LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AND
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Tuesday 22 October 2002
______
JOINT SITTING: BALI TERRORIST ATTACK
Page: 5599
Condolence Motion
The two Houses met in the Legislative Assembly Chamber at 3.00 p.m. to consider a motion of condolence to the families and friends of victims of the bomb attacks on Bali on 12 October 2002.
Mr SPEAKER:I declare the joint sitting to be convened and I invite the President to take a chair on the dais. I advise all members that, in accordance with the resolution for this joint sitting, the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly will govern these proceedings and no time limits will apply to members' contributions. However, before calling on the Premier to move his condolence motion I ask all members to stand in remembrance of our fellow Australians and all their relatives and friends who are grieving for those lost and injured as a result of the Bali bombing on 12 October.
Members and officers of the House stood in their places.
Mr CARR (Maroubra—Premier, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Citizenship) [3.04 p.m.]: I move:
That this Parliament expresses its profound sympathy to the families and friends of the victims of the Bali bombings on Saturday 12 October 2002.
To name the dead and missing is a great sorrow; to name the youthful dead burdens the heart. So many died and many more were burnt, scarred and traumatised. Parents are grieving and team spirit has been sundered. In one instant an island economy—a tradition of happy holidays, a rite of passage—has been wrecked. A cultural enrichment in a beautiful island of honeymoon calm and youthful fun is no more. Ninety-two Australians are dead or missing, 41 from New South Wales. We may say, in Paul McCartney's words, "I long for yesterday". There is little to do but, in the words of W. B. Yeats when writing about the 1916 uprising:
To murmur name upon name
As a mother names her child,
When sleep at last has come
On limbs that had run wild.
One of those names is that of Gerard Yeo, 20, of Coogee and formerly of Dubbo, an apprentice plumber on his first overseas trip. His last letter said, "I will not do anything in Bali to hurt my family or my cousins." Gerard Yeo, 20, of Coogee and formerly of Dubbo—gone. Shane Foley, 34, a Coogee Dolphins player and Marcellin College old boy, said in his final email to his girlfriend, Pascale Saad, that Saturday night, "It's really hot. We're going out soon. I miss you and love you heaps." Danny Lewis and Craig Dunn, teenagers of Ulladulla on a 17-day surfing tour, are still missing. Their fathers, Robert Lewis and Dave Dunn, flew on a desperate search to Bali with posters of the boys' faces. Debbie and Abbey Borgia, 45 and 13, of Tempe—notice the ages, 45 and 13—were mother and daughter. Behic Sumer, 42, a computer programmer from Kings Langley, was on a trip with his two brothers. And perhaps most touching of all, Chloe Byron of Bondi was just 15 years old and the trip was a birthday present from her parents, Tia and David.
Last Sunday was a day of mourning, unifying Australia as perhaps never before outside wartime. The Domain thronged with mourners and those who consoled them with companionship and memory and song. I was with Helena at Coogee, on our home ground, with more than 7,000 people on the oval in the sunshine, the Pacific Ocean blue and welcoming in the background. I spoke of "how greatly we have lost, and how forever we will mourn these good people so savagely and so pointlessly torn from this community, these clubs, these friendships, this beautiful part of the world". Eric de Haart, a Coogee Dolphins survivor, spoke so ably and passionately about these good people like his mates. Eight of those good people are missing from the Maroubra Lions Football Club—from Malabar, Matraville and Chifley, some from Matraville high, my old school, all part of a very strong community. They took their annual holidays together in Bali.
Forbes mourned three lost teammates of the Forbes Rugby Union Club—Brad Ridley, Greg Sanderson and Paul Cronin—mourning shared deeply by our friend the honourable member for Lachlan and the mayor of this close-knit community, Alister Lockhart. Tweed Heads mourned Billy Hardy of the Southport Sharks. And all over Australia the names were spoken, the anthems were sung and the stories were told. Tomorrow the first funeral of a Bali bombing victim—Jodie O'Shea from the Sutherland shire—will be held at Woronora Cemetery. That funeral will be a farewell not yet available to many grieving Australians awaiting this final consolation and release.
This long goodbye will not be complete until the last one comes home—nor will the grieving be completed of the other nations—in Asia, Europe, the Americas—and of our good and special friends in Bali. Think of the Balinese people who by this tragedy have not only lost loved ones but also lost an economy and perhaps a way of life. They were poor to start with and they are poorer now, their suffering just beginning. Let us resolve here and now when we can, when our immediate duties are fulfilled, to remember those Balinese mates of ours.
This morning I visited the burns unit at Concord hospital. I witnessed the bravery and good cheer of people nursing their wounds and thinking of, or perhaps fearing for, their future—a future perhaps without a wife, perhaps without a mum. In the case of Ross McKeon, an electrician originally from Maroubra and now from Kincumber—McKeon is a famous name in Maroubra; there is a street named after the family—he is thinking of a future without a wife and without one of his daughters. His great motivation now is to look after his younger daughter, who survived. I feel honoured to have been there this morning with these survivors, hearing their grief, moved by their strength. I was thankful for the magnificent medical traditions of this blessed Australia of ours: the specialist surgeons, the ever-cheerful nurses and the dedicated ambulance officers; and the emergency response by the experts, including the gifted New South Wales Health team led by the New South Wales Director of Medical Retrieval, Ron Manning. I am thankful, too, for the tradition of public service found in our military and diplomatic corps.
