Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave of the House to amend the motion relating to the first anniversary of the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That this House:

(1) note that the 8th of March will mark 12 months since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared from radar over the South China Sea;

(2) extend its heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of the 239 passengers and crew on board, including six Australian citizens and one Australian resident, who have suffered a harrowing 12 months of uncertainty and sorrow;

(3) acknowledge the hard work and perseverance of all those working on the international search and recovery effort, led by Australia, to locate the missing aircraft; and

(4) note the work of Airservices Australia and their counterparts in Malaysia and Indonesia in leading global efforts to enhance aircraft flight tracking.

For the world, the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is one of the great mysteries of our time. For the families and loved ones of those on that flight, it is a harrowing nightmare. Seven who called Australia home were on board flight MH370. Rodney and Mary Burrows, Catherine and Robert Lawton, Li Yuan, Gu Naijun and Paul Weeks were mums and dads, spouses and partners, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and mates and best friends. They were all irreplaceable to their families, friends, workplaces and communities.

Every family has a story of loss and we are honoured today to be joined by the Burrows, Lawton and Weeks families. Thank you for joining us. We know that these anniversaries are painful beyond words. The message of this parliament to all of the families of MH370 is that you remain in our thoughts and prayers. To you and to all those with loved ones aboard that fight, my pledge is that we are taking every reasonable step to bring your uncertainty to an end.

It has been the biggest search operation of its kind in history and it has been an extraordinary example of international corporation. In the first few weeks, 28 search aircraft from Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and the United States completed 345 sorties into the southern Indian Ocean. Ships from Australia, China, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States also joined the search. As the search from the air and on the surface reached its conclusion, Australia began the largest underwater search ever carried out in an area that had never been mapped before. To add to the difficulty, the search zone is in the Roaring Forties, which is one of the world's roughest stretches of ocean. Despite these difficulties, over 26,800 square kilometres of the mapped ocean floor have been searched in detail, which is about 40 per cent of the priority search area.

With sadness, I have to admit to the House that so far we have not found any trace of MH370. I do reassure the families of our hope and expectation that the ongoing search will succeed. I cannot promise that the search will go on at this intensity forever, but we will continue our very best efforts to resolve this mystery and provide some answers.

It is right on this anniversary that Australia thank Malaysia and China for their cooperation and friendship in this sad and difficult task. I acknowledge the presence in the gallery today of the High Commissioner of Malaysia, the ambassador of the People's Republic of China and representatives of the other countries who lost their citizens on MH370. We grieve with you for the loss of your people and we thank you for the compassion that you have shown to us for the loss of our people.

All of the men and women who have striven from the sky and on the ocean to unravel the fate of MH370 deserve our deepest thanks. The members of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre have supported the families of those aboard MH370 in word and in deed. They have demonstrated the best traditions of public service. I acknowledge the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Sir Angus Houston, one of our nation's great servants. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is tirelessly going about its work. We have four vessels working in the search area now. We are using cutting-edge technology and world experts in underwater search operations.

Finally, on this anniversary, it is right to say that the loss of MH370 demonstrated a fundamental gap in tracking long-haul flights, particularly over the oceans. This is not the first major aircraft to go missing and, tragically, it may not be the last. In this day and age it seems inexplicable that the technology and systems were not in place to provide us with the exact position of this plane at all times. The grief of the families has been compounded by this failure.

Last weekend the Deputy Prime Minister announced that Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia will conduct a trial to track aircraft over the oceans more closely. I thank our friends in Malaysia and in Indonesia for their commitment to this essential project. While it is not a complete answer, it will deliver immediate improvements in the way we track aircraft, while more comprehensive solutions are developed and implemented. We must ensure that no families will ever again have to endure the suffering of the families of the MH370 passengers. On this first anniversary we remain hopeful that we will solve this baffling mystery and bring the peace of knowing to the family and friends of all aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

See this speech in context