Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make a brief contribution to the motion on the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings. I have been in this parliament for nearly 14 years representing two electorates and, without a doubt, one of the saddest moments of my political career was attending the funerals of some of the victims of the Bali bombings and attending the memorial service here at Parliament House. The images of that fateful day will remain in our minds forever and ever. The saddest part for me was seeing the families light a candle in memory of their lost loved ones.

The 12th of October 2002 will be forever remembered as the day of one of Australia's worst terror incidents. This deadly attack killed 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesian citizens, and a further 240 people were injured. We often remember and commemorate those who serve in uniform, and just a little while ago we heard statements on the death of Sapper Jordan Ronald Penpraze. We come in this House far too often to speak about the death of soldiers, but the majority of people killed in this incident were innocent civilians. They were on holiday. They were enjoying the time of their lives. They were young people. They have saved hard and worked hard. They were doing what many of our young adult children do: enjoying some music, having a few drinks and having a great time. Yet they were mercilessly killed in a mindless terrorist act because they were from a country that respects religious tolerance. They were from a country that respects freedom.

Few will forget those images of injured victims throwing themselves into hotel pools to try to relieve their burns because the hospital facilities were not equipped to cope with the extent of the attack. Some of the saddest images I saw were shown to me by the Minister for Health and Ageing at the time, Senator the Hon. Kay Patterson, of the extent of the injuries and the terrible effect that these injuries had, particularly photos of many of the victims being operated on in hospitals. Those images will never, ever leave my mind.

Remarkable stories also came out of this tragedy. While a tragedy can move us to tears, we often hear stories of incredible heroism. Some amazing individuals came to light—people who rushed in, not fearing for their own safety, to save others, even though they were brutally injured themselves. There was the work of our doctors, nurses and other health professionals around the clock. I see the member for Solomon is here. The hospital in Darwin, in her electorate, played a key role, particularly in the treatment of the injured. Also, I pay tribute to the wonderful work that was done in Perth, particularly the treatment of many of the burns victims. Dr Fiona Wood immediately comes to mind when I mention this incident.

Those of us who were in this place at that time will remember our former Prime Minister, Mr Howard, speaking solemnly for half an hour on the condolence motion moved to mark the event. It was one of the most solemn speeches I ever heard him or any leader give. One of the often quoted remarks he made with regard to the tragedy was: 'The things that unite us as Australians are infinitely greater and much more enduring than the things that divide us.' At the time, the then Leader of the Opposition, Simon Crean, travelled with John Howard to Bali in the days after the bombing as a sign of our solidarity, as a sign of the things that unite us as Australians and as a sign of our strength. On the day of the anniversary, the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Tony Abbott, travelled with the current Prime Minister, Ms Gillard, to Bali for the memorial service. That was an indication that Australians will always stand united against the curse of terrorism.

Ten years on, for the families and friends of those who were killed the pain is forever real. We remember and we feel their loss. I acknowledge them in this statement on indulgence on the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise with other parliamentary colleagues to speak on the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings and to record again my profound sympathies for all those affected when, at Paddy's Bar and the Sari Club, we saw some 202 people lose their lives, including 88 Australians.

A number of those Australians who lost their lives were people from the eastern suburbs of Sydney, from the electorates of Wentworth and Kingsford Smith. Some 20 or so were from Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar or Matraville. It is appropriate on this 10th anniversary that we pause again and as a parliament reflect on that terrible event, and express strongly our ongoing sympathy and concern for those people's families and friends, and for the survivors, many of whom, as we have just heard, suffered horrific burn injuries.

A number of those who were affected were from the Coogee Dolphins team in my electorate. The home ground is Coogee Oval and the clubhouse, it has to be said, is the Beach Palace hotel at the northern end of Coogee Beach. There is a gathering every year, supported by Randwick City Council, and there is a memorial which was erected on the site. Not only do families and friends from the Coogee Dolphins and others who were impacted by the Bali bombings attend, it has really become a community event which is also attended by many as an expression of the Australian community's sympathy and support for those people.

There are a number of activities that continue to this day that include the Coogee Dolphins. In fact, they will be playing in the 2012 Remembrance Cup in Las Vegas next month to honour the memory of those who were killed in the Bali bombings. In fact, that club has had quite an extensive response to the losses that they suffered. They have a website that has been created in memory of the six young men who were killed in 2002. They have a number of awards that are dedicated to each of those young men. By doing that, they are not only appropriately recognising and honouring the loss, but they are also providing a focus for all of those current members of the club and the young members who come through—not only to recognise what happened and the enormity of the event but to also be able to continue to develop the club, to build those fraternal relationships that are part of Australians gathering together. I am thinking of the Clint Thompson Award, an annual player of the year award; the Adam Howard Shield; the David Mavroudis Shield that kicks off the Dolphins' calendar when they travel down to Wagga to play against David's old club and mates; the Foley Family Shield, in honour of Shane Foley and his father; the Gearld Yeo Award; the Joshua Iliffe Shield. These are the sorts of activities that take place at the club as a result of what they went through after the Bali bombing.

We also have a number of residents from the suburb of Malabar who lost family and friends at that time. That community is a very close-knit one. They gather at Malabar Beach every year as well to honour and to remember their loved ones. It is a touching ceremony that takes place. It is done out of the glare of the media spotlight, as is appropriate, because the fact is that people still very much feel those losses.

