Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Last Thursday night three of the ABC's finest staff members died in a helicopter crash. I think members of the House would have received that news on Friday morning with a great sense of despair. The three were Gary Ticehurst, John Bean and Paul Lockyer. It was for the ABC one of its darkest days. All three died doing what they did so well, going out and getting the story. Between them these three men shared a century of experience.

Gary Ticehurst was one of the nation's finest helicopter pilots with 38 years in his flying career, including 25 years as the ABC's chief helicopter pilot, and was famous for his coverage of 27 Sydney to Hobart yacht races. He displayed remarkable courage helping to rescue 20 crew members in that disastrous Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 1998, and many of us would remember that well.

John Bean was an exceptional, multi-award-winning cameraman. Reporters always wanted to work with him. Queensland based, he knew every corner of that state and I had the opportunity with Premier Bligh on Friday to reflect on some of the things she had seen him doing in Queensland. He worked on some of the ABC's most popular programs including the 7.30 Report, Catalyst, The New Inventors and Gardening Australia. Camera work is at the very heart of television, and images that tell the story often better than the words were his passion.

Paul Lockyer was one of the ABC's longest serving reporters—42 years. He spent years as a foreign correspondent in the killing fields of Cambodia, in the US under Reagan and in Manila under Marcos. He was responsible for Logie award-winning coverage of the Sydney Olympics but was best known in recent years for his sympathetic portrait of inland Australia, especially the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre, and coverage of the floods in Queensland this year. He was the first into Grantham the morning after the floods, bringing those reports which enabled the nation to understand what had happened there.

Last week I spoke of journalism and media as an honourable profession. The lives of these three gifted men prove that proposition beyond a shadow of doubt. Men and women of the media so often risk their lives to bring the story home in war and conflict, travelling to inhospitable places and making personal sacrifices which include danger, discomfort and austerity. Gary, John and Paul took these risks and told their stories. They were true professionals and true gentleman of the Australian media. Leigh Sales said that you could not name three people in the ABC news more loved and admired. ABC managing director, Mark Scott, said that they were news gatherers at the peak of their craft. Our deepest condolences go to their families, to the wider ABC family and to all of their colleagues and friends. These three remarkable men will be greatly missed and our media landscape will not be the same without them.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the fine words of the Prime Minister in commemoration of this remarkable trio. It is noteworthy that the three of them died in a remote corner of South Australia because what they had been trying to do was to bring the spirit of the bush into the hearts of our cities, a very worthy project. They will live forever in the hearts of their friends and families. On behalf of the coalition I offer our deepest condolences to all who knew them.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also join in paying tribute to this team of three of the ABC's finest people who have made a remarkable contribution to news over the years in different ways. Gary Ticehurst was a pioneer in helicopter news coverage and he was also widely respected within the aviation community. John Bean was an outstanding cameraman and was able to convey to people some of the real depth of the issues through the pictures he took. He spent some time with me on what is known as the wombat trail during the last federal election campaign with the Leader of the Third Party and I can attest to the fact that he is also good company to be with.

I would particularly like to recognise Paul Lockyer. I thought Paul had done all of the great things that journalists do, the big stories: big events such as the Olympic games, Foreign Correspondent and the big programs but, particularly in his latter years, he spent a lot of time telling the regional stories and spending time in regional communities. He was able to bridge the gap between country and city with warmth and conviction in the way he was able to tell the stories. For instance, during the flooding in Queensland there were hundreds of journalists and hundreds of stories, but I think the ones that touched us most were Paul Lockyer's coverage of what happened in Grantham. It was not just the gravity of the event. The way in which that story grabbed all of our hearts and minds was due to the way in which he was able to bring some of the humanity of that catastrophic event into the living rooms of Australians. He certainly was a great journalist, but I want to particularly acknowledge today the contribution that he made to regional Australia as someone who was prepared to get out into the country areas and tell the stories in a way that we all understood. His coverage of the drought also, I think, helped people very much to understand the personal tragedies associated with events like this. This team died doing something they loved in the remotest part of Australia, and perhaps the place where they would most have wanted to be. We certainly acknowledge their contribution to journalism, but today, especially, I also want to acknowledge their contribution to regional Australia.

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

To enable members at this stage to associate themselves with the remarks of the three leaders, and as a mark of respect, I invite members to rise in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

I thank the House.