Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 2014 is the Centenary year of Red Cross in Australia, a significant milestone in the social history of the nation and commemorating 100 years of humanitarian service to the people of Australia;

(b) most Australians have shared a personal connection with Red Cross, from its humanitarian role during two world wars, to preparing, responding to and recovering from natural disasters, or helping vulnerable people and communities overcome disadvantage, and through its world class national blood service; and

(c) for 100 years the Australian Red Cross has enjoyed a unique auxiliary status to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, working in partnership with governments of all political persuasions, in Australia and internationally, to alleviate suffering in a voluntary aid capacity whilst adhering to its principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality;

(d) Australian Red Cross is part of the world's largest humanitarian movement, with tens of millions of volunteers working in 189 countries, united by the fundamental principle of preventing and alleviating human suffering, without discrimination, wherever it may be found in times of war, conflict, disaster or personal crisis;

(2) recognises that:

(a) today the Australian Red Cross has a network of over one million volunteers, members, staff, donors, aid workers and supporters; and

(b) through this network, the Australian Red Cross mobilises the power of humanity to work right across the country in local communities in every state and territory, and further afield, to help transform the lives of vulnerable people in need, whoever they are; and

(3) calls on all honourable members to:

(a) join the Australian Red Cross in celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding on 13 August 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I;

(b) congratulate generations of Australians for their extraordinary contributions through the everyday work of Red Cross; and

(c) continue to support the independent, neutral and impartial humanitarian mission of Red Cross to work with and assist the most vulnerable people in need, both in Australia and internationally.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Red Cross is a remarkable community organisation that has served this nation with distinction for 100 years. Its work has grown and changed over the century, but its core purpose has remained the same. In the words of the motto chosen to celebrate its centenary, the Australian Red Cross is an organisation of "people helping people".

The Australian Red Cross grew from an international body, created as the International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded in 1863. Its founder, Henry Dunant, had been appalled by the terrible deaths and the appalling state of the men maimed in battles he had seen in the struggle for Italian unification. He was shocked by the inadequacy of food and by the lack of medical help. He enlisted women from Castiglione, a local town, and urged them to make no distinction between nationalities. The women responded with the phrase "tutti fratelli"—all men are brothers.

In Australia, the Red Cross was founded in 1914, nine days after the outbreak of World War I, by Lady Munro Ferguson, the wife of the Governor-General, Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson. Lady Helen centred the work of the Australian Red Cross in her own home. She said it was women's work and she wanted the organisation to have women in leadership roles at all levels. The organisation has retained that character of being predominantly a women's movement throughout its history in Australia. Today, almost three-quarters of the staff and four in five volunteers and members are women.

During World War I, young women who had limited access to the workforce were able to participate more actively in the war effort. They were trained in first aid and home nursing and carried out domestic and nursing duties in military hospitals and convalescent homes. At the Red Cross headquarters in Lady Helen's home, Government House in Melbourne, the ballroom became the central depot, factory and warehouse—receiving, creating and dispatching food parcels and other goods. Hundreds of volunteers came to work there every day throughout the war.

Of course, the Red Cross's role expanded in World War II and, by 1944, towards the end of the war, the Red Cross had 450,000 members; one in every 12 Australian women were members. It was the largest women's organisation in Australia during the war years and probably ever. I certainly remember being a member of the Junior Red Cross in primary school, like I am sure many members of parliament were.

After World War II, the organisation changed its focus to providing humanitarian assistance at home and overseas, helping care for returned soldiers and their families, and for millions of displaced people throughout Europe. Today, again, we see a change in the role that the Australian Red Cross has set for itself. The leader of the Australian Red Cross, Robert Tickner, gave a terrific speech on 21 May, talking about wars, laws and humanity. He described the work of the Red Cross in Australia in addition to the fantastic blood service provided by the Red Cross. He said there is 'international work with a priority but not exclusive focus on the Asia-Pacific area'. Secondly, there is work on international and domestic disasters and emergency. Thirdly, they are working with asylum seekers and refugees—and he says that the Red Cross currently have approximately 12,000 clients in that area. Next, he said they are:

… working in programs in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; tackling the social exclusion faced by so many marginalised groups ranging from older vulnerable people living in the community to young offenders or former offenders and the families; and an increasingly place based focus on shifting our work to the most vulnerable communities where social problems have proven so intractable over time.

Robert Tickner also spoke very strongly about international humanitarian law, where Australian Red Cross has become one of the global leaders. Their work is raising awareness that even wars have laws, that civilians should be spared during conflict.

The Australian Red Cross has become a leader in arguing the case for the complete banning of nuclear weapons—some of the most destructive weapons known to humanity. He makes the point that 'As a global community we have acted against chemical and biological weapons, anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions,' but that nuclear weapons still exist.

I give my congratulations to all of those volunteers and staff of the Red Cross for the wonderful work they do. It is very disappointing to note that this year, for the first time, the $5 million grant that the government has given every year to the Red Cross has not been paid to the Red Cross. This is an annual grant that started under the Howard government, was continued under the Rudd and Gillard governments and for the first time, this year, has not been paid.

