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

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Leave granted.

It is very difficult to do this following the condolence motion in relation to Japan we just carried. But, as we know, a terrible situation occurred in New Zealand just prior to that. I move:

That the Senate––

(a)

express its condolences at the tragic loss of life and damage to property suffered by the people of New Zealand in the Christchurch earthquake;

(b)

extend its profound sympathies to the families and friends of the Australians who lives have been lost in this tragedy;

(c)

express its gratitude and admiration to the Australian police and emergency response personnel who are assisting the recovery effort; and

(d)

pledge any further help that may be required as New Zealand undertakes the process of recovery and rebuilding.

We now have the opportunity to reflect on the earthquake in New Zealand. The parliament had two minutes silence the last time we sat, but now we have much better information as to the extent of the damage that that earthquake delivered to New Zealand. The earthquake that struck Christchurch on 21 February saw that city and nation confront its darkest days in modern times. The quake struck at 12.51 pm local time and caused the deaths of at least 166 people and injuries to many more. The number of confirmed deaths caused by the Christchurch earthquake is likely to rise beyond 180. Twelve nationalities are among the list of victims released by the New Zealand police. A long-term Australian resident of New Zealand nationality and an Australian citizen who lived in Christchurch were among those who died. On behalf of the government, the Senate and the Australian people, I extend my deepest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in this terrible earthquake.

The bonds between Australia and New Zealand are deep and lasting. In the week before the disaster the Prime Minister travelled to Wellington to address members of the New Zealand parliament. During that address, Prime Minister Gillard observed that:

… Australia has many alliances and friendships around the world … But New Zealand alone is family.

The shock and sadness experienced by our nation in the wake of the Christchurch catastrophe gave life to the Prime Minister’s description of our enduring relationship. The strength of the relationship was underlined when the Senate and the House of Representatives had two minutes silence on 1 March. Last Friday the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition represented the nation in sorrow at the national memorial service in Christchurch, further underlining the strength of our common bond.

Australia and New Zealand have long been partners in shared endeavours in this part of the world and beyond. The story of Anzac was born during the First World War and generations of our soldiers have since honoured it with their deeds on the battlefield. As a rugby man, I can testify that while we have been the fiercest of opponents on the sporting the field, we have been the firmest of friends off it. The resolve of the people of Christchurch is reflected in the continuing success of their rugby team despite the adversity of the times.

We have always helped each other in times of need. At the beginning of this year a New Zealand civil defence response team came to Australia to assist us with our recovery efforts following the Queensland floods. In response to the Christchurch earthquake, Australian search and rescue teams, police officers and Defence Force personnel were deployed to New Zealand to support the response and rescue effort. Police officers from the Australian Federal Police and from every state and territory formed part of the Christchurch earthquake police operation. The overall Australian effort at the height of the crisis involved more than 600 people. I acknowledge and express my gratitude to the Australian personnel who have gone to the aid of our New Zealand friends. I also thank staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other agencies, including Centrelink, who provided support and assistance to Australians affected by the earthquake.

In addition to the tragic loss of life, the earthquake has destroyed and damaged tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Christchurch, as well as essential public infrastructure. Many New Zealanders are displaced from their homes and work, and the task of rebuilding Christchurch—New Zealand’s second-most populous city—lies ahead. The road ahead will not be easy. They are still suffering from aftershocks, which must be terrifying for those in the city.

But New Zealanders will recover from this catastrophe and Australians will be by their sides. Many Australians have already reached across the Tasman to lend a hand, and Australian business and individuals have made generous donations to appeals established to assist New Zealanders affected by the earthquake. The Australian government has made a $5 million donation to the New Zealand Red Cross to help with the earthquake recovery effort. There is of course much more to be done, but I know that the Australian government, our parliament and our people will stand ready to assist New Zealand with its recovery in any way that we can. We can reassure New Zealanders they will always have our support.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

History may well record 22 February 2011 as New Zealand’s darkest day, as suggested by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. It was a day that saw 182 lives lost, 10,000 homes destroyed and the CBD of Christchurch devastated. Even the magnificent Christchurch Cathedral, which had withstood major damage from earthquakes for over a century, succumbed.

