Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You will forgive us Victorian senators if we have seemed a little distracted this past week. Our minds have understandably been on events back home. As I turn to those events, I am very pleased that my friends Senator Kroger and Senator Ryan are in the chamber with me. Victorians will not soon forget the soaring temperature on Saturday, 7 February 2009. Victorians will not soon forget the incredible wind of that afternoon, a wind that combined with that kiln-like heat to wreak such carnage.

The devastation in my home state of Victoria is of a scale that is hard to comprehend. In terms of loss of life, it exceeds Cyclone Tracy of 1974, Ash Wednesday of 1983 and the Newcastle earthquake of 1989. Indeed, in the past 30 years there have probably been only two tragedies, one natural and one far from natural, that have so gripped the nation and that have seen us all pause in horror. I speak of course of the Thredbo disaster and the Bali bombings. In sheer loss of life, however, the events of the past few days have exceeded them all. In the scale of their physical destruction, these fires are probably only eclipsed by Tracy and Ash Wednesday. This current disaster will too no doubt come to be known over time by its own unique and evocative name.

For most Australians, it will be in these terms and through such comparisons that they relate to and understand the tragedy of this week. The names of the towns will probably be unfamiliar to them. But for those of us in Victoria, these are places we know well. Our comparisons, our points of reference, will be to the places as we knew them. While Victoria might be one of the larger states in population, geographically it is an intimate place.

Kinglake and Marysville are places we have driven through and places where we have holidayed, have met friends, have relatives and have done business. I have my own particular fondness for the north-east of Victoria, having lived for a time on a farm at Ghin Ghin near Yea. Kinglake, Marysville, Flowerdale and Glenburn: that is the neighbourhood. They are towns and localities that Australia is now getting to know better. Each place has suffered horribly.

Yea has been fortunate thus far, and so it has become a haven for the region. I was talking last night to my daughter’s Granny and Pa, who live in Yea. They had just come back from the oval behind the main street, which has become a refugee camp, a tent city. They had just helped to feed 400 people and were heading back this morning for the 5 am breakfast shift. And I have spoken to others who have opened their properties and homes to the displaced. This generous community spirit is in abundance.

Like many of us I have been touching base with friends and family to check that all is well. Some have lost farms and stock. Fortunately, none that I am aware of have lost their homes or lives. But that could change. Given the numbers who have perished, lost homes, businesses, plant or stock, most Victorians will know someone who has suffered loss. Over 180 souls and probably many, many more have perished in more than 20 localities through Victoria.

Beyond the physical destruction this is about the lives lost, the families left behind and the injured and damaged. It is about people like Sam, who was on one of the morning television programs on Monday. Sam did not know where his wife and children were; he did not know how they were—such unimaginable anguish. The next morning, the same program carried an update. The news did not sound good. We should all pray for those in anguish, for those in pain, for those in recovery and for those who grieve. And we should give thanks for those who serve them in hospital and in the emergency services, for those who have risked and continue to risk their lives and for those who bear the burden of caring. We are indeed fortunate to live in a country that has the resources and capacity to mount a defence against disaster, to care and to rebuild. The number of personnel and assets pressed into service in this operation are roughly equivalent to the current Australian Defence Force overseas deployments—such are the logistics of this endeavour.

There will be a time to reflect on and to learn from the climatic, environmental and criminal events that preceded the fires and the civil defence effort that followed. This is not that time. But the Premier of Victoria is to be commended for announcing the establishment of a royal commission. Indeed, this was the only appropriate review in light of the nature and scope of this tragedy. This chamber too should consider if there is any role for its capacity for inquiry. But that is a question for serious and sober discussion on another day.

A speech like this can achieve very little in a practical sense. But in this place we can acknowledge the significance of these awful events. In this place, we can reflect on the magnitude of the tragedy. But, more particularly, this is the place where the nation can both express and give effect to its resolve to help, to care, to learn and to rebuild.

David Feeney (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise as a Victorian senator to make some remarks concerning the terrible events that have wrought such havoc in my state and in particular to support the comments made during yesterday’s condolence debate in response to the catastrophe on Saturday. I remember waking up on Sunday and being shocked and astonished, as was every Victorian and, indeed, every Australian. In particular, I was shocked at the prospect of a death toll that at that time numbered in the order of 40 persons. As we all know far too graphically, that number has now expanded many times. The toll now stands at over 180 persons, and it seems that final toll is on the cusp of becoming very much greater. Of course, that does not take account of the many hundreds of people who are injured and the many hundreds of people who are now homeless.