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to speak on this motion celebrating the centenary of the Red Cross. As the previous speaker pointed out, it was just a little over a week into World War I that the Red Cross established itself. As a local member of parliament, I want to focus on the local story in my electorate, which encompasses the Yarra Valley. On that very day that the Red Cross was established, on 13 August 1914, the local branch of the Red Cross was established in Lilydale in the heart of the Yarra Valley. It had its first meeting at the Athenaeum Hall, which would later become the Athenaeum Theatre that it is today.

Those who formed the first committee included some of the great volunteers of the Lilydale community. The first President, unanimously elected on that day, was Nellie Melba, the renowned opera singer, who lived just up the road in Coldstream. She would go on to lead that branch and raise more money than anyone else in the Red Cross—more than 100,000 pounds. She sung at concerts in the Athenaeum Hall. The Athenaeum Hall was the place, the Red Cross remind us today, where all the work went on. In fact, it spilled over into the shire offices next door, where the mayor essentially vacated the premises for the greater good. This local history that we are seeing with the Centenary of Anzac is very important. The local history with the Red Cross is a very good illustration that a century ago the entire nation mobilised.

Of course, there was an international tradition to this, but there is a particularly Australian part as well that I do want to dwell on a bit this morning. In the Yarra Valley—you can imagine, Mr Deputy Speaker, because your electorate would be much the same—the women volunteering at the Red Cross 100 years ago were not leaving households during the day while their husbands were at work to volunteer at the Red Cross. They were running farms. They were responsible for so much while those nearly 400,000 men were away, first at Gallipoli and then on the Western Front. It was a phenomenal contribution.

Of course the contribution in our Allied countries was just as great. For a young nation just federated, there was something different and special—they felt very much part of the new nation. That was reflected in the fact that from 1902 women had the vote in Australia—ahead of the United Kingdom and ahead of the United States. They were voting before the war and all the way through the war. It is part of that egalitarianism and democratic tradition where we were ahead of some of the older democracies.

In the case of Melba, her contribution went on beyond the war years. As I said, she had concerts in the Athenaeum Theatre, and together with her committee she was a pivotal force behind so much of the fundraising in the Lilydale area. You can just imagine weekends in Lilydale 100 years ago—you would not have been able to go anywhere without seeing the Red Cross and the great work that they did. While Melba was there ringing the bell to signal the start of the Red Cross in Lilydale 100 years ago, she was literally there at the end of the war ringing the bell declaring the armistice, because she knew someone in military service who had phoned through to her at Coombe Cottage to let her know the armistice had been signed. She went down to the Lilydale main street and grabbed the fire bell and rang it, and that was how she let the people of Lilydale know that the war had ended.

I am pleased to be associated with this motion. It is a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on the local history of the Red Cross.

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

I join with the Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Tanya Plibersek, in congratulating the Australian Red Cross on its 100 years of service to our nation and to humanity. The Australian Red Cross is part of the world's largest humanitarian organisation, which plays a leading role in lending much-needed assistance during periods of conflict and poverty and also during national disasters. The Australian Red Cross works under the banner of the International Red Cross framework but focuses on areas particularly prioritised by our country and also throughout our region. The organisation provides assistance to asylum seekers and refugees in Australia, and through its international network it conducts activities throughout the Pacific region, including working closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There is a strong focus by the Australian branch of the Red Cross on natural disasters and emergencies as they occur throughout our region. There is also a growing focus on tackling social issues common to Australian communities, including social isolation for older and vulnerable people, and assisting young offenders and their families to integrate back into society.

My personal connection with the Red Cross is primarily through the Red Cross Blood Service, which is now supported by more than half a million voluntary donations each year. The Red Cross provides a vital service in many areas of the health industry including, obviously, blood transfusions, as well as organ and tissue donation, tissue typing for transplantations, research into blood and blood products, and donor and product safety. I would like to use this opportunity to encourage all Australians to consider donating blood. Regrettably, one in three Australians will need blood at some point in their lives. In stark contrast, only one in 30 Australians donate blood. A single blood donation, whilst it might take a half an hour of your time, has the potential to save up to three lives. Donating blood is a great way of giving back to the community—after all, it is impossible to predict when we or those close to us may need someone's assistance through a blood donation. The role Red Cross plays in encouraging and facilitating vital blood donations is exceptional and deserving of the highest praise.

Red Cross is part of the fabric of Australian life. So many Australians have been impacted through the assistance of the Red Cross, be it in cases of emergency or through lifesaving first aid, blood donations or a simple phone call checking on the wellbeing of elderly citizens. Red Cross provides vital services to all Australians.

