Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate:

(a)

records its deep regret at the tragic loss of life and serious injuries that resulted from the aircraft accident in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on 7 March 2007;

(b)

notes that amongst the killed and injured were Australians serving their nation, working for the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Defence Forces, the Department of Foreign Affairs, AusAID and as journalists; and

(c)

expresses its sincere condolences, together with all Australians, to the families and loved ones of the five Australians and others who died and wishes those injured an early recovery.

It is with heartfelt sadness that I rise on behalf of the government to offer sincere condolences to the families of those five Australians killed in the Garuda flight crash in Indonesia. I also extend on behalf of the government and all senators best wishes to those injured and those recovering from their injuries.

The five Australians who died in this terrible accident were the journalist for the Australian Financial Review, Morgan Mellish; Elizabeth O’Neill from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, serving as the public affairs officer and information officer of the Australian embassy in Jakarta; AFP officers Mark Scott and Brice Steele, who were posted at the embassy; and Allison Sudradjat, the head of AusAID in Indonesia. These individuals were all serving the Australian people in some capacity or other and all are remembered for their professionalism and their commitment to their work.

Four of the victims were associated with our embassy in Jakarta and our sympathy is extended particularly to the other embassy staff at their time of grief. That embassy has endured an enormous amount over the past few years, including the two Bali bombings and the embassy itself being bombed in 2004. The embassy’s resilience under such tragic circumstances should make every Australian proud.

The professionalism and dedication of these Australian victims was noted by Indonesian President Yudhoyono, in a letter to our Prime Minister, in the days following the tragedy. Their significant contributions to bilateral relations between our two countries were commended by the President of Indonesia. Their loss leaves an enormous gap in the lives of their loved ones and at our embassy in Jakarta.

I note that Morgan Mellish was known to many of us. Indeed, he interviewed me on several occasions. His death reminds us of the dangers that professional journalists face in serving the cause of informing the Australian public of domestic and international events. Theirs is a more dangerous profession than most, and we respect them for their often selfless dedication to their important role in our democracy. My own brother, Will Minchin, was a very close friend of Morgan for some 18 years since they met when studying and residing together here in Canberra at the ANU. So Morgan’s death has also affected my own family.

Many people here in Canberra have been saddened by the loss of their work colleagues and friends. We acknowledge the professionalism and courage of those who had terrible jobs to do in the aftermath of the tragedy, particularly when they had also lost friends and colleagues. I want to record my particular sympathies for my good friend and ministerial colleague Alexander Downer, for whom this must have been a heartbreaking occasion.

We also remember the many Indonesians who lost their lives in this tragic accident and we convey our sympathies to their families. On behalf of the government I extend our sincere gratitude to the Indonesian authorities for their cooperation and assistance in these difficult circumstances. Their response is greatly appreciated by the Australian government. In conclusion, I again convey our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Our thoughts are with their families, friends and work colleagues at this tragic time.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Labor opposition I seek to support Senator Minchin’s condolence motion. I find myself in the position of having to do far too many of these condolence motions in recent times. The crash of Garuda flight 200 at Yogyakarta airport on 7 March is another occasion for which the parliament has to express condolence, to the family and friends of the 21 people killed. Among those 21 people were five Australians but our concern and condolences go out to all of those affected.

In addition to the five Australians who were killed, others survived the crash but many are seriously injured and we wish them full recoveries and hope that they get over what have been, in many cases, quite horrific injuries. I would like to extend condolences to the families and loved ones of the five Australians killed in the terrible accident.

It is a tragedy that has hit the Parliament House community very hard. Outsiders who watch question time would be hard pressed to see that there is a community in Parliament House. The cut and thrust of question time leaves people with the impression that there is not a sense of personal relationships around the building but politicians, staff of the parliament and journalists all work in the building and all interact. Those who were lost in this tragedy were known to many of the inhabitants of Parliament House.

We also extend our sympathies to the embassy staff, Defence and the AFP, who interact closely with us and interacted closely with those who lost their lives. I would like to support Senator Minchin’s remarks about the Indonesian embassy. The staff of that embassy have been through an awful lot in recent times. They have continued to serve Australia with distinction and show a resilience that is quite remarkable. Certainly I extend our congratulations for that effort. But our sympathy for having to survive yet another tragedy is extended to all of them.

Morgan Mellish, as Senator Minchin said, was a Fairfax journalist based in Indonesia but well known in the press gallery here. He was obviously well loved and well respected. I know that the parliamentary press gallery has been particularly hard hit by the loss of Morgan. Laura Tingle’s tribute to her colleagues on television was an extraordinarily moving statement and I think it captured the shock and grief of not only the parliamentary press gallery but also the whole parliamentary community.

