Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

That is correct, Senator O’Brien: they are not here. But let me remind the chamber of what they said then. Senator Macdonald said:

I do not think we need the inquiry, but perhaps if they—

referring to matters that have been raised by me—

are not properly addressed in the future this is something that could well be considered.

I say to Senator Macdonald: now is the time. Now is the time that we need to consider what we should do. These matters have not been properly addressed, and the conduct of this inquiry is something that could well be considered. I invite him to stand up for the people of North Queensland and to come and sit with us when the vote is taken. Senator Joyce said:

Currently there is no evidence of a failure of the aviation safety regime, despite claims by some, and there is no clear public interest justification at this stage for an inquiry.

I did not agree with him then, but I certainly do not agree with him now. I believe that there is evidence of failure of the aviation safety regime. That is proved by the EVU and the fact that CASA has known since November 2001 that we have had a problem with this airline. There is a failing in the regulation of air safety now, and I also invite Senator Joyce to sit with us, to vote up this inquiry.

I think the final word in this discussion should go to Mr Shane Urquhart. Mr Urquhart’s daughter, Constable Sally Urquhart, was killed in the disaster, and I quote from last week’s Torres News:

Our main question is: now that the shonky, arrogant and shadowy operations of CASA have been exposed, will the federal government show some accountability to the people of Australia and invoke a Senate inquiry into CASA posthaste? We think that only then will the full story of this whole stinking episode in Australian aviation history be revealed.

I urge government senators to support this reference. It is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do by the 15 families who lost a family member. It is the right thing to do by general aviation more broadly. And it is the right thing to do to restore some of the travelling public’s confidence in our aviation safety. (Time expired)