Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: Centrelink worker, Gillian Harman, spent a month volunteering in flood-hit Queensland in Dalby. She left her home in New South Wales to work there when volunteers were called for. She returned home on Sunday night and went straight back to work in her Centrelink office in Guyra in northern New South Wales on Monday and, tragically, was killed on Monday going home from the office.

I know that the shadow minister and her local member would want to join me in saying that Gillian represented everything that is best in the Australian Public Service, giving so willingly, and it is tragic that she has been taken from her parents, Janet and Kevin Harman, and her family.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Any death in these circumstances is a tragedy. In the case of someone who so generously volunteered her time to assist the victims of the recent disaster, it is a tragedy upon a tragedy. All members of the coalition join in extending our condolences to the family of Gillian Harman.

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

On behalf of all members of the House, I associate myself and the House with the remarks of the Minister for Human Services and the member for Menzies.