I was struck by an article that I saw in the Southern Courier, which was reflecting on the losses that have been occasioned by families. This was a story in the local newspaper. It referred to the loss of David Mavroudis and included remarks by his sister, Jane Elkin, and the way in which she and her family were responding to that loss.

She said that the pain of David's death would stay with her forever, and that 10 years have flown by. She made the point that you never forget a loss like this; there is no closure of grief. But, at the same time, she said that the family cannot be consumed by this grief, that they have to get on and live their lives. She said that they do talk about David all the time—they do not avoid the topic; they keep his memory alive—but they also recognise that life goes on, and they try to affirm life in remembering his death.

The Bali bombings had a profound impact on the Australian community. I think that one of the things that have come with the personal loss, the suffering and the heartache of people is a mature reflection and a tremendous response from the Australian community to not only recognise those that lost their lives in the Bali bombings but also to recognise that our connections with the community in Indonesia, in Bali, and more widely across the region, must be strengthened. By strengthening our connections, by building our relationships across the region, there is much less space for extreme, intolerant views and for the possibility of the terrible kind of terrorism that we saw take place in Bali ever happening again, and we certainly wish that that is never the case.

On that basis, I want to acknowledge, for those people who live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, the profound losses they have suffered, and to recognise that the parliament, as appropriate on the 10th anniversary, is reflecting on that loss and wishes them every comfort and consolation for the future.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to add my voice to the statements of condolence on the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings. As a lifetime Territorian I have travelled quite frequently to Bali. It is a shorter flight to Bali than to any other capital city in Australia and it is also a lot cheaper. It is for this reason that Bali is quite a popular holiday destination amongst many Territorians. It is not uncommon for people from my electorate to travel to Bali more than five or 10 times. I have been there at least 15 times since I first travelled there in the late eighties.

Like all Australians, I was absolutely in shock when I first heard the news of the terrorist attacks in Bali—a place that I know so well. It really was a wake-up call for all Australians. Terrorists had just attacked us so close to home. In these terrible bombings, 202 people were killed—88 Australians and 38 Indonesians among many of the victims. Hundreds more had been injured. A holiday to Bali would never be the same from that time on, because forever in the back of the minds of travellers is the thought of another attack. That innocence had been lost.

As member for Brisbane said, my electorate had a bit of involvement after the bombings. It is often said that the true human spirit comes out in the most tragic of times, and I think this is true of the Bali bombings. In the immediate aftermath we heard stories of bravery, mateship and sacrifice. One of the stories I am most proud of is the story of the Royal Darwin Hospital. The Royal Darwin Hospital is, as many know, the major public hospital in the Northern Territory, and it happens to be in my electorate of Solomon. It services the needs of people in Darwin and Palmerston and the greater Northern Territory. Now it even plays a role nationally and internationally. After the bombings in Kuta, the Royal Darwin Hospital was put on notice to prepare to receive the injured, because the hospital in Bali was not able to cope—it was not resourced adequately—with the hundreds of people injured in the explosions. We heard stories about how the staff were called in to assist in the preparations. Two surgical wards on the second floor were cleared, with patients being sent home or relocated within the hospital or transferred to the private hospital.

Some of the more serious cases were wanting to give up their beds for the bombing victims but, because of their injuries, were forced to stay.

By the end of the emergency, 63 critically injured patients had been treated in Darwin. The staff at the Royal Darwin Hospital and those who came from interstate to help performed well above expectations and, as a community, we were so proud of what they achieved and how hard they had worked. Sixteen Territorians were recognised with honours for their work in the response. Some of the staff include Dr Didier Palmer, Dr Gary Lum and Dr Len Notaras. These three doctors were instrumental in the set-up of the response and they continue to play important roles in the Royal Darwin Hospital today. Dr Notaras is now the Executive Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. Dr Palmer is the Director of Emergency Medicine in the Royal Darwin Hospital and Dr Lum is the Assistant Secretary of the Health Emergency Management Branch in the Office of Health Protection.

These three are just three of the many remarkable people who worked tirelessly over those critical 36 hours looking after the victims of the Bali bombings. Recently Dr Notaras commented that the Royal Darwin Hospital dealt in 36 hours with more casualties than any other single hospital dealt with in either the 9/11 or the Oklahoma bombing in the United States. That is a pretty impressive comment to make. It is a truly outstanding achievement that all Australians, not just Territorians, can be proud of.

One of the few positives to come out of such an awful act of hatred is the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. The response centre was set up in 2005 with funding from the then federal coalition government. According to the National Critical Care and Trauma Response official website:

The function of the NCCTRC is to ensure enhanced surge capacity for Royal Darwin Hospital to provide a rapid response in the event of a mass casualty incident in the region. As a result the NCCTRC has channelled significant funds into Royal Darwin Hospital to enhance the capacity of the hospital’s surgical and trauma divisions.

Additionally, since its creation the response centre and the Royal Darwin Hospital have dealt with the second Bali bombings in 2005, the East Timor unrest in 2006, the attempted assassination of East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta in 2008, the Ashmore Reef CF36 incident in 2009, and the Pakistan floods in 2010. Locally, the centre and the Royal Darwin Hospital have been involved in responses to Cyclone Helen, the Ghan derailment and the petrol bomb attack on the TIO office in Darwin City.

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the bombings, the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre held its conference recently, the War and Disaster 2012 Conference. As part of this conference a gala dinner was held on the Thursday night with former Prime Minister John Howard as the keynote speaker. Former Prime Minister John Howard recognised the Royal Darwin Hospital's effort and response to the attacks as a remarkable achievement, saying:

The response, particularly that organised through the Royal Darwin Hospital, was a triumph of what I think I can describe as the gentle efficiency of the Australian people when faced with a great crisis.

