Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Right now some of our fellow Australians are wondering when they're going to get a break. Many have lived through drought. Then came the fires. Then the pandemic and now this flood. From Kempsey to Bulahdelah to Western Sydney to the Gold Coast we know only too well the spectacle of sandbags being stacked in a race against time; boats making their way along submerged streets; families doing the swift, brutal arithmetic about what is important enough to take with them, how much space they have and how much time they have. Then there is that poor couple on their wedding day watching on helplessly as their home literally washed away. Like the bushfires, the floods have had a terrible familiarity. But, as with the fires, we should be concerned that records are being broken. Some are records that've stood untouched for longer than most of us have been alive. And it's not over yet. The rain keeps coming, falling on to already waterlogged ground that can't take so much as another drop.

We can always be confident that our national character will not be found wanting when it is put to the test. But it is being put to the test so often. Once again, we're seeing how the worst of times bring out the best in our fellow Australians—neighbour helping neighbour, friend helping friend, stranger helping stranger. The spirit of community was summed up well by Emma-Jane Garrow, who is dealing with the flooding in Hawkesbury instead of setting up a 10-year-old daughter's birthday party. As she told The Sydney Morning Herald blog this morning:

There's big community spirit and everyone is jumping in and helping out. We learn young around here how to help each other out.

I'm sure the member for Macquarie can back that up here today.

Once again, we are seeing the selflessness of our emergency services workers and volunteers, with the SES working through the darkness, in wind and pouring rain, as the waters keep rising, putting themselves in harm's way for the sake of their fellow Australians, rescuing people and keeping people informed. I join with the Prime Minister in saying: follow their advice. Work from home if you can. We've got a lot better at that over the last year. Try to stay off the roads. Don't risk driving through floodwater. Even what looks like a shallow flow can be deceptive in its strength. Don't put yourself or others in danger. If you're asked to leave, please leave.

Our hearts go out to everyone who has suffered. Our gratitude goes out to everyone who is making this situation better than it might have been. There is more to go, but if Australians have shown anything it is that we have what it takes.

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