It therefore comes as a great surprise to me that this government has recently informed the Red Cross that it will no longer be receiving the $5 million general purpose grant this year. Red Cross has traditionally enjoyed undisputed bipartisan political support and has received the general purpose grant every year since 2006. Scrapping the grant will greatly impair the ability of Red Cross to provide vital services. It has already been forced to scrap some programs since 30 June this year. This funding cut will inevitably affect other programs and diminish the ability of Red Cross to provide support for hardworking staff and, most importantly, the volunteers.

It is particularly disappointing that the cut comes during the 100th anniversary of Red Cross, when we should all collectively be not only celebrating but recognising and praising the achievements of this great and important organisation and what it has done over the last century. I praise the efforts of the tens of thousands of staff and volunteers working around the world, including the many aligned with Red Cross here in Australia. They work incredibly hard with the joint aim of alleviating human suffering in various circumstances. I also encourage the government on this occasion to reassess its position on supporting Red Cross and reinstate the funding under the general purpose grant.

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

I rise to support this motion on the Red Cross. This organisation is fantastic and has great bipartisan support. I say to the member for Fowler that I know secretly he would have been behind the scenes opposing the waste of $667 billion of taxpayers' money putting us into debt. There would be plenty of money for every organisation. It is just that we cannot find on the record where you opposed all that wasteful spending, but please feel free to in the future.

This motion is so important because there is bipartisanship about a great organisation working on humanitarian issues. I congratulate the member for Sydney for putting forward this motion, because it gives me the opportunity to say that 100 years is a significant achievement for any community organisation. Particularly in Australia, Red Cross has had some remarkable achievements and been a remarkable success. Citizens working for the betterment of other human beings is the best model and Red Cross, of course, has been a key humanitarian partner for Australia for the last 100 years.

The Australian aid program has a partnership agreement with the Australian Red Cross. That means that the government is providing $9 million in funding this year to support humanitarian training, disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction activities in disaster prone countries in the region. In addition, we fund the Australian Red Cross to implement development projects throughout the region, such as health services in Afghanistan and water, sanitation and hygiene in Bangladesh and Nepal. During humanitarian crises, Australians regularly channel additional funding to Australian Red Cross to assist vulnerable and disaster affected people. It is a fantastic model that ensures money is well spent by an effective agency like Red Cross.

For example, in response to the floods we saw in the Solomons, Australians provided $250,000 for humanitarian supplies, including tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets, kitchen sets and hygiene kits. In response to Typhoon Haiyan, the ARC provided more than one million people with food, water, household items and emergency shelter material, assisting 75,000 families with cash grants and immediate needs and supplying 41 emergency workers. When you think about the success and the generosity of Australians there, it is an amazing record of achievement. The Australian Red Cross is also the managing partner of the Australian Volunteers for International Development program. This program places Australians overseas to share skills and build relationships.

It is important to note today that the network of one million volunteers, members, staff, donors, blood donors, aid workers and supporters over the years has made this organisation into what it is. When I reflect on the 100 years of achievement, I think about all of the local branches across the country which we have heard about from so many members today. I would add the Red Cross branch of Castle Hill.

It is also the centenary of Red Cross at Kellyville-Rouse Hill, with the Kellyville-Rouse Hill Red Cross branch being formed on the same day—13 August 1914—as the British Red Cross Society was formed. It was amazing, in an era when they did not have internet, emails, texts or mobile phones, that they managed to form on the same day—and something of minor miracle—with most meetings occurring in the schoolroom of the home of the Rouse family, which is today is known as Rouse Hill House and Farm.

I really want to commend my local branches, particularly the Kellyville-Rouse Hill branch, for their commitment to serving humanity. The Castle Hill Red Cross branch is the largest fundraising branch, I am told, in New South Wales and perhaps Australia. It was formed at the beginning of September 1914. At its first meeting at St Paul's Church it raised 10 pounds and 18 shillings and promptly arranged to kit out six soldiers' bags and one hospital bag.

The generosity of our community continues to this day. The Castle Hill branch has often raised the most money in Australia during Red Cross Calling and other appeals. I want to acknowledge the generosity of the people in the suburbs of Mitchell, who often appear at the top of the charitable donor lists in all kinds of charities, not because we are an extremely wealthy community—we do not have the wealth and privilege of the North Shore or the eastern suburbs—but because we have people who are very dedicated to serving other people. I really acknowledge the generosity of my community for consistently being at the top of so many charitable giving lists. It is a great culmination of community spirit.

I want to congratulate, in particular, Mrs Jean Swayne and all of the men and women of the Castle Hill branch, and our long-term committee members such as former president Ann Coupland, who have ensured that this branch's dedication to serving humanity is continuing a century later. When I visit these branches today, that same dedication that was there 100 years ago is still there today; that same concern for common humanity, for decency, is still the driving principle. For an organisation to be able to sustain its principles—not just from 100 years ago, but to sustain it over the course of that 100 years—and to be capable of modernising and presenting to a world the same values but in a new, current, contemporary format is a real and significant achievement. We ought to thank everyone who has been involved in Red Cross, not just in Australia but in the world, and particularly all those generous people who have given so much.

Debate adjourned.