Mr Howard acknowledged that the terrorists had failed in their attempt to drive a wedge between Australia and Indonesia. I think that one of the best examples of this failure is the success of the relationship that now stands between the Royal Darwin Hospital and the Sanglah Hospital in Bali, a testament to the strength of the relationship between Australia and Indonesia.

Recently I tabled a private member's motion to acknowledge the work done by our medical profession across Australia in the wake of the Bali bombings. I am happy to say that I have secured support from my coalition colleagues, and I am working to secure support from the Labor government so that we can debate this motion. I think that it is important to recognise the contribution that these people made in 2002, and continue to make today.

The thoughts and prayers of the people of Darwin and Palmerston are with the families and friends of those 88 Australians who died and the many more who were injured. We must also take time to acknowledge our friends in Indonesia, who also suffered a great loss but who continue to offer the hand of friendship to Australians and who stand with us against the menace of terrorism.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Bali is a small tropical island best known for its luxury holiday resorts, beaches, hundreds of Hindu temples sweeping across the coastline and dozens of volcanoes. It has certainly been a holiday destination for lots of Australians. Bali has been one of the most popular tourist destinations for Australians for decades. Kuta is the epicentre of all that trade, particularly for those who have young sons—the surf at Kuta is renowned. Kuta is filled with hundreds of restaurants, hotels and gift shops. Almost every night, tourists can be seen dancing, having a good time, enjoying themselves and enjoying Bali. Bali also had the image of being a spiritual place—a place of peace, tranquillity and wonder.

But, just after 11 pm on 12 October 2002, terrorists took advantage of the island's nature and its hospitality. Bali was no longer the peaceful place it had been for thousands of Australian visitors, nor was it any longer the place it had been for many Balinese. The first bomb, hidden in a backpack, exploded inside the popular tourist destination, Paddy's Pub at Kuta. Approximately 15 seconds later, a second and much more powerful car bomb was detonated. I understand the bomb was concealed in a van and that it was about 1,000 kilograms. It was remotely detonated in front of the Sari Club. The actual explosion left a one-metre-deep crater in the roadway and blew out almost every window in the town. There was a third bomb. The third bomb was detonated in the street immediately in front of the American consulate. This bomb caused very little damage and only slight injury to one person. But what was significant about this bomb was that it was packed with human excreta. It was designed to cause the maximum moral damage.

The attack by Jemaah Islamiyah claimed 202 lives from people of 22 different countries. Australia, which for years had seen Bali as a safe haven holiday destination, had the most victims—88 Australians died that evening. A further 209 people were injured. The Bali bombings were one of the most horrific acts of terrorism to come close to our shores. It was an act which some would refer to as Australia's September 11—not only because of the large number of Australians who were attacked and killed but because it was Australian citizens who were the actual target.

On the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings, this House remembers those who were tragically killed or injured. We remember their families and their friends and those who contributed in the aftermath of the tragedy in a very practical way, including the doctors, the other health professionals, the police and the local residents of Bali. Those who have been touched by these bombings would know that the 10th anniversary is more than symbolic. The hurt and the unbelievable sense of grief come flooding back, together with anger and disbelief that such an insane act could be planned and carried out by people against fellow human beings.

I will just digress a little. Over the years, I have had a lot to do with a bloke called Brian Deegan, particularly in relation to our respective views against the death penalty—and, by the way, the death penalty was exactly what was handed down to Amrozi and his co-conspirators in the Bali bombing. Brian was an Adelaide based lawyer who served as a magistrate for some 16 years. He was also on the Youth Court of South Australia from 1988 to 2004 and is best known, from my perspective at least, as a member of the South Australian police tribunal.

Brian is the author of a book, Remembering Josh.

Brian lost his son Josh in the Bali bombings. His son was 22 years of age. Josh headed to Bali with his team mates from the Sturt football club after winning a grand final, which Brian tells me was against all the odds. Therefore, this was going to be a major celebration. The very day that Josh and his team mates arrived for their overseas end-of-year holiday and celebrations was the day the terrorists attacked.

Josh had only recently achieved his Bachelor of Applied Arts degree and he clearly was a committed athlete. What has had a lasting impact on me is Brian's statement: 'I do not wish the death penalty for those convicted, for I oppose the death penalty under any circumstances.' He went on to say, 'Due to my own shortcomings, while I understand the murderers' motives, I have yet to find forgiveness and therefore I cannot pray for their lives.'

It is important to recognise the grief, the carnage that took place and the efforts of the various health professionals, both in Darwin, as we have just heard from the member for Solomon, and at the Sanglah Hospital in Bali. I had the opportunity to meet many of the doctors from that hospital when I visited Bali some time ago.

I would also like to take the opportunity to recognise the work that was undertaken by the Australian Federal Police and their counterparts in the Indonesian National Police. As you are aware, Madam Deputy Speaker, the AFP worked very closely with the Indonesian National Police in investigating, forensically analysing and producing the information that eventually led to the successful prosecution of Amrozi and his colleagues.

I specifically mention what the AFP and the Indonesian National Police have been able to achieve with respect to counterterrorism. I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to visit the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation, which is operated by the Australian Federal Police and which provided vital assistance in the aftermath of the 2002 bombings as well as the other terrorist attacks in Indonesia. The AFP are doing a fantastic job in working with the Indonesian police in sponsoring professional policing skills as well as collaborating on counterterrorism law enforcement strategies. This is a vital and integral part of policing in our region.