I begin by extending my deepest sympathies to the families of those who have lost their lives. I fear this will be a very great number of people. They will need our support for a very long time. In that vein, I was very pleased by the Prime Minister’s statement offering the full resources of the federal government to assist them in their hour and indeed their weeks of need. This is on top of the very prompt action taken by the Victorian government in providing immediate and large-scale material and financial assistance.

It is hard to comprehend that such a disaster could happen on a summer afternoon in peaceful Victoria. While most of us in Victoria were going to the beach, watching the cricket or relaxing in the shade, trying to hide from some of the most punishing hot weather Victoria had ever experienced, scores of people were losing their lives in the most terrible way, some of them only an hour’s drive from Melbourne in picturesque country towns like Kinglake, Marysville, Narbethong and Hazelwood. Hundreds more were losing their homes.

As many Victorians have stated in considering these dreadful events, these are well-known towns to Victorians. They are leafy, comfortable, delightful places proximate to Melbourne and are frequented by both their local inhabitants and Melburnians. My own wife, Liberty Sanger, is a native of Wodonga and my in-laws and family live throughout north-eastern Victoria in Wodonga and Wangaratta and thereabouts. I do not think that makes me unusual. I think these are common connections amongst Victorians, and they bring into sharp relief the exact focus, the exact magnitude, of this disaster.

In terms of loss of life, this was the worst peacetime disaster ever to occur on Australian soil. In all of modern Australian history it compares only with the loss of 645 lives on HMAS Sydney in 1941 and the 251 killed in the bombing of Darwin in 1942—both wartime events. If the worst fears of Victoria Police are realised, the toll from this catastrophe may eventually exceed 300. Many of us remember Ash Wednesday and Cyclone Tracy. This event was worse than both put together. After 70 years we have not forgotten the terrible fires on Black Friday in 1939 in which 71 died. This was more than twice as bad, and I am sure these fires will be remembered for at least as long.

On Monday we heard very moving statements from the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Australian Greens and other senators. Three Victorian senators, Senators Conroy, Ronaldson and Fielding, spoke with great emotion about the appalling loss of life and property in our state. Indeed, every Victorian today is in shock and mourning. Everyone who spoke in this House in the condolence motion on Monday rightly paid tribute to the firefighters, police, emergency services workers, doctors and nurses and all the other people who have responded so magnificently to this disaster. In fact, it is true to say that there were more Victorians mobilised to fight those fires on that dreadful Saturday than in any other emergency services operation in Victorian history.

Today I want to be a bit more specific. I want to pay particular tribute to the 60,000 volunteer firefighters and 1,200 paid staff of the Country Fire Authority who have been battling these fires for days without respite and are still doing so. They have been on the front line against these fires, as they are in every fight against bushfires. Although many lives have been lost, many more have been saved by the skill, heroism and dedication of these firefighters. Most of these firefighters live in the communities which have been worst affected by these fires. Indeed, that is why many of them joined the CFA in the first place. Many of them lost their own homes while they were fighting to save other people’s homes. Tragically, some of them have lost family members to the fires. They all deserve our highest praise and our continuing support. So too do those members of the metropolitan fire brigade who have gone out to the affected areas to help their comrades in the CFA. The professional staff of the CFA and the MFB are all members of the United Firefighters Union, a very dedicated and hardworking organisation which has done a great deal to improve the working conditions of professional firefighters. These men and women risk their lives, and sometimes lose their lives, to protect the lives and property of their fellow Victorians. I take this opportunity to thank the UFU for its advocacy on behalf of firefighters and its commitment to improving the effectiveness of our firefighting services.

It is a similar case with the Australian Workers Union, Australia’s oldest union. It was founded in Creswick, Victoria in 1886 as the Australasian Shearers Union. Over the last week more than 600 members of the AWU employed by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, the Department of Primary Industries and Parks Victoria have been working very long shifts to aid the firefighters in protecting homes, farms, public buildings, state forests and national parks and, of course, all of those people who live and work in these affected areas. In addition, many of the 300 AWU members working on the North-South pipeline, which runs through the fire zone, were also diverted to join the struggle against the fires. All too often in reckoning the many contributions in these fights, the contributions of agencies such as the DSE, the firefighters, the rangers and others who work in them are forgotten, and I take this opportunity to make some small contribution towards making sure those agencies receive appropriate recognition.

