Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

As the leader of the Nationals in this place, I also rise to support the condolence motion on the deaths that occurred on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. This government has been significantly involved in helping Australians with their grief. We declared Thursday, 7 August 2014 to be a national day of mourning to honour the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. On that day, flags on all government buildings, both here and overseas, were flown at half-mast in respect for the loss. A national memorial service took place at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, on 7 August to honour all those who lost their lives and to seek to support those who had been bereaved. The Governor-General, the presiding officers of parliament, members of cabinet, representatives of the federal opposition, members of the diplomatic corps and members of the public signed the Commonwealth of Australia condolence book in support and sympathy for the families of those tragically killed on flight MH17. There were 298 innocent people on that aircraft. As the Prime Minister said, their deaths offend our sense of justice. We think especially of the Australian families and friends of the 38 men, women and children who called Australia home. There are still so many questions with answers that, at this stage, no-one appears able to give.

As a senator from the Northern Territory, I can tell you that there is a lot of grief, particularly for one of our young teachers in an Indigenous school. At the recent Garma festival she was remembered. I say now, as I said then, I would like to acknowledge and share everyone's sadness at the death of Emma Bell, the homelands teacher at Maningrida College, who perished on flight MH17. I would particularly like to thank and acknowledge the honouring of her by the Maningrida people with a skin name, for adopting her into a Maningrida family and particularly for the smoking ceremony that helped her family and friends grieve her passing. I thank you for that. I know Emma wanted a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and I would like to acknowledge her important work in that area.

There are many ways of grieving across this country, but we all join as one, just as the parliament is doing here today, to console each other and those directly affected by this tragedy. Australia contributed significantly to a Dutch-led multinational police mission to the crash site of MH17. There was much danger and great risk involved before the team had to pull out. I add my acknowledgements to those of the leader of the Greens in acknowledging the particular circumstances under which that work was conducted.

Australia was there when needed with courage and determination to recover our own. More than 100 Australian officials from various agencies were deployed to Ukraine and the Netherlands to support Operation Bring Them Home. The Prime Minister's special envoy, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, was there as was our Governor-General, his Excellency General the Hon. Sir Peter Cosgrove, who was present for the arrival of both the Dutch and the Australian aircraft bringing the remains of our lost country men, women and children to the Netherlands.

The crash of flight MH17 was a crash through decency and humanity. It was a crash of cowardice and hate. But it was no accident that consumed the lives of children and other civilians. It was murder. It was the murder of 298 innocent people. It was a murder that shocked a world that appears to be hardened to recent atrocities. On behalf of the National Party, I pass my condolences on to those affected by this tragic and unnecessary loss of life.