The Bali bombings of 2002 are something that this country will never forget as they are now indelibly printed on the psyche of this country. I compliment former Prime Minister John Howard and his government for their response in the aftermath of this tragedy in providing vital assistance to the victims and their families and for what also followed in respect of the development of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. I think Australia acted appropriately in that regard. We saw this for what it was. This was an attack on Australians. This was an attack on freedom, on democracy—the very principles that this nation stands for. But moreover, this was an attack on Australians.

On the 10th anniversary of the first terrorist act directed principally at Australia and its people, we owe it to the 88 Australians and the 114 people of other nationalities that lost their lives and to their families, who continue to grieve, to stand vigilant and resolute against terrorism. My thoughts and prayers go to the families of all those affected by the Bali bombings. It is something that we shall never forget. We should make all efforts in terms of counterterrorism to ensure that these heinous acts against Australia and its people can never again become reality.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A decade has now passed since Islamic killers brought terror to our doorstep. Of the 202 people who died in the horrific terrorist attacks on the Indonesian island of Bali, 88 were Australians. A further 240 people were injured. Today, on behalf of the people of Ryan, I take this opportunity to put on record our condolences as well as our support for the families and friends who were affected by the terrible events which occurred on 12 October 2002.

The events that happened on the evening of 12 October 2002 will forever remain in the hearts and minds of all Australians. That evening three bombs were detonated on the peaceful island of Bali—two in the tourist district of Kuta and another outside the United States Consulate in Denpasar. It was 11.05 pm on 12 October 2002 when a suicide bomber inside Paddy's Pub detonated an explosive device in his backpack, causing many patrons to flee into the street. Twenty seconds later, a second and much more powerful car bomb hidden inside a van was detonated by a suicide bomber outside the Sari Club, opposite Paddy's Pub. Shortly before the two Kuta bombs exploded, a comparatively small bomb was thought to have been detonated outside the United States consulate in Denpasar, injuring one person and causing minimal property damage. The local hospital was not prepared to deal with the scale of the disaster and was overwhelmed with the number of victims, particularly burns victims. Many of the injured were evacuated to Darwin and Perth for specialist burns treatment.

I, like many other Australians, learned of the tragic events in Bali with the memory of the terrorist attacks of September 11 still fresh in my mind. In many ways, what happened in Bali that night was beyond 'terrorism'. What happened was barbaric, a mass killing without justification—a deliberate and premeditated attack on people caught off guard and unsuspecting while relaxing on holidays at a tourist destination. It was a terrible reminder that terrorism can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. Australia was no longer immune to terrorism. We lost our innocence that night.

Today we think of the families and the friends of the victims of that terrible night—our thoughts and sympathies will always be with them. For those who survived the bombing, the painful memories are remembered by all of us. We can be justifiably proud of the acts of selflessness and bravery demonstrated by the survivors who helped their friends and did what they could to help the injured. We acknowledge those who contributed so much in the aftermath of the tragedy—the doctors, the health professionals, the police, the government officials and the local residents of Bali. Let us never forget their tireless work.

I also pay tribute to my fellow volunteers who staffed the 24/7 inquiry hotline for Red Cross at Police Headquarters in Brisbane. As the hours turned into days, it became so much more difficult to encourage callers not to give up hope for their loved ones from whom they had not heard. I will forever remember the call from a young wife some three days after the bombing. She had seen her husband off to Hong Kong the week before on a business trip. On hearing reports of the terrorist attack her first reaction was one of relief—that her husband would be safe. Only later did she find out that he had joined a group of friends and gone to Bali for the weekend.

On behalf of the people of Ryan, I once again extend my condolences to all of those affected by the events 12 October 2002 in Bali.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to associate myself and the people of Mitchell with the fine remarks of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the House commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings.

We all remember the horror on that Monday when this hideous act of terror occurred in Indonesia. On the Monday following the bombing in 2002, then Prime Minister John Howard stood in the House of Representatives and stated that the word 'terrorism' was too antiseptic or too technical a term to describe what had occurred the previous Saturday evening, and he was right. That was an evil act—an act motivated by those willing to encourage people and to seek people to blow themselves up and commit acts of terror in the cause of an evil religious motivation.

It is incomprehensible to us that an individual can become so motivated by such an evil ideology and so driven to cause mass mayhem and destruction that to further that ideology they will murder 202 innocent people, including 88 Australian citizens. Following 9/11, this hideous event woke Australia to the prospect of terror right on our doorstep and, indeed, brought us to some other very important conclusions. These acts are reprehensible, not just for the sheer loss of life but for the lasting impact they have had on the families left behind—the cruelty, the immoral acts of the people involved and the legacy left behind on people in Australia with nothing but broken families and memories of sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.

These incomprehensible acts forced consequences on Australia which are not all bad. We have seen the best in humanity brought out by such hideous acts—the volunteers, the people who selflessly put themselves in harms way to look after fellow human beings, many of them Australians and many local Indonesians and Balinese who were present on the day. We think of all the doctors and nurses who were present, who put themselves at great risk, and ordinary business owners who rescued people and applied first aid and triage. There are so many stories that are impossible to tell here today, but all of them are worthy of praise. The only one I will mention briefly is the story I recall of the very humble Australian nurse, the guy who immediately after the bombing made a triage area and applied first aid all through the night. When DFAT were trying to track him down to award him with an Australian medal eventually they found him a year or two later in Africa continuing to help other people and they had to forcibly pin the Australian metal onto his chest. That is the kind of person we are talking about and that is the kind of strength and endurance which arose out of this hideous tragedy.