Like all Victorians, I have been very impressed by the way the whole community has come together to fight the fires and to assist those affected by them. The Victorian Premier, John Brumby, has provided outstanding leadership. Yesterday, Mr Brumby announced the establishment of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, which will be headed by the retiring Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Christine Nixon. I cannot think of a better choice than Commissioner Nixon, a brave commissioner who has won the respect of all Victorians, to head such a vital agency.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister pledged that the national government would assist in every way possible with the long and difficult task of rebuilding the towns devastated by the fires and the towns in North Queensland devastated by the recent floods. He committed an extra $5 million in immediate aid to the people of these communities. He also said that the government’s $6.4 billion social housing fund, which is a part of the economic stimulus and nation building plan currently before the Senate, would be available to the Victorian and Queensland state governments to help meet the housing needs now arising out of the disaster in these affected areas. Victoria will be able to draw on the $1.5 billion it can expect to receive from the social housing fund. In a similar way, Queensland will be able to draw on its $1.3 billion share of those same moneys. Similarly, state governments will be able to use part of the $14.7 billion Building the Education Revolution funds for the repair of schools in disaster affected areas. In addition to all of that, most of the thousands of people affected by the fires in Victoria and by the floods in Queensland will be eligible for the immediate payment of $950, which is part of the government’s $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan, commonly known as the stimulus package, to stimulate demand, keep our economy out of recession and prevent more people from losing their jobs.

I notice that there has been some small, albeit muted, criticism of these announcements on the grounds that, since the government’s package is being opposed in this place by the Liberal and National parties, announcing that Victoria and Queensland will be able to use part of this money for rebuilding houses and schools is somehow improper. It is true that the bills that will create the Nation Building and Jobs Plan have not yet passed the Senate. If they are defeated, the social housing fund and the schools fund will not come into existence, and the Commonwealth will then be forced to find some other mechanism to assist Victorian and Queensland communities to rebuild their homes and their schools, and indeed their lives. Also, if the bills are defeated those thousands of Victorians and Queenslanders affected by the fires and floods will not receive their $950 payment. But does that mean that it is somehow improper for the Prime Minister to announce that some of these funds will be available to the states for disaster reconstruction? I do not believe so. There are plenty of precedents. The former government spent millions of taxpayer dollars on advertising to promote the GST and the Work Choices bills long before the relevant pieces of legislation had passed the parliament. We are not doing that; we are merely making an announcement to assist Victoria and Queensland in planning the reconstruction of their disaster-ravaged states. Decisions on these matters need to be made soon, and it would be irresponsible for the Commonwealth to leave the states and the affected communities dangling in uncertainty about whether they will have access to these critically important moneys.

I will make one further point about the cash payments. The purpose of this part of the stimulus package is to put money into the hands of people who will, and who need to, spend it quickly, thus helping to maintain demand in the economy, which in turn maintains employment. Some of those opposite may not accept that linkage but this is the advice the government has from every major economist, not least of them the IMF, and it would be irresponsible of us not to act on that advice. I ask: who better to receive these moneys than the thousands of people in Victoria who have lost most if not all of their property—their homes, their cars, their furniture, their clothes, their bedding? These people urgently need to buy new household goods, and these grants, on top of the other forms of emergency aid already announced, will enable them to do so. It seems very logical to me that, if on the one hand we need to stimulate demand, as every economist is recommending, and on the other hand we need to transfer money quickly to individuals affected by the fires and floods so that they can rebuild their lives, we should do both simultaneously, thus achieving both our economic and our humanitarian objectives. I do not know what alternative is being proposed, apart from endless debate in this place. In this connection let me quote Olivier Blanchard, chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, who said late last week:

… commit to do whatever it will take to avoid a Depression … adopt clear policies and act decisively. Do too much rather than too little. Delays in financial packages have cost a lot already. Further rounds of debate will stoke uncertainty and make things worse.

That advice was given in relation to the urgent need to enact stimulus packages to prevent Western economies from sliding into recession, and it is very good advice. It is also relevant advice when we consider the urgent need to assist individuals, families, communities and states so grievously affected by last weekend’s fires in Victoria and by the floods in Queensland. These people need our assistance now. That is why the Prime Minister pledged to support them yesterday, and that is why I am sure he will have the support of every Australian.

Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise, with my colleagues Senator Fifield and Senator Ryan, to talk about the bushfire tragedy that is consuming our state of Victoria. Words are totally inadequate in expressing the devastation of lives and the terror that the bushfires have wreaked on the people of Victoria, and which continue to do so. It is up here on Capital Hill that the strength of words, the power of the pen and the conviction and persuasive eloquence of members and senators determines the direction of governance and, in many cases, the safekeeping of all Australians. Today, I humbly stand before you, Madam Acting Deputy President Brown, knowing that this counts for nothing. It makes absolutely not a sod of difference to those who have suffered or lost their lives in this inferno, where their preparations and best-laid fire protection plans have counted for nothing.

