Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister of Defence, Senator Johnston. Can the minister update the Senate on the search for the missing Malaysian airline flight MH 370?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Edwards for his interest in this very tragic and mysterious matter. As everyone will be aware, some 239 people were aboard Boeing 777 MH 370 when it disappeared on 8 March 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Australia has led the biggest search operation in history, but is yet to find any evidence of the missing flight MH 370. Tragically for the families of those on board, the search for that aircraft remains unresolved. On 28 April the Prime Minister announced that the search for missing MH 370 would move to a new intensified underwater phase. This phase will involve an intensified underwater search with side-scan sonar equipment towed behind ships. All the available data indicates the aircraft went down in a long but narrow arc of the Indian Ocean, measuring 700 kilometres by 80 kilometres, some 2000 kilometres to the west of the coast of Western Australia in water of a depth of up to 7000 metres.

I wish to inform the Senate that this new phase of the search commenced with the review and analysis of all data and information relating to the likely flight path of this aircraft together with information acquired in the course of the search to date. This work will advise on the most probable areas for an effective future search to continue. The comparison most commonly drawn in the search for MH 370 is the missing A 330 that crashed in the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, but the debris field for that aircraft was found within the first two days. I remind the Senate that at this point in time we have not found one single piece of debris that is relevant to the missing aircraft. With joint cooperation, over 4.6 million square kilometres of ocean have been searched; 345 search sorties have been conducted by military aircraft for a total of over 2998 hours. Over 30 per cent of the military flights were made by the Royal Australian Air Force, based out of Pearce in Perth. Up to 19 ships have been used to cover the search areas during this period. As we enter the new phase— (Time expired)

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Further to that outline, could the minister advise the Senate on the level of international cooperation that has been—

Senator Cameron interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is an important international issue. Outrageous!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Edwards, just ask your question. Senator Edwards is entitled to be heard in silence.

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would the minister please outline the international cooperation that has been involved in the search for the missing Malaysian airline flight MH 370?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are grateful to all of the countries who have offered their assets and people to assist in the search so far. Under international convention, Malaysia carries the overall responsibility for the search, and the Malaysian government has asked Australia to continue to provide all necessary assistance in the search for this aircraft. We owe this to the families of those travelling on board and the travelling public more broadly.

Malaysia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and New Zealand have all been involved in the search. They have all contributed the following equipment and assistance that have contributed to the number of flying hours I mentioned in my previous answer: one P3 Orion from New Zealand; two P8 Poseidons from the United States out of Japan; two Ilyushin Il-76s from the Peoples' Liberation Army Air force; two P3 Orions from the Japanese Self-Defense Force; and one Japanese Coastguard Gulfstream V and one P3 Orion; one C-130 Hercules from the Republic of Korea; three Hercules from Malaysia; eight aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force—four P3 Orions, a Wedgetail, a King Air and a C-130. (Time expired)

Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister please explain to the Senate why this level of cooperation is of such importance to Australia and our surrounding regions?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the number of countries and the engagement those countries have had with us in the search for this aircraft, it underlines the importance of building deep and lasting links with our regional partners. We have invested heavily in this recovery program and will continue to do so in supporting the development of military capabilities across South-East Asia and the Pacific nations through our Defence Cooperation Program. We are an active supporter of the region's evolving security architecture. We believe that its continuing development strengthens the region's capacity to effectively deal with unforeseen crises, such as this.

The operations to locate this aircraft have also shown the benefit of greater inter-operability between our nations. Who would have believed that the United States, Japan and China would all be inter-operating some 2000 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia seeking to find this mysteriously missing aircraft? I want to finish by saying that this has been an entree to what can be achieved in search and rescue and humanitarian and disaster relief with cooperation between countries. (Time expired)