Ironically, the Bali bombing had the impact of strengthening our ties with Indonesia, forcing our two nations, which historically do not have a great depth of relationship, into dealing with the problems created by such a hideous affair—strong people-to-people relationships, government-to-government and service-to-service relationships, the Australian Federal Police, the military and security agencies, all working together to oppose such extremism and terror. It is a sad indictment on the world today that events such as this occur, but then we see the great things which come out of them—the forging of human links, the memories of courage and bravery inspired by such events and the grief which we all remember 10 years on.

Today we do not seek to re-open old wounds of pain and suffering; we celebrate the lives that have been lost and reaffirm our fight to preserve and continue the Australian way of life. Our nation is not one that lies down and rolls over at the first hint of terror and tyranny. We stand up and fight and have a lot to be proud of. We continue to seek justice for those wronged by the actions and we commemorate their memory. That is why I am pleased to have spoken for the final consequence—that is, to improve the legislative framework, to consider the fact that we were able to introduce and put in place, with the government moving the same way, a social security amendment to cover victims of overseas terrorists, which was a gap in the Australian system. We have a superior situation from what we had previously. We all remember the great loss of life and tragedy but also the things which have been produced after what was a terrible tragedy, and we must always remember.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Bali bombings were an act of terrorism and religious extremism which will be forever etched in our memories, a heinous crime which killed 88 Australians, including seven residents from the Sutherland shire. Those seven shire residents were Jodi Wallace, Charmaine Whitton, Jodie O'Shea, Michelle Dunlop, Francoise Dahan, Renae Anderson and her sister Simone Hanley. But those seven residents from the Sutherland shire and the other 81 Australians did not die alone. The bombings also killed 38 Indonesians and 76 others from 22 nations spread across the globe.

On the 10th commemoration of the Bali bombings, I was honoured to speak at a service overlooking North Cronulla Beach at The Seed, a sandstone sculpture and water feature which stands as a permanent tribute to the seven residents of the Sutherland shire who were lost. Those who gathered at North Cronulla on the day reflected on the traumatic events of 10 years ago and the loss of those who were killed and injured, and we did so knowing, 'It could have been me.' For those killed were mates on a footy trip, simply enjoying a beer. Those killed were friends on holidays. Those killed were families and friends celebrating birthdays and weddings. And those killed include schoolteachers, nurses, farmers, hairdressers, miners, mechanics, small business people and students. They were footballers, netballers, rowers, basketballers and triathletes. They represented a cross-section of our Australian society, making the Bali bombings an attack upon us all, an attack upon our Australian way of life.

We remember the words of our Prime Minister Mr Howard at the time, who, in his understated way, when he hugged one of the family members of a victim, said, 'We'll get the bastards who did this.' The members of the terrorist group that planned and committed these crimes have been brought to justice. They have been tried and convicted. Three have been executed, and other major conspirators have been killed during raids by the Indonesian police. However, 10 years on, justice can never completely diminish the pain and grief and, 10 years on, justice can never fully repair the physical scars of those injured.

As for the motivations of the terrorists, not only did they comprehensively fail to achieve their goals but, in fact, the end result was the exact opposite of what they set out to achieve. For, while the terrorists sought to drive a wedge between Australia and Indonesia, the exact opposite happened. Their crimes became a turning point for Australian and Indonesian relations, relations which had suffered following our assistance to the people of East Timor. They produced a compelling reason for both Jakarta and Canberra to work together, and they cemented for all time the emotional and economic connections between Australia and Indonesia. As we have seen in the decade since the Bali bombings, the two-way trade between our nations has increased by over 114 per cent to $14.8 billion.

While the terrorists sought to deter Australians from travelling to Indonesia, again the exact opposite has happened. In 2001, the year before the Bali bombings, 288,000 Australians travelled to Bali. Although there was a short-term downturn after the bombings, last year more than 872,000 Australians visited Indonesia, an increase of 584,000, an increase of over 200 per cent in the decade since the bombings.

And, while the terrorists sought to divide and weaken Indonesia, yet again the exact opposite happened, for their acts of terrorism only galvanised the Indonesian nation to promote freedom, democracy and tolerance. As the Indonesian President recently said, the 'monstrous act of terror' in Bali 10 years ago failed to achieve its objective and only strengthened interfaith cooperation throughout the Indonesian nation.

This act of terrorism brought out the best in our nation. It demonstrated the strength of the Australian character, our toughness and our compassion, our fighting spirit and how we stand together in times of adversity. It gave rise to countless acts of individual heroism and the triumph of the human spirit. It resulted in the biggest peacetime emergency evacuation of Australians. More than 100 patients, some horribly burned and injured, many struggling to stay alive, were flown by our Royal Australian Air Force to hospitals around Australia.

In fact, within 24 hours after the blasts, our military forces had delivered 28 of the most critically injured—some with burns to 90 per cent of their bodies, and others suffering terrible shrapnel and trauma injuries—to the Royal Perth Hospital.

