Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek to make a statement on indulgence.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indulgence is granted.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the terrible day when 88 Australians lost their lives in Bali. The date of 12 October is now forever marked with sadness in Australia—sadness for the 88 Australians who lost their lives, sadness for the many more who were injured in the bombing, sadness for the 38 Indonesians and the 76 people from other countries who were killed in that awful attack. For those who lost loved ones, life will never be the same. We think of the families and the friends of the victims from that terrible night. Our thoughts and our sympathies will always be with them. For those who lived through the bombing, the painful memories are remembered by so many, many people today. Those painful memories remain. Remember those who in the Australian tradition thought not of themselves but of their friends in the aftermath and did what they could to help the injured.

We also remember those who contributed so much in the aftermath of the tragedy in a very practical way: the doctors, the health professionals, the police, the government officials and the local residents of Bali itself. Six years on, Australia can be proud of how we responded to that terrible night—that terrible event. We showed the courage, strength, compassion and friendship for which we as a people are known. Six years on, we continue to be grateful to the government of Indonesia for its support and hard work in the aftermath of the bombing. The perpetrators have been brought to justice. Through this tragedy our two nations have been brought closer together. Both of us suffered and we are both committed to remembering those who died. We are both committed to preventing acts of terror taking innocent lives. Every effort of our two governments has been directed towards that end. On behalf of the government and, I am sure, on behalf of all members here in the House today, I say that our thoughts and our prayers are with all those who remember and commemorate the 12 October bombings.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: on behalf of the opposition I join with the Prime Minister in remembering the sixth anniversary of the Bali bombings, a tragic day when 88 Australians lost their lives and all Australians lost their innocence in the face of the war against terror. It was brought home to us as harshly and as really as if it had happened in the middle of an Australian city. These Australians were there enjoying their freedom. They were there living life to the full, as so many Australians had done before that day and have done since then. The terrorists who killed them—those murderers who took away their lives, the lives of the people from Bali and the lives of other nationals—were mounting an assault not just on the individuals but on the freedom for which they and all of us stand. It is right that we never forget that day. We always honour the memory of those who died, because the war that is being waged against us by these terrorists is a war that is waged against our freedom. We do well to remember that they seek to take that from us just as they took the lives from the Australians in Bali on that terrible day.

Of the 88 Australians who lost their lives, 20 of them were from the eastern suburbs of Sydney—from Coogee, from Maroubra, from Malabar and from Matraville. I see the member for Kingsford Smith nodding his head. Both of us have constituents who suffered and died and constituents who continue to mourn the deaths on that day. Let us never forget that day, and let us never forget that the freedom they were exercising is the freedom we must always fight for in Australia’s name.