Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I associate the opposition coalition parties with the remarks made by Senator Wong and the government in sending our most sincere condolences to the people of Turkiye and Syria following yesterday's major earthquake and the events that have unfolded since. When we go to bed at night and tuck our children into bed none of us imagine that the homes we are living in will collapse upon us in the midst of the night. When I spoke with Turkiye's ambassador to Australia earlier today he recounted stories that he is seeing of those in the zone saying they now feel ashamed to go to sleep. There are difficulties: there's not just the human toll with the immediate loss of life—the many thousands who have lost loved ones, to whom we send our love, prayers and best wishes—and the thousands more injured but of course the ongoing humanitarian crisis that follows from a tragedy and disaster like this.

It is of course in these events that we see the best of humanity—rescuers working heroically, the international community responding comprehensively, and disaster and aid workers coming to provide assistance. Even Ukraine, which is fighting for its freedom, is offering to provide support. We acknowledge and thank the government for the support that they have announced and provided. We stand with the government in supporting that and in supporting the Australian Turkish and Australian Syrian communities in this time of concern for all of them.