Thanks to a revolutionary spray-on skin technology developed in Australia by Australians—a technology which has since been adopted around the globe as world's best practice for treating burns—incredibly, 25 of the most critically injured survived. Although nothing can diminish the pain, the grief and the suffering of the Bali bombings, in the end it has been shown that the forces of good and decency have triumphed over the forces of evil, religious extremism and hatred. Finally, 12 October is a day in our national calendar on which we recognise that freedom, democracy and tolerance can never be taken for granted and we must be ever vigilant to protect them. To those that died, especially the seven beautiful shire girls, I say that as a nation we will never forget them.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 12 October 2012, the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Paddy's bar and the Sari Club, I attended the Kingsley Football Club in the late afternoon. It was 10 years to the day after the club lost seven of its players in that act of terrorism. To this day, the tragedy affects the club. I say 'affects', but it does not define the club and it does not hang over the club. Kingsley is not held back by the deaths of Dean Gallagher, Jason Stokes, Byron Hancock, Corey Paltridge, David Ross, Jonathon Wade and Anthony Stewart. This is a club where the quality of resilience is evident for all to see. It is a club where something good has come of out of the tragedy and the loss. The 11 Kingsley Football Club members who survived the bomb blasts decided on their return to Australia immediately afterwards that they would plan to build new clubrooms at Kingsley as a memorial to those that had been lost. Upon their return, they unveiled that plan and united the community. Support flowed from the club, from Kingsley and from widely across Perth. In the days that followed, 10,000 people attended the candlelight vigil and the plan began to be implemented. Literally hundreds of individuals and organisations became part of that plan and created the Kingsley memorial clubrooms, which include change rooms, a bar, other rooms and an area where the lives of the seven boys that died can be commemorated.

As I said before, it is from this tragedy that the Kingsley Football Club has gathered its strength and in many ways has been reborn bigger and better. Those boys will never be forgotten, but the club is about more than that tragedy. It will not hold them back but rather give them strength. I thank the president, Mr Keith Pearce, for the invitation to attend that gathering on 12 October. I appreciate the opportunity to be there with my state colleague Andrea Mitchell MLA, the member for Kingsley, and the former MLA for Kingsley, the Hon. Cheryl Edwards, and her husband, Colin, who were so strong for the community when it was needed.

I would also like to thank the Hon. Tony Abbott for the opportunity on 14 September to represent him at the Peter Hughes Burn Foundation fundraising dinner at Frasers Restaurant in Kings Park in Perth. Peter Hughes was severely burned in one of the bomb blasts on 12 October 2002. A very famous scene at the time on the television was from Bali when Peter Hughes was being interviewed. From his facial features, it was clear that he was injured and that he had been burnt. His features were very swollen, but because of his very lucid speech and the way in which he carried himself it did not appear that he was critically injured. Selflessly, on the TV he spoke about how he encouraged others and the staff of the hospital there to treat others before him. But, in a strange and most fortunate outcome of that interview, a doctor that had seen that interview in Australia identified that Peter was actually at extreme risk and that the injuries he had—the burns he had—had resulted in the swollenness in his face and his body, and that he was actually going to be at great risk unless he was treated quickly. So he was brought back to Australia quickly. I believe that he was treated in Adelaide Hospital, but he almost died as a result of not being treated quickly enough.

But from that Peter Hughes created his burn foundation to help those severely burnt. Because of Tony Abbott's long-time support he also received an invitation to that dinner, at which I represented him.

From attending that dinner I found that the Bali bombings have greatly affected all those that were there—the actual victims of the blasts and their family members, but also those that were part of providing medical and other support and, in fact, those that reported the tragedy and the aftermath of the tragedy. As I heard the speeches at that dinner and saw the interactions between those that were there and those involved afterwards, I felt the strength of the brotherhood in the room. It was like an intense esprit de corps where the events and the life-and-death challenges of the time created bonds that could never be broken. It was an amazing experience to be seated next to the former AFL player Jason McCartney and his wife and reporters Peter Overton and Mark Readings, who both reported on the attacks and the aftermath. It is difficult to fully appreciate what those who were there went through and what challenges they continue to face, yet what I saw there at that dinner was a group of people who were not cowed by injury, experiences or the death around them but rather have become stronger and more determined people.

I was recently transiting through Bali on parliamentary business, and for six hours I was in Bali. I had the opportunity to visit the Bali memorial, which is situated on a small corner of a traffic island, almost, between the lot that is the Sari Club site and where Paddy's bar has now been rebuilt into shops. It was a sobering experience to look at the vicinity of the greatest terrorist attack against Australians. It was hard to picture the chaos and the carnage that took place that night 10 years ago. But when I stood in front of the commemorative tablet on that small corner block and I saw the names of the 202 dead, and particularly the 88 Australians, I imagined what effect the bombs had on our country and, more particularly, what effect they had on the families that lost loved ones and on those injured through the blasts and burns. It is important that those of us who were not directly affected consider that those who were will live with this for the rest of their lives.

Later today the opposition leader will lead debate on his private member's motion on the victims of terrorism. Retrospective recognition and support for Australian victims should be embraced by this parliament. But on this occasion, the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings, I once again offer my condolences to the families of the victims in Cowan and across the whole country, and my best wishes to those injured. I hope that they are as strong and as uncowed by those events as so many of those I have met who were there.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Riverina, as with the rest of the nation and beyond, mourned deeply on Friday, 12 October 2012, the day which marked the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings. Tears were shed for lives cut all too short. Many prayers were said throughout the electorate and certainly throughout the nation and beyond. I attended the very moving national memorial service held here in the Great Hall to mark a decade since that dreadful day. Three young Riverina men—David Mavroudis from Wagga Wagga, Clint Thompson from Leeton and Shane Walsh-Till, originally from Coolamon—were among the 88 Australians and 202 overall who lost their lives on that dreadful day. I knew Shane and I knew the family of David Mavroudis.

