Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Tuesday, 8 March 2016 marks two years since the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Members will recall that the scheduled flight between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board, including seven people who called Australia home, six of them Australian citizens. It is fitting today that we take time to remember the people on board the flight and those who grieve for them.

For the families and friends of those on board, the last two years have been nothing short of harrowing, intensified by the protracted uncertainty around the circumstances in which the aircraft disappeared. We share the burden of their sorrow.

The Australian government is working systematically and intensively to locate the aircraft, together with our search partners, Malaysia and China. We have utilised the skills of international experts to identify the most likely resting place of the aircraft and are using cutting edge technology to scour the ocean floor. Around 90,000 square kilometres of the seafloor have been searched so far—of a total search area of 120,000 square kilometres.

Through our collective efforts, we hope to locate the aircraft and give some comfort to the families and friends of those on board and help us understand what happened to flight MH370. Regrettably the aircraft may never be found and we may never know what happened.

Members of the House may be aware that a piece of debris, approximately one metre in length, has been found on a beach in Mozambique—a location consistent with drift modelling commissioned by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. This piece of debris will be transferred to Australia for assessment. It is too early to speculate on the origin of the debris at this stage.

I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the work of the crews on the search vessels. These men and women work around the clock to keep the ship moving while highly skilled technicians on board analyse a constant stream of sonar data. They work in often treacherous conditions for weeks at a time, away from their homes and loved ones, to carry out this important mission. I know they have been deeply affected by the tragedy of MH370 and that they are keenly aware of the hope many have invested in them. I thank all those involved for their sustained efforts.

As we search the remaining area, I remain hopeful the aircraft will be found. I assure the family and friends of those on board that their loved ones have not been forgotten and remain in our thoughts. I thank the House. I present a copy of my ministerial statement.

Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We join the government today in marking the second anniversary of the very tragic disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the 239 people on board that fateful flight. We know that each anniversary of such a tragedy brings the ache of loss into sharper focus. The thoughts of Australians are once again with the families and friends of those who have been lost.

We note the most recent development: a piece of debris has been found in Mozambique in a location that leaves open the possibility that it is, indeed, from MH370. We all await the results of assessment of the debris in hope that it will help solve this terrible mystery. Each time something like this occurs it gives hope to the families and friends of those lost that an answer may not be far off. While locating the aircraft will never remove the grief of their loss, it is the not-knowing that makes this tragedy all the more profound.

We join the government in paying tribute to the hard work and dedication of the search teams, who continue to scour the ocean in sometimes the most trying circumstances to help bring the sense of closure to those affected by this tragedy. We thank those involved for their efforts, which we remain hopeful will one day bear fruit.