In the world community, we as Australians have no greater, more loyal and supportive friends than our cousins from across the ditch. Whilst we sportingly wallow in our grudges, especially in cricket and rugby, those grudges are friendly family rivalries forgotten and discarded when crisis arrives at the doorstep. This is best encapsulated by the Anzac tradition—a tradition which has overwhelmingly helped to forge our relationship. That is, of course, not to forget that section 6 of our Constitution Act refers to New Zealand as the second-named possible state of the Commonwealth of Australia. As Senator Judith Adams, our not-so-token New Zealander, noted in the adjournment on 2 March:

Australia has no closer friend and partner than New Zealand and every Australian will be sharing in your pain.

I commend the senator’s speech to honourable senators.

So as we try to feel and share the pain of our cousins across the Tasman, it is hard to imagine what the real-life experience was like. A 27-year-old Australian blogger poignantly captured the experience as follows:

I was convinced I was going to die. The city was collapsing around me, people were being buried in rubble and others being struck in the head by debris. Absolute pandemonium. It was surreal … both horrific yet somehow impossible and unbelievable like a nightmare.

The horror of the collapse of the six-storey CTV building is beyond imagination. And whilst buildings and infrastructure can be replaced, people cannot. So to the bereaved we offer our condolences. To those injured and debilitated we wish a speedy recovery and rehabilitation. To those charged with a task of rebuilding we wish wisdom. But as the good book enjoins us in the Epistle of James, to just say, ‘I hope all goes well’ is of no use unless you do something practical to help. The people of Australia and their government have acknowledged this injunction by providing useful, practical help in a range of areas, as would be expected of true family and friends. Indeed, over 500 Australians have helped in the disaster relief effort to date. They have done us proud as a nation while providing much-needed practical support.

I also thank Prince William for his sensitive support to those Australians impacted by recent natural disasters, and also to New Zealanders. He did the monarchy proud.

The coalition support wholeheartedly the Leader of the Government’s motion and we extend our deepest sympathy to those who have felt the full brunt and terror of this most recent earthquake.

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

On behalf of the Australian Greens I support the motion moved by the Leader of the Government in the Senate on the recent earthquake in New Zealand. We express our warmest condolences to the people of Christchurch and of New Zealand, and of the 20 countries whose citizens died in the extraordinary earthquake which followed the earlier earthquake at the end of last year. I have very clear memories of going to the funeral service for the New Zealand Green MP Rod Donald, a great friend of mine, in Christchurch Cathedral at the end of 2005 and acquainting myself again with the great beauty and civic pride of this premier city of the South Island of New Zealand. It was extraordinary to hear of the destruction of so much of that city. I spoke with Kennedy Graham, a Green MP, on the day after the disaster and it was difficult to fathom the account of how much of the city lay in ruins and how many people potentially had lost their lives or had been injured and were suffering because of this earthquake.

One thing that was not destroyed was the great spirit of Cantabrians and their capital city, and the great spirit of human generosity that comes forward in such disasters around the world, such as that which has just unfolded in Japan. We saw it in Tibet last year and now with the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, and we see it in the 600 Australians who have gone to help on behalf of this nation which has felt so strongly the pain and suffering in Christchurch.

If there is one small piece of something we can think is good coming out of a tragedy like this, it is that we have moved just a little closer to the people of New Zealand as a result of this quake—geographically as well as spiritually. I say, using some of the words of Prince William: ‘Aroha’ to the people of New Zealand—our respect and our love; and ‘kia kaha’—be strong, and we feel strongly with you.

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whenever I say I am the son of an immigrant and people ask where my father came from, I say he came from New Zealand and they say that does not count. That is basically the attitude that many people have about New Zealand—New Zealanders believe that we are an extension of them, while we believe they are an extension of us, but either way they are virtually the same place. Be that as it may, it was devastating to hear of the earthquake in Christchurch. On 4 September last year it had experienced another earthquake, so the city was not really prepared for what was about to happen. It is like seeing something tear through a major regional city in Australia—164 people died in this earthquake, and if we transpose that into one major regional city in Australia we would know what an incredible and indelible effect that would have. Amongst those 164 fatalities there were two Australians.

