequences of straying from this path. He said: 'If we don't take seriously the command to love one another, then the consequence is we must accept that atrocity, hatred, war, death and sadness are in some way inevitable and expected and maybe even somewhat normal. When any of us refuses to forgive, or harbours prejudice, or accepts injustice of any sort then we add to the hatred and the madness that leads to the tragedy that we are witnessing. War and hatred are not inevitable. We are not hard-wired to hate each other … these are the things we choose to do.'

May the victims of MH17 rest in peace, and may their families and friends know that we are thinking of them and that we wish them well during this terrible, sad time.

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