I am thankful for the swift response of our Prime Minister, who within hours arranged for the transport of the wounded to Darwin. Above all, I am thankful for the Australian tradition of volunteering and its sudden unexpected manifestation in Bali: Australians who searched in the wreckage or stayed behind to look after their mates, Australians who helped complete strangers suddenly left friendless among the desolation, and the Australian footballers who lifted young Candace Buchan over a wall but, as she told me this morning, may not have survived themselves. Candace visited Concord today to see her friend, Matt Seelin, from year 10 at Marcellin, who has lost his mum, Cathy. In this time of war, you, my colleagues, will forgive me for drawing on the letter Abraham Lincoln wrote in another time of war, on 21 November 1864, to a Mrs Bixby. He said:
Dear Madam
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming.
But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours very sincerely and respectfully
Abraham Lincoln
Bali was our costly sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy and others would take from us—our kind of freedom, Australian freedom, the good, free, pleasant life in the sun without malign intent; freedom that hurts nobody. Criminals did this, and they will be found and punished. They did it not only to us and the holidaying secular, democratic West but also to the simple human quest for happiness. Terror is what terrorism does, striking with cunning randomness, always unexpectedly. In this case it was terror directed by a totalitarian hijacking of a great religious faith, terror that leaves no country, town or family safe from a sudden flash, a roar, a rage of darkness and oblivion, and grief that is everlasting.
In the end terror can be fought only with military strength and, above all, by a better idea—a better way of engaging the minds of embittered and rancorous youth in regions of fanaticism and local tyranny and sectarian schism. We must use this dreadful hour of pain to show with spirit and eloquence what kind of people we are and why at the Olympic Games we were so esteemed by the watching world. For a while we must count the dead, sing sad songs of loss, say the names and count the cost. But after that there is the task of raising again our spirits to that laconic pride and humour and sense of possibility that show what we Australians are made of and why it can never be undone.
Mr BROGDEN (Pittwater—Leader of the Opposition) [3.14 p.m.]: On 12 October 2002 the Australian adventure in Bali turned to nightmare for hundreds of Australians, their families, friends, sporting mates and work colleagues. The violent act of extremism and terror may have taken place on foreign soil but it struck at our hearts here in Australia. Today we extend our comfort and condolences to all those affected by the bombs in Bali—those from New South Wales, from Australia and from other nations. We recognise that the grief and pain of loss and injury is far from over. The devastation of families, groups of friends, sporting teams, local towns and suburbs is real and lasting. Australians, including those who do not have family or friends directly involved, share the numbness I have felt since Sunday 13 October.
On that day, as the reports rolled in, I hoped and prayed that the deaths and injuries would be fewer than first predicted. I hoped and prayed that the blast had been an accident. I hoped against hope that Australia would not be the next target of terror and extremism. As my hopes faded and the true extent of the tragedy revealed itself, a pall of grief fell over our nation. The death of teenagers, mothers and sporting brothers impacted on us all: mates refusing to leave Bali without their mates; a husband searching for his wife; friends and strangers standing by the bedsides of the injured and the dying. These are the images of Bali 2002.
Australia responded to the call in full measure, and today we thank the military, civil and medical staff who flew to Bali and those who responded here at home. We thank those who were already in Bali and immediately offered their expertise and assistance. Many lives have been lost, but many were saved by the quick action and skill of our professionals and our volunteers. This tragedy once again revived the innate volunteer spirit of Australians. In particular, we thank the medical staff from the New South Wales health system who worked so hard in Bali and continue to do so here in our hospitals.
To the families who grieve today, and to those who lie sick or healing in our hospitals or safe in their homes, we stand with you. Your loss and pain will not be forgotten. As a special place in which to keep the memories alive, the Coalition is suggesting a permanent memorial in a quiet place. A quiet place in the Royal Botanic Gardens would be ideal—a peaceful, quiet area where the tranquillity of flowers and water together can stand as a permanent reminder. Ideally, it might include a collection of native flowers from Australia and Bali presented in a water setting. The survivors and the families and friends of those who have died should be consulted about the final form of such a memorial. To that end, I move:
That the motion be amended by the addition of the following paragraph:
"(2) A permanent memorial be established to commemorate all those killed and injured in the terrorist attacks in Kuta, Bali."
