Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to fix a wrong and ensure that a brave young Australian is honoured by being awarded a posthumous Cross of Valour. The brave young Australian is Jordan Rice, who sadly died during the 2011 Queensland floods. In early 2011, my home state of Queensland was ravaged by severe weather, culminating in one of the most devastating floods our country has ever seen. Rivers and stormwater drains swelled and dirty water silently crept into yards, houses, cars, sheds, offices, businesses, schools, libraries and buildings, destroying all, leaving behind thick stinking mud. The mud was so thick that it stuck to walls and made its way into everything: cupboards, machinery, roofs, furniture and walls. Rivers destroyed roads, bridges and community spaces and wiped out entire towns. Homes were lost and businesses were brought to their knees and wiped out. Public facilities were decimated. It has taken years for Queensland to recover. Many people are still recovering. Sadly, some may never recover. It is not just the financial impact that hurts but the emotional impact and inability to cope with the horrific loss due to trauma and suffering.

In Toowoomba, our country saw the effects of an inland tsunami which swept through parts of Queensland. The inland tsunami was so severe that it tore through towns and the main street of Toowoomba. It happened quickly and without notice. Walls of water metres high swept through the countryside, taking cars, houses, animals and people with them.

In Toowoomba, a Queensland mother, Donna, was travelling in a car with her two sons, Jordan and Blake, at the time the tsunami hit. The car was swept up in the torrents of water and was smashed around as it was dragged through the violent water. As the car started to fill with water, somehow the terrified family managed to stay calm enough to make a triple 0 call for help. Jordan, only 12 years old at the time, managed to dial triple 0 and beg for someone to come and help them.

Incredibly, rescuers managed to get to the car through the wild torrents of water. When rescuers grabbed Jordan to pull him from the car to drag him to safety, Jordan told the rescuers to take his younger brother, Blake, first. Jordan was a shy boy who did not even know how to swim. He was due to start high school in two weeks. Within seconds of Blake being dragged from the car by rescuers, another wave of water hit the car and the rescuers were unable to return to the car to drag Jordan and his mother to safety. Incredibly, Jordan and his mother managed to climb to the top of the car as it was submerged by the wild water. As the water raged, both Jordan and his mother were swept from the top of the car and eventually disappeared. Sadly, Jordan and his mother, Donna, were killed in the floods.

While many statements of support have been made for Jordan Rice to receive a posthumous Cross of Valour for his incredible bravery, to date this award has not been given. I have today spoken to the office of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and that of the opposition leader, Hon. Bill Shorten, and both have given me their support to pursue the award of a posthumous Cross of Valour to Jordan Rice. I have also spoken to the office of Senator Claire Moore, a fellow senator from Queensland, who has also championed this issue. Senator Moore is from Toowoomba and understands firsthand the reasons why this award should be granted, and she has also actively called for this award to be given. As former Prime Minister Julia Gillard noted in the House of Representatives:

… the legend of Jordan’s amazing courage will go on—a hero in the purest sense of the word.

To date, as I said, this award has not been given. Red tape and government processes have brought things to a halt. In my eyes, this is unacceptable. No-one should have to fight for an award of this nature to be given. I will be contacting the office of the Governor-General tomorrow to commence the process of ensuring the posthumous Cross of Valour is awarded to Jordan Rice.

The Cross of Valour is Australia's highest civilian award for bravery. It was established in 1975 to replace the British George Cross previously awarded to Australians for bravery. The Cross of Valour is awarded only 'for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril'. Jordan Rice was a young Australian who made a split-second decision at a time of absolute chaos, in life-threatening circumstances, to put the life of his younger brother ahead of his own. In my eyes and in the eyes of thousands of Australians, Jordan Rice is a hero—a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure his brother lived.

I cannot imagine the horror and the utter despair that Jordan, his brother and his mother experienced in Toowoomba in early 2011, but what I can do is ensure that the absolutely selfless bravery of Jordan Rice is recognised. I therefore call on all Australians, and I call for bipartisan support in this chamber and in the House of Representatives, to ensure that Jordan Rice is honoured with a posthumous Cross of Valour. This is not a political issue. This is an issue about a significant honour that should be bestowed on a very, very brave young Australian who made the ultimate sacrifice so that his younger brother might live.