Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I deeply regret to inform the House that there was a vicious attack in Bangkok last night. A bomber or bombers struck near the Erawan Shrine, which is a popular tourist location. The attack was clearly aimed at innocent people. While full details are yet to be entirely known, we do know that at least 20 people have been killed and at least 125 have been injured. This is yet another attack on innocent people going about their daily lives.

I can inform the House that our embassy in Bangkok remains in close contact with the Thai authorities to determine whether any Australians have been involved in this atrocity. So far, we have no information to indicate that there are any Australians among the dead or injured. I can further inform the House that the Australian Federal Police have offered their Thai counterparts technical assistance. Other security agencies have also offered support to their Thai counterparts.

Some 900,000 Australians travel to Thailand every year. Thailand is a friendly neighbour. Millions of Australians have happy memories of trips to Thailand. Australians should continue to go to Thailand, because the object of the sorts of people who let off bombs in crowded cities is to scare us from being ourselves. We should never be cowed or intimidated by that. Nevertheless, Australians overseas should remain vigilant, they should monitor the Smartraveller website and they should exercise an appropriate degree of caution.

In these sad circumstances, we are honoured to be joined today in the chamber by the Thai ambassador. I welcome His Excellency to the chamber today.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

All Australians are very, very sad. We abhor this atrocity and we extend our sympathies and our condolences to the government and the people of Thailand.

Let me finish on this note: attacks such as this only strengthen the resolve of the government and the people of Australia—the people and the parliament of Australia—to do whatever we can to counter extremism and to combat terrorism.

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

There is of course much that we still do not know about the terrible events in Bangkok that the Prime Minister has reported on. The perpetrators have not claimed responsibility and motivations are unclear. Even the death toll—currently at 20 or 21—is yet to be confirmed as final.

What we do know is that it is an act of murder aimed at the innocent. What we do know, as a nation of travellers who have long loved to visit our friends and neighbours in Thailand, is that Australians could easily have been amongst those killed. Australians are a very adventurous people. There is no part of the world that Australians will not travel to. We trust in the world because of our own optimism. There are few places more well travelled by Australians than Thailand, so this event is not just in a far-flung part of the world, but because of the personal experiences of many Australian families it seems closer perhaps than some of the other news we hear in the world.

On behalf of the opposition I offer our condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured. As the Prime Minister has said, our thoughts are with the government and the people of Thailand and all nations who have citizens affected by this senseless act of violence. At the very least, we know this is a crime of hatred designed to provoke fear, and as a nation and as a proud member of the international community we say with one voice: you will not go unchallenged or unpunished, and we will not change who we are because of this.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Your Excellency, this parliament and this nation's thoughts are with the people of Thailand today.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!