Our loss is being felt in every corner of this great State—in communities like Forbes, Leeton and Wagga Wagga over the range, and in Sydney suburbs like Coogee, Kensington and Como, which have lost loved ones. Each community will make its own decision about the most appropriate way to remember, but a central memorial along the lines I have suggested would provide a focal point for us all. Over the past week as Australia has endeavoured to look forward, the wattle flower has become our symbol of hope. Wattle is the Australian flower that signals the approach and dawning of spring—the season of renewal. Lucy and I gathered with thousands of people in the Domain on Sunday to hear the Governor, Professor Marie Bashir, commemorate in these terms:
… we will continue to develop an ever more enlightened, harmonious and tolerant society reaching out in peace to the people of our region and beyond …
For us to look forward in hope, it is essential that we deal first with the present. So today I say clearly and unequivocally that this is the day we draw a line in the sand. We say to extremists throughout the world and those amongst us in Australia: This far and no further. As Australians we accept and preach tolerance, diversity and, above all, freedom; and today we make it clear that we will not accept intolerance, we will not accept extremism and we will not accept oppression—they have no place in our great nation, in our region or in the world. Freedom, tolerance, diversity and acceptance are at the core of our national character. These are the values that define Australians as individuals and Australia as a nation. These are the qualities that have attracted waves of migrants seeking a better life in a better land. And this is why those of us born here proudly strive to improve our nation and leave it a better place and stronger than we found it.
I say to all extremists, both within and outside our nation, that we will defend our values of freedom and tolerance. To the terrorists who peddle extremism in the form of violence and murder, you failed to intimidate us. To those who hoped that this act of terrorism would force us to respond in an act of revenge, you have failed. We will not fight intolerance with intolerance. We will not fight hate with hate. We will not fight intimidation with intimidation. But we will defend our national character and our freedom with passion and determination. Our primary function today is to give form and expression to the feelings of our community here in New South Wales. These feelings include overwhelming sadness, soul-felt compassion and an unshakeable determination to assist survivors and the families and friends of those who survived and of those who did not survive.
In the facade of the Chief Secretary's Building, one of the great public buildings of this State, there are three statues that look over us as we go about our daily business. The three statues honour the enduring cornerstones of civilised societies: wisdom, mercy and justice. These qualities define our response to the events in Bali. We must act with wisdom, we must leaven our actions with mercy, but we must maintain our determination that justice will be done.
Dr REFSHAUGE (Marrickville—Deputy Premier, Minister for Planning, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Minister for Housing) [3.22 p.m.]: A week and a half ago bombs ripped apart a Balinese nightspot, wreaking loss where it was least expected and challenging the security of people around the world. Its victims—mothers and daughters out dancing, young sportsmen out celebrating a season's end—were doing no more than enjoying themselves. The toll from this gruesome act is far higher than the 180 estimated to have died so far, and the scores of wounded and missing. So far 92 Australians are confirmed dead, 41 from New South Wales. Its wounds are still too fresh for most of us to do more than recoil in shock, but we know we will carry the scars forever.
Later, at a time when we have more answers about its cause, its perpetrators, their reasons and the terrible toll they have exacted, this tragedy will be imbued with historic perspective. It may well be a national turning point, a solemn getting of wisdom, a milestone in maturity, but right now we must honour our loss, our chilling and immeasurable sadness and our utter bewilderment. We have been hurt by cowards acting with malicious intent. We must draw together and ensure that civilisation and concern for humankind prevail. We have seen terrible carnage and chaos in the streets of our near neighbour caused by terrorism, apparently aimed at innocent Australians, Balinese and world travellers.
Bali is an idyllic island that we normally associate more closely with pleasure and serenity than with pain and panic. A nightclub is a place that we normally associate with laughter and fun. But those images were shattered, and with them normality. It has been a time of heroism and horror. We have seen images of Australians such as Hanabeth Luke helping a young man through the wreckage only to discover that her own boyfriend, Marc Gajardo, had not survived. We heard stories of medical staff, such as Dr Bill McNeil, an intern from Gosford Hospital holidaying in Bali, who rode a motorbike into the disaster area shortly after the explosions and immediately began to help. He said:
I remember seeing 18-year-old boys risking their lives to help people and thinking it was amazing, the humanity in people in times like this.
There were about 40 people all up from Australia, Bali, all over the place in my ward and I just spent the next six hours visiting all of them and asking what else I could do.
And it was a very Aussie exchange. I would … say, "What can I help you with?" and they would say, "Well, I've just got a bit of a burn."
Typical Australian understatement. We have all been touched. The Webster family from Marrickville was holidaying with their friends the Borgias from Tempe, just the girls. Kristie Webster is only 12, but she has lost her mother, Robyn. Both Deborah Borgia and her 13-year-old daughter, Abbey, are missing; the two girls played sport together. Blake Borgia, Debbie's younger son, played basketball with my son. The elder boy, Ben, only 23 himself, has gone to Bali to find his mother and sister. He vows he will not come home until he finds them. Louiza Zervos, also from Marrickville, was one of the four bridesmaids of Maria and Kosta Elfes. All four bridesmaids are still missing: Louiza, the bride's twin sister Dimmy, her elder sister Elizabeth, and her friend Christine Betmalik.
We are marking this national tragedy in a uniquely Australian way. As well as the National Day of Mourning, the minute's silence and many church services last Sunday, distinctively Australian ceremonies have also been held: people filling the Domain; sunbakers on Bondi Beach standing in their swimmers to pay tribute; surfers forming a circle in the sea off the Gold Coast; and wreaths being laid beside and below the football jerseys of lost club mates. Today we are here to offer our thoughts, our shared sorrow, and our support to those injured and their families, and to acknowledge that we grieve with them and for them. We express our sorrow also to the Balinese, of whom nine are confirmed dead and 195 are missing. We thank the Balinese also for caring for our fellow Australians.
