Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Minchin, I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

welcomes the discovery of the missing wreck HMAS Sydney II, 66 years since the tragic battle that lost the ship in 1941 off the coast of Western Australia;

(b)

notes the importance of finding the missing wreck for families and friends of the 645 crew members on board HMAS Sydney when she was lost in fierce engagement with the German raider Kormoran;

(c)

congratulates the search team for the discovery of HMAS Sydney’s resting place;

(d)

notes the Coalition’s strong support for efforts to find the wreck, including $4.2 million in funding under the Howard Government;

(e)

calls on the Government to move quickly to proclaim HMAS Sydney an official war grave to ensure that she and her crew are protected; and

(f)

further calls on the Government to recognise the needs of the families and friends of the victims by ensuring a memorial service is held as soon as possible.

Question agreed to.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I ask that it be recorded that the government opposed that motion.

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

by leave—I ask that the support of the Greens for that motion be recorded.

John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That will be noted.