Dr Fiona Wood AM gave a truly inspirational address. It was so good that I remarked to Senator Bridget McKenzie from Victoria, who was beside me, that it was the best speech I had ever heard, and I have heard some good ones. Senator McKenzie replied, 'That's a big call,' but she agreed that it was truly moving and truly inspirational. A burn specialist, Dr Wood led a team working to save many patients suffering from between two and 92 per cent body burns, deadly infections and delayed shock. I know all Australians, and especially the families and friends of those who lost loved ones, were feeling a deep sense of sadness that day. During the ceremony survivors, family members and others placed flowers on a national memorial wreath and, fittingly, the Australian flag at Parliament House was at half-mast.

The lives of those 202 people, including the 88 Australians, were not taken by accident. They did not die as a result of a natural disaster and they certainly did not die by choice. They were not fighting a war but they died in a war that was just beginning. Australians have not felt such a loss since World War II or perhaps Vietnam—but certainly not that many on one day. The attack resulted in the greatest single loss of Australian lives overseas in peacetime. That day, 12 October, was the continuation of a modern war for Australians, yet we were fighting it without weapons. The fallen were not soldiers. They were not trained to fight in combat. Their only crime was taking a holiday, getting away from their usual, busy lives. Due to a selfish and callous act, 88 Australians were stolen from their families and friends in a fight they did not know they were involved in, and the lives of those left behind were divided into 'before' and 'after'—life before the Bali bombings and life after, what has transpired since.

The bombs that ripped through the Sari Club in Kuta came after the dreadful 9/11 attacks on the United States in 2011, a great tragedy which destroyed great symbols of American freedom and surely tested their tough exterior. Australians were affected. Some were shaken and others a little bit wary, but no-one could have imagined that we too would face an attack on our doorstep. No great Australian icon or building was destroyed, but the indelible Australian spirit was surely tested, as that of the Americans was on 9/11, our sense of freedom and our feeling of safety tainted, and our innate sense of trust ruined.

As a nation we were hurt, bruised and in a state of shock. However, what followed that frightful event showed that we as a country were not going to lie down. We picked ourselves up and rallied around those who needed the most help, including our many friends in Indonesia. I said our innate sense of trust had been ruined, but it was ruined for only a short time, because it has certainly been picked up, renewed and restored since. In the words of former Prime Minister John Howard at the 10th anniversary commemoration, the attack had tested Australia's character and it had 'passed with flying colours'. He said:

I salute the Australian spirit that came through at that time …

The bombings in Bali showed just how small our large country is. In a case of two degrees of separation, Australians all over the world felt the impact of the deaths of their countrymen and countrywomen. In some way, people found a connection to those lost, whether it was a neighbour from when they were young, a student at their school or a teammate in their sporting side. Many Australians shared a connection with the families and friends grieving, and the entire nation was left to try to comprehend the horror which had struck.

In my electorate of Riverina, the tragedy struck close to home. The Monday after the bombings, the local press read 'Riverina men missing as death toll mounts'. It was not until Friday, 18 October that the final number of people lost from my regional electorate was, sadly realised: three men were gone forever more. They were husbands, brothers, sons and friends, and the entire Riverina felt their loss.

On 15 October, Leeton man Clint Thompson, 29, and Wagga Wagga man David Mavroudis, the same age, were confirmed as being amongst the dead. Clint had worked 27 hours straight to earn himself a holiday in Bali, and the trip lasted less than 36 hours. The former Leeton man was one of two Riverina boys who were in Bali as part of an end-of-year footy trip with the Coogee Beach Dolphins. Clint was the president and a player on the team, and had helped organise the holiday, which claimed the lives of six other players from their team. Clint was the son of Sandra and Robert Thompson of Leeton. He was the second oldest in a family of seven children. He had five brothers, Trent, Ryan, Brock, Zaide and Caleb, and a sister, Farrah. A number of his brothers played with him at the Coogee Beach Dolphins. Mrs Thompson, who still resides in Leeton, has been a strong voice in bringing justice to those who lost someone in the bombings—in particular, the three lost from the Riverina. She told the local Leeton paper, the Irrigator:

I still believe that along with the other 87 Australians murdered in Bali, they deserve to be honoured with a bush rock opposite the Leeton Visitor Information Centre.

I have seen the amount of Australians that visit the memorial in Coolamon and Sydney and know that nearly everyone knew or is related to someone who was murdered.

Mrs Thompson returned to Bali for the 10th anniversary.

David Mavroudis was also on the end-of-year football trip with fellow Riverina teammate Clint Thompson. David died alongside his football mates, doing what he loved most; photos taken just before the event tell of the good time he was having. David was the only son of John and Colleen Mavroudis of Wagga Wagga, and a loving brother to his sister, Jane. He was a computer programmer and an accomplished sportsman and was described by his mates as a great bloke who touched the lives of many across the state.

Coolamon-born teacher Shane Walsh-Till, 32, with whom I played cricket at St Michael's, was the last Riverina man to be declared amongst the dead. Although missing since the blast, his wife, Melanie, and his family never gave up hope and continued, in vain, to search for him.

The former St Francis de Sales College Leeton teacher was residing in Hong Kong at the time of his death and was in Bali on a holiday with his wife, Melanie, and her sister. He stayed, sadly, for one more drink and, unfortunately, that was the time the blast occurred. The son of Coolamon couple Bill and Barbara Till, Shane was well known in the Coolamon, Wagga Wagga and Leeton communities through his sport and his work as a teacher. He was loved by the kids. The kids thought the world of him. He was one of those people who had infectious enthusiasm. He was a great person and he had so much more to offer as a schoolteacher, as a husband and as a friend.