We applaud the dedication of the rescue workers, doctors and nurses, and all those involved in helping the families and friends of the victims. No training or protocol can prepare us or them for these sorts of horrors. These deaths, this wanton destruction, cannot go without a response. Our response must be adequate and appropriately timed, when we know all that we need to know. But our response must not come at the cost of fracturing our own communities and it must not propagate hate and division, the very values that we abhor. If we respond like that, we give victory to whoever did this. If we respond by making scapegoats of innocent people, we play into the hands of the terrorists. Australia is indelibly enriched by the huge diversity of ethnic groups who live here; we know this. We know too that we must maintain pride in our multicultural society. We must remain united as a community to deal with what may lie ahead. I finish with the words of Wendy Griffiths, a Bali volunteer hospital worker. She said:
This has taught me about the importance of family and friends, the fragility of life and the fruitlessness of hatred.
Mr SOURIS (Upper Hunter—Leader of the National Party) [3.28 p.m.]: I join with the Premier, the Deputy Premier and the Leader of the Opposition in extending on behalf of the National Party our most heartfelt sympathies to the relatives and friends of the Australians who died and those who were injured in the Bali terrorist attack last Saturday week. We extend our sympathies also to the families and friends of other nationals from New Zealand, Britain, America, Canada, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and other countries. Many of them were footballers attending the annual Bali Tens Rugby Union Tournament who were killed or maimed in the attack at the popular Sari Club. The bombing and the callous and murderous manner in which it was executed will change forever the way we Australians live and go about our daily existence. Terrorism, in all its hideous and cowardly guises, has come to our region; it has reached our doorstep. It has taken from us many fine, innocent young people and fun-loving families. Their loss, and the way in which they were taken from us, has delivered a stunning message that terrorism's dark and menacing presence is in our region.
It is estimated that at any given time at least 30,000 Australians are in Indonesia. It is a chilling reality that terrorists were able to inflict this horror on us without actually being in Australia, but by targeting a tourist venue in Indonesia known to be a favourite with Australians. It is a threat not experienced by Australians in 58 years. There can be no guarantee in future that terrorists will not strike us in our homeland. We should heed the credo of the Australian Returned and Services League, "The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance". As Australians, we have a history of proudly defending our freedoms. Unlike citizens of some of the countries that spawn terrorists, Australians enjoy freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom from political tyranny. We are a peace-loving nation. We are free, within the confines of the law, to do as we please. In the Anzac spirit, Australia has never participated in war to advance any territorial gain or imperialist intention—only ever in defence of another nation's sovereignty or its people's freedom. But now, as the tragic events of October 12 sink in, we have come to understand that our innocence has been taken from us; that as so-called westerners we are a potential target for terrorists.
While we mourn our dead and pray for the recovery of our injured, we must demonstrate to terrorists that the Australian spirit cannot be broken. If there was any evidence needed to send that message to terrorists, it was dramatically provided by the many acts of courage and valour as young Australians, many of whom were badly injured, helped others from the inferno. Australian mateship was to the fore. Young Australians will continue to travel: they are great adventurers who export optimism and friendship. Throughout this ordeal, Australians have not called for revenge or retribution because that is not in our nature, and I note that the three speakers who preceded me also made that very point.
While final figures on how many Australians were killed and how many were injured are not yet available, it is possible that more than 90 Australians died and that as many were seriously injured. Many remain listed as missing. We should note with admiration and gratitude the performance of our police, our Air Force, which had medical personnel and supplies in the air within hours, our doctors and nurses here and in Indonesia who worked round the clock, medical specialists, the Qantas airline and crews which courageously flew to Bali to retrieve the injured, knowing what the task entailed, and so many others who delivered treatment to the injured and got them home to Australia. Their efforts were exceptional, given the massive task at the bomb sites and at the hospital in Bali.
The evacuation was an exercise in remarkable co-operation among government, military, police and commercial participants, in partnership. It was the biggest peacetime airlift in Australia's history—bigger than during the Cyclone Tracy emergency. So many volunteers made that possible, including aircrew who insisted on volunteering for emergency Qantas flights and Sydney Airport staff who worked tirelessly to facilitate the landing and clearance of the mercy flights. I thank the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Federal Leader of the Opposition for the leadership and comfort they showed to the victims, their friends and relatives and to the Australian people, and for going to Bali on behalf of us all.
The Bali terrorist attack has changed the way in which Australians view their position in this world and brings home to them a clearer understanding of the need to fight terrorism. We are partners in the coalition against terrorism. It is not beyond possibility that terrorism will come to our mainland. In the name of those who died and who were injured in Bali—many of them were from country areas—it is up to all Australians to support the fight against terrorism. On behalf of the National Party, I reiterate our sympathies to the families and friends of those who died and to those who were injured by terrorists in Bali. May those who were killed not have died in vain.
The Hon. MICHAEL EGAN (Treasurer, Minister for State Development, and Vice-President of the Executive Council) [3.33 p.m.]: Thirteen months ago the Parliament expressed its condolences to those bereaved by the attack on the World Trade Center. Today we express our condolences to the many Australians, Indonesians and others around the world bereaved by another act of evil, this time not far away from our shores but much closer to home, in Bali. The catastrophe in New York alerted us to, but did not adequately prepare us for, the possibility of further terror and further suffering. The mass murder of innocent people is not new to history. In other places, in other times, and in many places in our own time, it has been, or is, commonplace.