The people of Australia have been frozen in horror as we have been witnessing the continuing terror that rains down and consumes so many of our fellow Victorians—and, for many, their family and friends. This natural disaster that has taken more lives, more property, more homes and more livestock has sent a clear message to all policymakers at a state and federal level. People must always come first. Politics is irrelevant, except when it provides the support necessary to help people get through the trauma that has ravaged their families. Politics for politics’ sake has absolutely no part in this tragedy, nor is it a part of the Australian fibre. I would like to acknowledge the way in which this place and the other place have suspended business as usual. It has clearly demonstrated that families’ immediate needs are more important than the quick exchanges across the benches, and for this I am very grateful. I would like to also thank my colleagues on both sides for the tremendous emotional support and camaraderie that has been provided. The immediate and long-term needs of families need to be, and should be, considered independently and separately from any other considerations. This is a natural disaster of untold proportions that requires political unity of purpose and determination, and is not to be used for any political agenda.

My thoughts continue to be with the hundreds of Victorians who have lost their lives. The sheer terror that they must have endured in their last moments is beyond imagination. My thoughts and prayers are also with those in hospitals fighting for their lives, those recovering from fire related injuries and their friends and relatives who share their pain whilst they sit by their sides, hold their hands and provide what comfort they can. My family is the reason why I get out of bed every morning, my sons provide the oxygen I breathe, and it is incomprehensible to imagine what these people were thinking in their final moments.

Today we grieve for the O’Gorman family from Humevale, just one of many. Alan O’Gorman, a staunch member of the Liberal Party, lost his life fighting impossible odds side by side with his lovely wife, Carolyn, and their youngest child, Stuart. Only last Thursday they were celebrating with family and friends Stuart’s 18th birthday. Within days those same family and friends are trying to come to terms with the anguish of never seeing them again.

We have many friends who live in the area and we are anxiously waiting to hear that they all are safe. Liberal Party members consider themselves to be one big family, as so many of us spend so much time in each others’ company—in fact, many of us see more of each other than we do our extended families. My Victorian colleagues and I have spent a difficult morning concerned about one such family, and I am delighted to say that we have heard that they are safe and well. Our bonds are very strong on this side of the chamber.

Messages of support continue to come in from not only Australians but the global community, who have been witnessing the graphic scenes, listening to heroic stories of survival and crying over the pages of the newsprint every morning. I do not want to dwell on these; they are being covered far more adequately than I ever could. But I do want to take this opportunity to salute the many heroes—the emergency services and volunteers who have put their lives on hold so that they could make a difference. These people are our modern day Anzacs. They continue to put themselves in life-threatening situations to protect their mates, even as we speak. The magnitude of this generosity can only be appreciated when you look at the holocaust-like photos where the intensity of the heat has melted steel girders, of the houses that have imploded from within, of where the incinerated shells of cars have littered roads whilst the occupants have tried to beat the raging flames.

In the trail of destruction left in areas like Churchill, Kinglake, Whittlesea and Marysville, areas where so many of us have visited to enjoy the natural beauty and peace that they offered, CFA volunteers are securing the areas and ensuring the safety of emergency workers whilst they search for survivors. There are tens of thousands of these volunteers. Most will maintain their anonymity, but my heart goes out to them for their incredible strength, generosity of spirit and compassion. The tasks that they are undertaking are too extraordinary for words to pay tribute to. Some of these volunteers have attempted to describe the magnitude of the task they are undertaking—and, in their doing so, we can only appreciate the emotional and physical toll it is taking on them and their families.

To the thousands of Australians who are opening their hearts and homes to those who are suffering, I say thank you. The bushfire appeal is a wonderful example of the greatness of the Australian spirit, yet it is just one. Despite the difficult economic circumstances that so many families personally face, they have sacrificed what little they have for others. People in the bush have been ravaged by a 10-year drought, many are facing financial ruin, and yet they still give, whether it is in goods that can be used or equipment that can be utilised in such an emergency. The Australian spirit is known for its resilience, its strength, its capacity to pull together in extreme conditions, but most of all for its compassion.

It goes without saying that those directly impacted by this disaster will need our emotional, physical and financial support for a very long time—and it must be given, for as long as it takes. The volunteers who are dealing with the war zone-like conditions must not be forgotten. They too will need all our support once the imminent danger is past, because many have had to put their emotions on hold.

Neither today nor tomorrow is the day for recriminations, for finger pointing, for exclamations of ‘I told you so.’ There will be the right time for people to sit down, with cool heads, and assess what has happened and what measures, if any, could have been taken to minimise the enormous human loss. Property, houses, fences, equipment and communities can all be structurally rebuilt, but nothing can bring back loved ones who have been lost. There are many things that we may learn over the coming months that will assist us in safeguarding our homes and our loved ones, but this must be undertaken with goodwill and a unity of purpose. The blame game must be left behind and we must work together with one voice to rebuild and strengthen our great state of Victoria.