Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, as flagged with you, and also with the Leader of the Opposition, and, as the minister representing the Minister for Defence has already advised the House, two hours ago a vehicle was found with a man's body inside. That man has not been formally identified. This occurred near Hidden Valley Lane at the intersection with Cattai Ridge Road at Glenorie. This car was trapped in floodwaters and a crime scene has been established.

I note here that his body has not been formally identified at this point. Somewhere right now, teams of New South Wales police officers are undergoing the rather grisly task of identifying that man's body. It's a job my father used to do when he was a policeman. This is in the same area that he used to take me camping every Easter with my brother, and now this is a crime scene. After that occurs, those police will knock on the door of a family, probably in north-western Sydney, and they will break the horrible news about what has happened to one of their loved ones. This is a terribly sad day for that family. We have seen so much over the course of the past year and more as this country has battled so many things: floods, fires, viruses, drought and now these floods again. And now this family will get this news and they will grieve.

Around them the activity will occur as the floodwaters recede and the clean-up begins, but their house will be dark and their grief will be great because their loss will not recede. I extend, on behalf of the House, our deepest condolences to that family. I thank those New South Wales police who are doing that grisly task today, and for every single time they've had to do this. You do a great service, a job that I wish didn't have to be done. But they know it has to be done, so they pull on that uniform and they go and do it every day—great Australians—and then the team that will go and comfort that family and put their arms around them, and the support that will come from friends and neighbours and those in the community, perhaps church groups or perhaps not. I pray a blessing on their family.

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

The Leader of the Opposition on indulgence.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join with the Prime Minister in expressing my regret, on behalf of the Australian Labor Party, for this tragic loss of life. I join with the Prime Minister also in thanking the police and emergency service workers undertaking this difficult task and the tasks to come. A family has lost a loved one. There's no doubt that, although the person has not been identified, his friends—his community—will be feeling this loss very soon. On behalf of this side of the House I join with the Prime Minister in expressing our condolence to all who've lost a loved one in this tragedy and to remind people, as the minister did earlier in question time today: don't take risks. Water and cars don't mix at a difficult time like this. It is better to be delayed, to be inconvenienced, than for any risk to be taken. It's quite extraordinary that with such a significant weather event there hasn't been more loss of life, frankly, and that is a credit to the way the community has responded and to the people on the ground, be they permanent workers such as police and emergency service workers or those magnificent volunteers in the SES, who put their own lives at risk in order to help others. We thank them.

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

I encourage members, if they're able to, to stay just for a second. I'm going to give the call to the Chief Opposition Whip and member for Fowler.