Even in this country, in the distant past, there was mass murder of indigenous Australians, and in the recent past mass murder, like that at Port Arthur, has been committed by the clinically insane. We have also seen mass loss of life from disasters and accidents—the Thredbo landslide, the Ash Wednesday fires and the Granville train crash. Mass murder by terrorists, however, is still new to us. It has still not occurred on Australian soil, but after Bali there is no doubt that it might. And in any event, what happened in Bali might as well have happened here. The injured are here, the bereaved are here, and the grief is here; and not far away, not long ago, but here and now.
Those of us who have not suffered a personal loss in the Bali massacre should not pretend we can understand the anguish and anger and the bewilderment of those who have. We can imagine how a heart torn to pieces must feel, but we will never fully understand unless it happens to us. We can only hope and pray that it never does, and pray for and try to help those to whom it already has happened. What we do know, however—and what we should never forget—is that the malice behind the Bali bombings was not directed at the individual Australians who were injured, maimed or killed: It was in fact directed at all of us—our families and friends and all of our countrymen and women. The victims of Bali were victims for no other reason than the fact they represented us. How then can we best honour those who suffered, or who lost their lives standing in our place, representing all of us? Only by denying the terrorists their victory, only by making it clear to them that what happened in Bali, what happened in New York, and what might happen again and again will never tear us apart, but will always bind us closer and closer together.
The terrorists want us to quibble and bicker about what might have been done to avoid the tragedy and what should have been done in its aftermath. The terrorists want to foment hatred and distrust between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians. For them, it is an affront to their perverted convictions that so many Muslims have chosen Australia as their home and that so many other Australians have welcomed them to this new home. The terrorists can do their damage, but whether their damage achieves their victory or ours is not up to them. It is up to us.
The Hon. MICHAEL GALLACHER (Leader of the Opposition) [3.37 p.m.]: On behalf of the members of the New South Wales Coalition in the Legislative Council, I offer our sympathy to family and friends of victims killed in the Bali bomb blast. I also send a message of support and encouragement to those who were injured in the terrorist attack and wish for them and their families a speedy recovery. The events of September 11 and the widespread belief that such an attack could take place will remain in our hearts and minds forever. On that day, members of the Legislative Council were to sit; however, a number of us assembled in the office of the Leader of the Government, Michael Egan, who, visibly shaken by what he had witnessed live the night before, said to all of us, "The world will never be the same." Yet with time and distance from the events in the United States on September 11, life for this country appeared to return to normal, that is, until October 12.
The events in Bali might well have occurred on Australian soil. Its effect on all of us has been to take away the sense of security and innocence that we in the Southern Hemisphere enjoyed for so long. With 92 Australians dead and many missing, our nation will take time to grieve. When we respond, it should be clear and decisive, not a response of revenge but one that is just and committed to maintaining solidarity in our ethnically diverse community, and not one that divides us. This is the next challenge that confronts us. We must stand together to confront the evil.
Mr KNOWLES (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Health) [3.39 p.m.]: I join with all speakers in expressing shock, sadness and sympathy for all those affected by the bombings in Bali. Their anguish and pain is shared by us all. The false belief that Australians were somehow immune from acts of terrorism has been removed from our collective view forever. The deaths and horrific injuries caused to ordinary men, women and children have also caused us to reflect on the fact that what once was can never be again. We sense now that if it can happen in Bali it can happen here also.
Last Friday I visited the burns unit at Concord hospital. On behalf of the entire community I thank the team there, and indeed all health workers and health teams who have cared for the Bali victims and their families. "Team" is the operative word: from social workers to surgeons, from the primary response teams and ambulance officers to the men and women who have been providing ongoing detailed, laborious and intensive care in recent days and the rehabilitation teams, who will treat the physical and psychological scarring that will remain for months and years to come. We are very proud of every single one of them. Our Australian health staff and our Australian health systems have again demonstrated that they are as good as we will find anywhere in the world, and we thank each and every one of those staff.
At Concord I witnessed world's best practice and experience. I witnessed dedication, commitment and extraordinary effort in the aftermath of extraordinary cruelty and horror. From every report, the same effort has been made around our nation and by our teams who were rapidly deployed to Bali immediately after the terrorist attack. I therefore place on record our thanks to the Commonwealth Government and its officials and to our State and Territory counterparts for the co-ordinated national effort in dealing with the victims and their families. In New South Wales our response has been co-ordinated with the national effort through our Disaster Control Centre. The staged retrieval from Denpasar to Darwin and then to other capital cities was managed with skill and high levels of co-operation.
As of this morning, 54 patients have arrived in New South Wales and been treated and assessed. Some 23 patients have been admitted to our hospitals: nine are at the Concord burns unit, two are at Royal North Shore Hospital, seven are at St George Hospital, and of course Prince of Wales and Sydney hospitals have also treated patients. A total of more than 100 New South Wales health staff have been directly responsible for the primary phase of the national response to Bali. However, the total response has involved, and will continue to involve, literally hundreds of health workers. Nine critical care doctors were immediately deployed to Bali on Sunday and on Monday morning following the attack.