This event will have a huge effect on the economy of New Zealand. Australia does have a role to play because we are all in this corner of the world together. We have always worked together. My grandfather was an Anzac from New Zealand, and when my father came from New Zealand there were no immigration laws between the two countries—you just made your own arrangements. This is the sort of connection that brings our two countries together, and by reason of that we have a real task to make sure, as with Japan, that we shoulder the burden with New Zealanders, who we know full well would help us shoulder the burden if the roles were reversed.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the people of New Zealand. This event will cost New Zealand around $11 billion, and that will be devastating for the New Zealand economy. They are looking at around a 1½ per cent hit to their GDP as a result of this earthquake in their second most populous city.

The National Party is the party of government in New Zealand, and the National Party here has strong connections with New Zealand. It was Doug Anthony who built our closer economic relations arrangements back in 1979. We hope to be a good friend for New Zealand over the long term while they rebuild. We know the pain that they are feeling and we will make sure we give what we can in solace and support over the long term. Our thoughts and prayers obviously go to those who have lost family members. The pictures were so graphic—I remember seeing pictures of Timaru, where boulders had ripped straight through houses. These are the sorts of things that shake a person’s faith in where they live. Christchurch had always been thought of as a town beyond the areas affected by earthquakes, and seismic and volcanic activity was far more prevalent in the North Island. So the earthquake was a shock to the people of Christchurch. The people of Christchurch and the people of New Zealand know that the people of Australia will put aside our parochialism just for a moment as we do everything in our power to subdue them in sport but to support them in this time of need.

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

On behalf of Family First, I echo the thoughts and feelings of other senators in regard to the earthquake in Christchurch. It was a terrible disaster which touched the hearts of all Australians. The devastation, the loss of life and the damage to Christchurch were quite a shock. I have spent some time living and working in New Zealand. My daughter is a Kiwi. We had some friends come to stay with us—a husband, wife and daughter. The aftershocks were terrifying and many people were really concerned about their safety. Our hearts go out to the many people whose lives have been turned upside down. It was a chilling reminder for all of us.

I was heartened to see how the world stopped and acknowledged the earthquake in Christchurch. Many countries including Australia offered their support in rescue operations. It made me proud to be Australian, to stand with our New Zealand friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of New Zealand at this very difficult time. We pray there will be some sense of steadiness now in this time of need.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too echo the sentiments of my colleagues and join in supporting this motion to express my heartfelt condolences to the people of New Zealand as they begin to recover from the devastating earthquake in Christchurch. Following the previous condolence motion in relation to the disasters in Japan, we almost feel emotionally punch-drunk because of what has happened. It has been just one disaster after another for our close friends in Japan and in New Zealand. I first learnt of the Christchurch earthquake during Senate estimates. I was sitting at the back of the committee room talking to Mark Scott, Managing Director of the ABC. He broke the news to me and told me what had occurred.

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

So they can break some news, then.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is right: the ABC delivered the news to me in a very direct sense. He was quite shocked. He showed me on his iPad some of the reports and images, which made what transpired in Senate estimates for the rest of the day rather insignificant. On the day after the quake it was hard to imagine the impact this disaster would have on our cousins on the other side of the Tasman. As the pictures began hitting our television screens, it was hard not to be affected by the stories of loss and survival. Australia and New Zealand share a unique bond. I am grateful to Senator Abetz for the constitutional law lesson—the reference to New Zealand in our Constitution has escaped me since I last did constitutional law in 1976. This bond goes beyond any legal document. It is deep and heartfelt from the Anzac tradition and beyond. I pay tribute to the Australian emergency personnel who travelled to New Zealand to help deal with the aftermath of the disaster. They faced an incredibly difficult task. Finally, I would like to express my sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones. Their pain must be extraordinary. For what it’s worth, they need to know that the people of Australia feel for them and will be there for them as long as they are rebuilding their communities and their lives.

Question agreed to, honourable senators standing in their places.