It has been 10 long years for these three families, and their loved ones are part of a long, sad list of people who went on a relaxing holiday never to return. October 12 is a day to reminisce, reflect and allow families to look on time lost and remember time passed. It is a day marred forever by sadness, but those victims shall not have died in vain. They will live on forever in the hearts of their loved ones and in the hearts of Australians everywhere.

I will finish with the words of Fiona Wood. Before I do, I should also mention at that national memorial service in Parliament House the wonderful welcome to country which was given by Janette Phillips, a Ngunnawal elder, who also spoke of hope. She spoke of how Australians everywhere are united in times of crisis. In that welcome to country she ventured in her speech to things about Bali and to also other things that unify the nation. It was a wonderful speech that she gave. There was also a remarkable address by Dr Wood who spoke of:

The strength of resilience, to face such horror, and to keep going, knowing there is a bright future ahead when we’ve seen the future of so many beautiful smiles snuffed away.

She said:

I see within those hearts, resilience that is inspirational. Love that is selfless. And an energy that as we work in our field to make sure that the quality of the outcome is worth the pain of survival, I see an energy across Australia, in all sorts of areas.

All you have to do is look for it. And to connect with it, and it will grow. So that we can pass on a history that we are proud of.

An Australia that we are proud of, borne on strength, resilience, love and raw human energy.

Doing the best we can for each other.

She certainly did the best for those victims of the Bali bombings. She certainly did the best for those families who needed help, the likes of Jason McCartney, the North Melbourne footballer, and for others for their survival and their return to a normal life. Of course it will not be normal because of what they endured, but those survivors of Bali have contributed so much to society. They will make sure that we never forget the tragedy, and certainly the remarkable efforts of Dr Fiona Wood and others to help those victims is truly inspirational. As a country we say thanks to them and as a country we say we will never forget that dreadful day.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to join my colleagues on both sides of the House in paying respects on the 10th anniversary of the Bali bombings which occurred on 12 October 2002. I follow my colleague and friend the member for Riverina, who gave us a very passionate and insightful speech on his reflections on those tragic events.

The attacks on the Kuta nightclub district, on the Sari Club and on Paddy's Pub saw 202 innocent people lose their lives and more than 200 people injured—88 Australians died, 38 Indonesians died and representatives and citizens from Britain, France, the United States, Holland, Japan, Sweden, Korea and other countries also lost their lives. People of all different faiths lost their lives that day. The attack was indiscriminate, with the simple goal of wreaking as much havoc as possible. Terrorism does not distinguish between its victims.

On the night of that attack our Prime Minister at the time, John Winston Howard, called it an act of terrorism. He said it was a wicked and cowardly act. He was to say to a father of one of those young people missing, Mr Phil Burchett, 'We'll get those bastards who did this.' Thankfully, through the efforts of Australian, Indonesian and international law enforcement agencies, we were successful in that aim—Amrosi, Mukhlas and Samudra were all punished by execution. Hambali, an ally of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of the September 11 attacks and the link between Jemaah Islamiah and al-Qaeda, was also punished. Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was pulled out of his rat-hole and taken into custody. Noordin Top was killed and the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiah, Abu Bakar Bashir, a man with blood on his hands, was also to pay a price. It is important that we remember and give credit to the men and women in the Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation, led by Dennis Richardson, to the men and women in the Australian Federal Police, led by Mick Keelty, and to the men and women in ASIS, which does so much work to protect Australians.

The Howard government, with support from the other side of the political divide, gave these organisations the necessary resources to do their work. I had the honour of working in Mr Howard's office in 2003 and 2004 when much of the work post Bali was still being done. Another one of my bosses, Alexander Downer, Australia's longest serving foreign minister, worked diligently with his Indonesian counterparts, as well as American counterparts—I remember Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, was one—to ensure everything was done to capture these terrorists. It is important to understand that this was a bipartisan effort. Just as Simon Crean went with John Howard at the time of the attacks on Bali, so too did Tony Abbott go to Bali just weeks ago with Prime Minister Gillard for the commemoration.

But it is not just people in politics and law enforcement agencies who did so much. Fiona Wood, the Australian of the Year in 2005, was a burns specialist whose selfless and skilful work was able to save lives after these tragic events. Military medical teams were sent with limited notice to Bali to work in warlike conditions. Qantas staff quickly despatched planes to bring home the injured. A good family friend of mine, Graeme Southwick, is a plastic surgeon who played such an important role because he happened to be on holiday in Bali at the time. There are all those people in the Darwin and Perth hospitals who gave support and assistance to the injured. Peter Hughes, who was a survivor of the Bali attacks, set up a foundation for burns victims, and Dr David Marsh and his wife Claire, who was a nurse, were there at the time and they have set up a foundation to ensure that medical equipment gets to Indonesian hospitals. So much was done by so many people to save lives after the tragic events of 12 October 2002.

If there is one bright element to this terrible event it is the deeper level of cooperation we now see between Indonesia and Australia.

To that end I would like to share some words of Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia. Dr Yudhoyono was Security Minister at the time and since 2004 he has been President of Indonesia. He said: 'The Bali bombings created a set of critical chain reactions—

Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It being 6.30, in accordance with standing order 192 the debate is interrupted. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting. The member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.