Elizabeth O’Neill was the counsellor for public affairs at the Australian embassy in Jakarta and distinguished herself during the response to the Bali bombings in 2002. She became well known to many in government and in the parliament. She was very highly regarded. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her work at that time. I know that her passing is mourned by many.

Two officers of the Australian Federal Police were also killed, highlighting again the dangerous nature of the work that the AFP does on our behalf. They were Federal Agent Mark Scott and Federal Agent Brice Steele. I note that AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty recognised and paid tribute to the exemplary service of agents Steele and Scott when they served both here and overseas. As parliamentarians we rely on AFP officers when we travel internationally. We get to know them and understand their commitment and professionalism. Our condolences go out to all AFP officers and the families and friends of those who lost their lives.

Allison Sudradjat was AusAID’s most senior official in Indonesia and led Australia’s aid program there. She was dedicated to her work and had an extraordinary record of achievement throughout her service in Indonesia and PNG. The outpouring of grief and respect both in Indonesia and Australia I think was a tribute to the regard in which she was held. All five of the Australians were killed whilst in some way serving the Australian community, so I think that the parliament and the Australian community owe them a great debt. They lost their lives as part of their contribution to our community. Once again, I extend our condolences to their families.

I think Minister Downer’s obvious distress in that terrible situation—and his knowledge of the people and his closeness to a number of them—reflected the reaction of all members of parliament. I offer him our sympathies given that it was obviously a terrible situation with which he had to deal.

I also think it is important that we remember the many other people who were killed in the terrible accident and send our condolences and sincere wishes to their families. Indonesia has had more than its fair share of tragedy in recent years, with terrorist attacks, the tsunami and a whole range of other events. We send our condolences to all of those affected in Indonesia.

I am also conscious of the other Australians who survived the disaster and who are recovering from their injuries. In particular, best wishes to Cynthia Banham, who I know is fondly regarded by the parliamentary community and whose battle with her very serious injuries is followed closely by many of us. We wish her a strong and successful recovery from what has been a terrible ordeal.

We also want to acknowledge the work of the many Australian personnel who have been involved in responding to the tragedy—Defence Force personnel, AFP personnel, medical people back in Australia and federal public servants as well. They have all contributed to making the best of this terrible situation.

As I said, we have been called upon to move condolence motions in this place far too often of late. It is a sad reflection, perhaps, of our times. But this was obviously just one of those terrible accidents. I would like to reiterate our concern for the families and friends, offer our condolences and hope that those who have been injured make a quick and speedy recovery.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join the Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in speaking on the condolence motion for those who were killed on 7 March. On Wednesday, 7 March, Australia lost five remarkable people in an air crash at Yogyakarta airport. All had been serving their country at the time of the crash.

The five Australians included two Australian Federal Police officers, Mark Scott and Brice Steele. They were dedicated, skilled and highly respected police officers. Brice Steele was one of Australia’s leading counterterrorism experts and headed the AFP office in Jakarta. He was fluent in several Chinese dialects and was an expert on the Indonesian extremist group Jemaah Islamiah. He was one of the youngest agents ever promoted to the AFP’s executive service. He was on his way to a terrorism conference to be chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, when the plane crash occurred. Brice Steele is survived by his wife, Kellie, who is also a member of the Australian Federal Police.

Mark Scott was a decorated federal agent. He was the leader of the regional engagement team in Indonesia and was working closely with the Indonesian national police on counterterrorism. Mark Scott was also on his way to the terrorism conference. Mark Scott had worked for community police stations at Tuggeranong and Woden here in Canberra and was well known throughout the service. Mark leaves behind his wife, Sally, and three children. Both officers had dedicated much of their careers to working offshore and were passionate about protecting Australia as well as our neighbouring countries.

Allison Sudradjat was a mother, humanitarian, aid worker and diplomat who worked for AusAID leading Australia’s Indonesian aid program. She was one of Australia’s most capable and dedicated aid workers. She was indispensable in directing Australia’s $1 billion tsunami aid effort. She was on her way to Yogyakarta as part of the official Australian government party when the plane crashed. Allison is survived by her husband, Ris, and four children, Jamila, Imran, Zaini and Yasmin. Australian diplomat Elizabeth O’Neill leaves behind her nine-month old daughter Lucinda and her husband Wayne Adams. Ms O’Neill was the Australian Embassy’s public face in Indonesia during tragic times. She was awarded an Order of Australia for her work after the first Bali bombings in 2002.

Morgan Mellish was an award-winning journalist with the Australian Financial Review. He was living in Indonesia as a foreign correspondent. We knew him here and respected him. He won a Walkley award in business journalism. He also loved surfing and sailing. He sailed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 1998 when rough seas nearly wiped out the whole race; it killed six people and forced the rescue of 55. He will be missed by his family: sisters Caroline and Lucy Mellish, parents Peter and Dawn Mellish, and his partner Nila Tanzil.

