Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. Can the minister update the Senate on the support that Defence has provided to Operation Bring Them Home, the whole-of-government response to the tragic loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine?

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

I thank Senator Reynolds for her question. On 18 July, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed in circumstances indicative of being shot down by an SA11 surface-to-air missile in Ukraine, near Donetsk, close to the Russian border. There were 298 people on board that aircraft, including 38 Australian citizens and residents. I know I speak on behalf of all senators when I say that our collective hearts went out to, and continue to go out to, the families of the passengers that perished in that atrocious act—an act that shocked the world.

On 21 July this year, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to support Australia's resolution for a full and independent investigation into the MH17 disaster—and I pause to thank Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for the decisive and quick action she took to secure that resolution. Ukrainian authorities, along with Australia and other countries whose nationals were victims, agreed that all remains of those victims be repatriated from Kharkiv in Ukraine to the Netherlands and then brought home to their grieving families. The repatriation from Ukraine was completed a week ago, on 19 August. The departure of personnel supporting Operation Bring Them Home from the Netherlands is now in its final completion phase. Two air movement personnel will remain in the Netherlands for a few further days and one liaison officer will remain indefinitely with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate what Australian Defence Force assets and personnel were deployed as part of Operation Bring Them Home?

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

Defence resources assigned to this operation involved some 280 Defence personnel, as well as two RAAF C17 Globemaster aircraft, with planning and support staff operating from the Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands. A third C17 Globemaster and an Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft flew logistic flights to and from Eindhoven; however, they were not force-assigned as such. Defence planning and liaison staff also worked with their Dutch and Malaysian partners in The Hague. Defence liaison, communication and support staff supported the international mission in Ukraine. A seven-person strategic aeromedical evacuation team and a seven-person surgical team were integrated with Dutch forces. Defence also pre-positioned personnel in Europe with our Dutch partners in the Netherlands to ensure that we were postured for a range of contingencies on the ground in Ukraine.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister further advise the Senate how Australian Defence Force personnel contributed to the repatriation of the victims of flight MH17 from the Netherlands?

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

I would like to pay tribute to all of the Defence personnel who took part in this very sombre and important repatriation ceremony for the victims. In the words of Flight Lieutenant David Whyte:

The first phase of getting the bodies from the train cargo area at Kharkiv to the Eindhoven military base was more than a transitional moment that eased the images of disgraceful looting and disrespect of the passenger remains to that of a dignified welcome …

Many families of victims who attended the four ceremonies on the tarmac came on board to meet the Australian flight crews to see the place where their loved ones briefly lay.

I want to thank our flight crews, on behalf of all Australians, for their unending compassion and absolute professionalism in this difficult task. This could not have been an easy task. There were 80 children on board the aircraft, and many of our personnel are themselves parents. We expect great things from our personnel, but I think we need at times to pause and appreciate the enormity of the tasks we often set them. I thank them all.

Honourable senators: Hear, hear!