Seven paramedics were also deployed to assist in the retrieval process and to provide general support. Equally, there were many volunteers already in the region at the time who used their professional skills to lend a hand. Our mental health teams were at the airport as people flooded back into Australia, seeking the safety of home. They will continue to be available to deal with the mental trauma experienced in years to come. I pay particular tribute to those men and women, and to their leader, Professor Beverley Raphael, who kept going despite their personal and deep grief at the shocking murder of their longstanding friend and colleague Professor Margaret Tobin in Adelaide last week. Margaret was a health professional in the New South Wales system for many years.
Those traditional Australian traits of people pulling their weight and working together were demonstrated in large volume at Concord last Friday as our professionals and volunteers worked together to start rebuilding shattered lives. Professor Raphael, who provided leadership after the Granville disaster, Port Arthur and Ash Wednesday and who gave advice to the United States of America in the aftermath of September 11, advises that as a community we will inevitably go through a process that she describes as a phase of disillusionment: grief, trauma, fearfulness and anger. As we move on we must deal with these emotions, and we are at our best when we deal with them constructively.
Australians are strong, compassionate and caring people. We value our way of life. The Bali attack was in stark contrast to all those things that we hold dear. In repairing the damage we must speak out, not hit out—violence hurts us all. Now is a time for us to begin to heal, to support each other, to reassert our values and to ensure that terror never wins. I know that the teamwork I saw at Concord last Friday has been repeated throughout Australia and in Bali over the past 10 days—our health workers, in particular, have been magnificent. Nonetheless, I join them in hoping that we never see the like of this again.
Mr ARMSTRONG (Lachlan) [3.44 p.m.]: On behalf of my wife, Jen, the people of the electorate of Lachlan, and the Mayor of Forbes, Councillor Alister Lockhart—who is here today—I join the Premier, the Leader of the Opposition and others who have spoken this afternoon in expressing our deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones and to those who have suffered as a result of the events of 12 October. That useless, mindless and pointless exercise has deprived so many young Australians of their lives and brought so much hurt and anguish to so many families, all for nought. The perpetrators have not had the courage to come forward and reveal their motive. There is no excuse, yet people are grieving and our nation is in mourning.
There are few advantages in getting older except that one has had many experiences. I can honestly say that nothing has had a greater impact upon me than the Bali attack. I speak as a father, grandfather and an elected community leader, who has played team sports and experienced most things in life. This attack has had a dramatic impact upon me. Some 25 members of 21 families from Forbes travelled to Bali a few days before the attack. When the news broke in Forbes of the tragedy that had befallen Australians and it became obvious that three young men—Greg Sanderson, Paul Cronin and Brad Ridley—were unlikely to be found, the people held community prayers at the local Anglican church.
Jen and I arrived about half an hour early. It was a balmy evening at about 6.30 and we saw people walking to the church from every point in the community. Some 700 people came to mourn and to grieve for their young. Last Sunday morning—the National Day of Mourning—the local rugby club, the Platypi, held a service on the oval in the middle of Forbes. More than 2,500 people attended to be with the families and with the young men who returned from Bali last week to share their grief and to wonder why it had happened. What was the purpose?
The Bali attack has had such a dramatic effect on me partly because of the enormous courage demonstrated by those young men of whom the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition have spoken. I have talked to them too and I would like to recount some of their experiences. One young man, whose family I know extremely well—they are highly respected, successful people who have done their own thing and never asked very much from anyone—said that he was sitting in the nightclub when the bomb went off. The next thing he knew he was outside the club: he was blown out through a window. He said that if he had been sitting a couple of feet in either direction he would have been blown against the wall. He re-entered the club to try to find some of his mates. He found some of them together with a few other people, whom he helped out. He then went into the club again. He grabbed someone by the leg but found that he was holding only a leg.
In the next couple of days those young men from Forbes—22 of them—visited more than 10 hospitals in Denpasar trying to find and identify their three missing mates. They went to the morgue and looked in more than 100 body bags containing burnt people with no recognisable features. These are young men, like our sons and brothers, who are inexperienced in these matters. The courage those people have shown is an example to us all. The bonds amongst the Platypi Club of Forbes are a reflection of the bonds of Australians. I am very proud to be an Australian and to be privileged this afternoon to recognise the courage shown by those young people in this hour of great national tragedy. I must make mention of the two boys still in the Concord burns unit. I say to the Minister for Health, the Hon. Craig Knowles: Your unit is superb. Steven Betland and Adrian Acheson are making quite good progress. They have had umpteen operations so far, and anyone experienced in burns will understand why. But they will come through. Steven Betland is one of Forbes' best golfers: when he was 12 or 13 he was playing off about six. They have that sort of determination.
I want to conclude on this point. If, after this loss of life, hurt and sorrow, we as a nation do not take notice, if we do not join hand in hand, arm in arm—irrespective of our colour, our religion, our age or our personal thoughts—if we do not bond together as a nation and reject totally the terrorists who sneak up on us from behind, those who would mass murder our youngsters, then we have missed an opportunity to once again reinforce what a great nation we are. I would hope that this strengthens the families and Australia in resisting the terror of the future. We must never allow this to happen again to our sons and daughters.
