Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice. Will the minister update the House on the role of the Australian Federal Police in Operation Bring them Home?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Barker for that question. I am pleased to be able to provide an update to the House on the government's response to the MH17 disaster and particularly the role played by the Australian Federal Police.

A total of 202 AFP personnel were deployed to the Ukraine and the Netherlands under Operation Bring Them Home. The first deployment of 23 Australian officials included 10 AFP personnel and they arrived in Europe on 21 July. This included a forward commander, a disaster victim identification specialist, a chief scientists and intelligence and investigation personnel. The AFP's deployment was supported by round-the-clock command and control in Canberra and overseas and family liaison officers were placed in Canberra, Kiev and the Hague. The AFP conducted searches of the wreckage site five times. The work of the disaster identification team has allowed the first victims to be returned to Australia, and I attended the ceremony of the first coming home of the three Victorians last week.

More than 50 AFP personnel remain in the Netherlands and the Ukraine in support of the ongoing disaster victim identification and the criminal investigation into the murder of 298 innocent people. The Prime Minister's announcement yesterday of an interim embassy in the Ukraine will provide the support the AFP needs to continue this significant work. I can inform the House that the rest of the AFP contingent who were in Europe have now returned to Australia.

The criminal investigation is underway and the Australian Federal Police is working with investigators from the Netherlands, the Ukraine, Belgium and Malaysia and providing investigators, forensic experts and intelligence analyst to identify and bring to justice those involved in the downing of MH17. As everyone will appreciate, this is a large and complex investigation. It is going to take us some time to achieve any outcome, but we will not let the murder of innocent Australians go unanswered.

I am sure the entire Australian community appreciates the taxing and harrowing work that has been done by many across the Australian government, but in particular by the AFP, in investigating this tragedy and working to bring home the Australians who have perished. I thank and commend the officers involved both here at home in Australia and overseas for their tireless work on this mission. I particularly extend my personal thanks to Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus for his superb leadership during Operation Bring Them Home. As many in this chamber will be aware, this is his last week as commissioner. He has served as commissioner for five years, after a 32-year career in the Australian Federal Police. I am sure that all will join me in extending our thanks for his very successful service to Australia.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!