Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of my Australian Democrats colleagues, I support this motion and extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the five Australians killed in the plane crash on 7 March when a Garuda 737-400 plane overshot the runway at Yogyakarta by 100 metres, smashing into a high concrete median strip and coming to land in a rice paddy, where it burst into flames.

This is a terrible tragedy and an enormous loss to our country. Brice Steele, an Australian Federal Police commander, and Mark Scott, also an AFP counterterrorism officer, were killed serving their country. Allison Sudradjat, our AusAID chief in Indonesia, was described by AusAID’s global programs deputy director as one of the most dedicated people she had ever met. Liz O’Neill, our Jakarta embassy spokesperson, was known to many members of parliament, my colleagues included, and she is widely and rightly praised for her grasp of the issues there and her professionalism in public affairs. I know that she was a great help to one of my colleagues, Senator Stott Despoja, who had the pleasure of spending time with her and was assisted by her recently.

Morgan Mellish, award-winning Australian Financial Review journalist, was based in Jakarta and covering Mr Downer’s Indonesian visit for a conference on terrorism. On the day of his death, an article by Morgan Mellish was published. He wrote:

Many Australians remain worried about travelling to the world’s most populous Muslim nation—and there’s no doubt extremists are still at large and planning havoc—but in Jakarta this week, politicians and experts have felt free to at least contemplate the possibility of a more peaceful future.

I think we can take heart from those words of his.

Our hearts also go out to the two Australians who were injured in the crash. They have come through an horrific experience. Roger Tallboys is, we understand, improving in a Singapore hospital. He is out of intensive care and reported to be progressing well after surgery. Cynthia Banham is a fine journalist who most people in this place will know. She is with the Sydney Morning Herald. With enormous strength and determination, she pulled herself clear of the burning wreckage and is still fighting for her life in the burns unit in the Royal Perth Hospital. As her partner, Michael Harvey, who we also know very well, said, her fitness and strength will play a big part in her ability to survive. We are thinking of you, Cynthia, and we hope that you will pull through.

Twenty-one people altogether were killed, and we extend our sympathies to their families. Miraculously, 119 people survived the crash, exiting the plane while it was being engulfed in flames. Sixty-two people were treated in local hospitals for injuries. This tragedy draws attention to the importance of air safety and the dangerous circumstances which journalists and those men and women of the diplomatic and police services face by virtue of their travel in difficult circumstances. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the Indonesians in recovering the remains. I hope that the inquiry into what happened in that crash discovers the cause and that such accidents can be avoided in the future.