Ms NORI (Port Jackson—Minister for Small Business, Minister for Tourism, and Minister for Women) [3.51 p.m.]: There is no doubt that for many Australians Bali was almost a home away from home—judging by the number of people who went to Bali and the number who returned there time and again. We even have an Aussie song called "I've been to Bali too". And why wouldn't Australians go to Bali? It was peaceful, tropical, close to Australia, a volcanic paradise, with paddy fields and Hindu shrines. It had a reputation for fun and frolic. Young people, especially surfers, liked to go there. Some returned as adults, perhaps trying to relive their youthful past or recapture their visits to Bali in earlier years. Office mates went there. It would not be unusual for a group of young people working together in an office to go to Bali. Young teenagers and HSC students went to Bali. It was affordable, it was close to Australia, it was safe, and there were lots of Aussies there.
Anyone who travels, particularly young persons, would have fantasised about, planned and lived the experience a thousand times over before they even got to Sydney airport. All those dreams were destroyed two Saturday nights ago. How many HSC students would have worked a part-time job in the hope that by November they would have convinced their parents they were old enough to go on an overseas trip for the first time? And how many parents probably said, "Bali is not that far from Australia, there are lots of Aussies there, and I can always come and get you if something goes wrong." Well, this time it did not happen like that.
The terrorists betrayed all those dreams, all those hopes, all those hours working as an 18 year-old in a bakery part time to save money to go overseas. The terrorists have not only stolen the innocence of Bali and the livelihood of many in that country but have also destroyed the dreams of future generations of young people who would aspire to go there. But they have done worse than that. They have probably destroyed the hope or wish to travel of people from all over the world, because the incident in Bali showed that being in a place that is supposedly safe, peaceful and far from anywhere else is not a guarantee of protection.
Terrorists are murderers, and they are cowards. But they are also lazy. To achieve a political goal, to achieve an outcome is something we would all support. But the way every person in this room does that is through sheer hard work. They do it through commitment. Democracy sometimes can be painfully slow and painfully frustrating, but it is the only way to achieve an outcome in which we believe. The most important contribution that we can all make to rid the world of this scourge of terrorism is really quite simple. It is to continue to exalt our own values, our love and defence of freedom, tolerance and democracy. Now, more than at any other time, we must redouble our efforts to confirm our conviction for the political process in which we believe. In conclusion, I thank Qantas for its speedy reaction to the crisis, the military, the ambulance services, the doctors, the nurses and the volunteers.
Mr HARTCHER (Gosford—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [3.55 p.m.]: All of us know where we were on September 11 last year, when the terrible tragedy happened in New York and Washington. Now, we will always remember where we were in October this year when we heard the news about the terrible events in Bali. This is a catastrophe the likes of which Australia has not experienced in peacetime. It is a catastrophe that we feel all the more sharply because we see our youth so seriously affected by it. I send my special prayers and condolences to the McKeon family of Kincumber, in the electorate of Gosford, about whom the Premier spoke. The mother and daughter tragically lost their lives, leaving a husband and father still critically ill and a daughter to survive.
When we think about these events we should always remind ourselves that good can come from evil. The good that came from evil on this occasion was the demonstration of extraordinary courage and mateship that the Australians in Bali showed in helping one another after the disaster. I am reminded of the recent commemoration of the Battle of Isurava, a commemoration which took place in August. The Prime Minister of Australia went to Isurava to unveil four granite columns in memory of Australian soldiers, who were aged only 18 and 19—about the same age as many of those who died in Bali. On those granite columns are written four words: courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. Those are qualities that were shown in abundance by the Australians in Bali last Saturday week. Lest we forget.
Mr WATKINS (Ryde—Minister for Education and Training) [3.57 p.m.]: The tragedy in Bali has touched us all in the most profound way. Today I want to make a brief contribution on behalf of the education community in New South Wales. I do so on behalf of schools and TAFE colleges right across the State—the students, teachers and other staff. I know that all of us here recognise the impact that this event has had on our school and education communities. Later I would like to read messages sent from key groups in public education on behalf of students, staff and parents. But first it is appropriate to consider the very real impact this tragedy has had on our schools.
At one regional high school, the school community is struggling to come to terms with the spectre of the loss of one student and a family member, with another family member seriously injured and in hospital. I have been informed that at least two school staff members have children confirmed as victims. As a centre of community life, this school, and others, will be dealing with this tragedy for a long time to come. Children are very resilient, but they are also vulnerable. That is why our school communities—well supported by the Department of Education and Training—are acutely aware of the difficult days ahead. Appropriate counselling services have been deployed to provide comfort and counselling where and when they have been needed. Other specialist staff, such as district guidance officers and staff welfare officers, are also doing a tremendous job supporting students and staff. To all those workers we express a heartfelt thanks and wish them strength in the difficult days ahead.
