Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, today is a very sad day for many Australians, for many around the world and particularly for the people of Glasshouse and Beerwah with the passing of Steve Irwin. Steve was a personal friend of mine, as he was of many people. He was a larger-than-life character and wore his heart on his sleeve. He has been an inspiration to millions when it comes to conservation. He was a man of enormous passion, but most importantly that passion was for his family of Bindi, Bob and Terri. He had himself in trouble a couple of times with some of his antics with Bob, but this man is going to be greatly missed by many people.

Tonight I want to express the great loss that our community has had. Some 500 people work at Australia Zoo, and they are a close-knit family of people who will now gather around Terri, Bindi and Bob and show them the love and support that they need. When I talked to people back home this afternoon and this evening, many have expressed the emotion of disbelief, of not wanting to believe that this could possibly have happened to a man who has stared death in the face many times and done things that we mere mortals would have thought were impossible. To find that he has lost his life in such a way today is a tragedy beyond belief.

He has taken Australia to the worldwide stage as a tourist destination. He has also taken a belief in wildlife, with what we call Wildlife Warriors, to people who otherwise would never have understood or experienced what it means to conserve some of the most wonderful creatures this earth has known.

There are many things that Steve has done that people are unaware of. For me personally, whenever I asked him for a hand to help underprivileged kids or kids looking to improve themselves through leadership, nothing was too much trouble. He was always there. You basically never got a quiet moment with Steve, but when you did you realised that the character you saw on the television—the character that fronted the President of America in his khakis—was him to a tee. What you saw was what you got, but nothing would stand between him and his family, and tonight they really need all of our love and support.

The tributes are already flowing, with a confused community at home leaving tributes at Australia Zoo. Whilst there is a huge hole in many lives left by this man, many have been enriched by the fact that we have known him. He had a wonderful team of support up there. There is Wes, a mate since schooldays, who was chomped on the back of the leg by a croc and Steve dragged him out and saved him. Lifelong friends such as Wes, John, Nicole, Frank the brother-in-law and Joy are all there tonight and are wondering why and how this could possibly have happened. I want the Irwin family, Steve’s dad and the whole crew to know that there are many people down here tonight who want to express their love, support and gratitude. We have lost a great Australian today and we will miss him greatly for a long time to come.