Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the progress of Operation Bring Them Home.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bowman for his question. I can report to the House that there has been significant progress in identifying the remains of those who were killed when Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on 17 July. Among the innocent victims were 38 Australian citizens and residents.

The Dutch government, which is leading the efforts to identify the remains, pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2166, have advised that 183 of the 298 passengers and crew onboard have now been identified. There has also been progress in terms of DNA testing; however, it will be some time before that process is complete. The whole process of body identification will take weeks if not months to complete. To protect the privacy of our families, I will not go into details of the Australian citizens and residents, other than to confirm that a significant number have been identified to date.

From the start of this tragedy it has been—and it continues to be—a team effort; in our response to the loss, suffering, grief and anguish suffered by the families and friends of those who died. I pay tribute to the work of many dedicated and quite extraordinary Australians who have worked tirelessly to retrieve the remains, investigate the crash and liaise with family members—people like former CDF General Angus Huston, our ambassador in Warsaw Jean Dunn, and AFP Commander Steve Lancaster—all provided the necessary leadership.

Over my 10 days in the Netherlands and Ukraine, after the downing of MH17, I met many of the 500 Australian officials that we sent overseas, including people from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from the AFP, from Defence, and from the Air Transport Safety Bureau. From the moment we heard the news, Australian officials have been working as consular officials, and our staff continue to provide assistance, comfort and support to the families.

I will never forget travelling to Kharkov, where the train from the crash site carrying the remains of the victims was stationed. I met a number of Australian officials who were carrying out the grisly but necessary task of body identification. They were determined to remain there until their task was completed. We were then able to transport the remains by Australian aircraft to Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands where the body identification work is taking place.

I can assure the House that the government will do all we can to support our families at this tragic time. This Thursday I will meet Dutch Foreign Minister Timmermans at NATO. I will also be meeting with President Poroshenko and Foreign Minister Klimkin, who provided so much support to us as we completed our mission to bring our people home. We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that this horrific act is investigated and that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek on behalf of the opposition to associate ourselves with the remarks of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Again, we too acknowledge the work of the Netherlands government. The foreign minister has mentioned Jean Dunn, Steve Lancaster and Angus Houston. We are greatly appreciative of the work of the consular staff and the people in Australia who have been liaising with the families coming to grips with this incredible trauma. When speaking to families, some of them made the point that they are very grateful to live in Australia, because they are not sure that any other country in the world would have had the same compassion as this government has had and the same efficiency, professionalism and compassion of our staff. The manner in which this has been conducted has made me proud to be Australian, and I congratulate the government.