Each of these five brought gifts from Australia to the world in aid, in communication and in international policing. Each left our shores voluntarily to make these gifts, to personally be the gift. Involuntarily they returned. We think of the pain in the hearts of their families and friends throughout the world. We wish there were words of comfort when there are no words for the death of the young and the brave. Australia is proud of them. All had in common a reaching out to others, a refusal to sit at home and do nothing. Each had a professional job to do that pivoted on being Australian in a challenging world. They went out, willing and talented; they came home too early, under our flag. On behalf of The Nationals I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the families and friends of these five Australians. I also would like to extend my sympathies to the families of the other 17 people who lost their lives in this air crash.

Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to 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.

Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of Family First, I support this condolence motion. The most precious people in our lives are our families, and Family First extends its deepest condolences to the families of the five Australians killed in the airline crash in Yogyakarta on 7 March. Our thoughts are especially with Liz O’Neill’s husband, Wayne Adams, and his baby daughter, Lucinda; Agent Mark Scott’s wife, Sally, and the couple’s three children, James, Stephanie and Emily; Agent Brice Steele’s wife, Kellie; the parents of Morgan Mellish, Dawn and Peter, and Morgan’s sisters, Caroline and Lucy; and Allison Sudradjat’s husband, Ris, and their children Jamila, Imran, Zaini and Yasmin. There are no ties that bind as strongly as family ties and it is these people—the husbands, wives, children, parents and siblings—who grieve the most and whom we think of today.

Senators are regular air travellers. Some of us hop on and off planes the way many people hop on and off a train or a bus. It is part of the job. But I am sure that I and other senators since the tragedy have sat on a plane thinking of our own families and our loved ones and the remote possibility that we may not see them again. After all, despite the increased risk of flying in Indonesia, I have no doubt that everyone who boarded that plane fully expected to make it safely to Yogyakarta. Even though there is the possibility of an accident, it is always a terrible shock when it happens.

These five Australians were serving their country when they died. Whether in the Australian Federal Police, in the government’s foreign agencies or as a journalist, they were all making an important contribution to our country’s work in that part of the world. They all loved their jobs and considered their work a calling.

We also should not forget the many Indonesians and people from other countries who lost their lives. Importantly, we send our best wishes to Cynthia Banham, one of our press gallery journalists here, who was terribly injured in the crash and is lucky to survive. Cynthia is facing a very difficult struggle of a long recovery period somewhere over a year, and she needs our prayers and support.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, on behalf of the Australian Greens, join the other parties and the Leader of the Government in the Senate in this motion following the air crash in Indonesia. I particularly send condolences and sympathy, with my colleagues, to the relatives and loved ones of the 21 people who died in the crash, five of whom were Australians. My fellow senators have mentioned them but I will do that again.

Liz O’Neill: what a remarkable, loving and caring woman she was. What a lovely Australian, who so much had her heart in helping people who were distressed themselves. Because of her vocation in helping people, ultimately her life has been shortened. But what a great contribution she has made to making this planet just a bit happier for people who have been touched by the love that came out of her life.

Allison Sudradjat worked with AusAID and saw awful events but again had a loving and caring heart. She has left people behind who will be grieved forever by the fact that she is not around to continue that love. But what a remarkable life. If only all of us on the planet shared her view on life it would be a much more wonderful world to live in.

Morgan Mellish had a love of life itself. He was a tenacious journalist who enjoyed the surf as well as the pen. He won a Walkley award and he had much more to contribute to this nation. We can only be grateful for the journalistic contribution he has made to this country in the wonderful life he led, which was cut down by this air crash.

The Federal Police officers and agents, Brice Steele and Mark Scott, both of whom leave families, went beyond the borders of this country with their expertise and skill to reduce suffering overseas as well as in this country and because of that have left people who will be anguished and suffering for a long time to come. We salute their skills, we salute their courage and we salute the great contribution they have made to this nation.

I join others in extending the enormous power of thought to Cynthia Banham and Roger Tallboys. And we will not forget those who aided Cynthia in her extraordinarily courageous escape from the plane. But she has been grievously injured. We wish her well and look forward to seeing her again. The road will be long and hard but she has got that phenomenal spirit that Michael Harvey talks about. Our spirit joins that strength of hers in wishing her a full recovery back into the community and a long and rewarding life ahead. We wish Roger Tallboys, who was also suddenly caught up in this crash, a quick recovery and return to the country, and wish for his family that their best expectations will be fulfilled. We wish the same for the 60 Indonesians who are recovering from injuries following this crash, and of course our thoughts are with the families of those 16 Indonesians who have not got their loved ones back home.

It was a terrible, frightening and awful event. As others have said, we see too many of these accidents. Insofar as our best wishes and condolences go to all those affected, let them be as effective and as heart-warming as we can make them.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.