The ripple effect of this tragedy is profound. In most communities many victims may not be current students or staff, but local schools are still feeling the impact deeply. Often the victims were young people who had only recently left school, were involved in sport and local community activities or were the older brothers and sisters of students still at school. Grief and loss are part of life. However, when tragedy manifests itself on such a scale we are not always well-equipped to explain it to our younger citizens. At school our younger citizens are struggling, as we all are, to make sense of this tragedy. That is why we need to take this opportunity to renew our focus on building the very best community we can—building a community based on tolerance and harmony, a community where difference is celebrated not feared, a community founded on the fundamental principles we Australians hold dear.
These ideals are valued, supported and promoted in our schools. They are the bedrock upon which our education system is built. Over coming days these ideals will be put to the test. Despite this, I am confident that our school staff will work tirelessly to ensure that these principles are not undermined by the evil of the Bali tragedy. Our schools will be working hard to ensure that all our children feel safe in their schools and that no child is scapegoated or blamed. We need to support them in that regard. Several key education partners have sent many messages about the tragedy. On behalf of New South Wales teachers, Ms Maree O'Halloran has provided me with the following message:
In the early hours of Sunday 13 October, news started filtering through of yet another tragedy—the Bali tragedy. Many innocent lives have been lost—amongst them teachers and students.
The beautiful, once tranquil, island of Bali is very well known to many Australians. It is very well known to many teachers also, who for decades have been taking groups of students for study tours to Bali.
Given this connection, it is no surprise that the Bali tragedy has so affected the national psyche.
What is also affecting the national psyche and for that matter humanity around the globe, is the frequency with which we are now reporting on such tragic events.
As we try, yet again, to come to terms with these all too frequent events, we must continue to play our very important role as teachers.
We must continue to teach those simplest yet most important universal values of celebrating diversity and tolerance, peace and solidarity, contributing to the restoration of a greater sense of humanity in the global village in which we live.
Federation reaffirms its rejection of terrorism in all its forms.
Federation recognises that globally, Australians are not the only victims of terrorism.
We consider that the solution to global terrorism does not lie in actions of revenge but rather in addressing the many instances of global inequity, injustice and indeed denial of educational opportunity around the world.
The NSW Teachers Federation extends its sympathy to the victims of the Bali tragedy.
On behalf of New South Wales students, Jy Millis from Griffith High School, a year 12 student and a member of the Student Representative Council, has prepared the following statement:
The barbaric and evil attacks on Bali have sent a strong message to all Australians that we can no longer be complacent and feel free of any threat upon our freedoms and values.
Since the attacks on October 12, students throughout NSW and Australia have experienced a roller coaster of emotions. Shock and disbelief took place in the first few hours after the attacks and was then followed by confusion, hurt and anguish as so many students discovered directly or indirectly that they knew of someone missing. No student has escaped the attacks in Kuta, Bali.
These emotions have led many Australians, in particular young people to step up to assist those in greatest need. The widely held belief that Australians will do anything to help a mate—another Australian—in times of hardship, has been proven correct. From the simple act of donating blood to the arduous task of assisting in the morgues of Bali, young Australians have proved themselves to be ambassadors of their communities and their country.
All young Australians never wish to see an event such as that in Bali happen again and it is for this reason that we all wish for all those who committed this foul act to be brought to justice.
It is only by destroying the threat that we as young people can look forward with hope to living in a society that past generations have enjoyed.
On behalf of New South Wales parents, Sharryn Brownlee, President of the Federation of Parents and Citizens Organisations, has asked me to "express on behalf of all the State P&Cs her heartfelt condolences to those in the community directly touched by the horrors of last October 12 in Bali". She reiterated the commitment of her organisation to assist where possible with school communities dealing with loss, shock and the impact of the bomb blast. Finally, the President of the Public Service Association, Sue Walsh, wanted me to pass on a message on behalf of all school and TAFE support staff across the State. She said:
We deplore the tragic loss and express our deep sympathy from all PSA members including staff in schools, TAFE colleges and the Department of Education and Training.
Oftentimes, a distressed student's first port of call is a PSA member of staff at a school.
We thank our members for the significant role they are playing in helping the education community across the state cope with the terrible loss our community has suffered.
I also bring to this Chamber the concern and grief felt, and support provided, by all those in the non-government school community across New South Wales, both Catholic and independent. As Minister for Education and Training, I also speak on behalf of those schools serving different ethnic communities, in particular, those serving the Muslim community of New South Wales. These schools have also suffered loss in their schools and wider community. They, too, will work with their school communities to support students' immediate needs whilst continuing to provide education that respects and strengthens our pluralistic society. Our TAFE colleges, universities and other places of education and training are also burdened by the sadness of these times. Our education system—school and post-school, government and non-government—bears a solemn responsibility to support and protect our youth, to succour and embrace our communities, and to provide hope for the future of our people. It will be through education in so many places throughout our State that we can explain and comfort whilst building for the future in hope and tolerance.
Mr DEBNAM (Vaucluse) [4.06 p.m.]: I awoke on Sunday 13 October to the confused news from Bali, which many people hoped was an accident—perhaps a gas bottle had blown up. However, as the day wore on we realised that it was terrorism—terrorism in the strongest form, unpredictable, with maximum human loss, raw terror, raw power. In Australia during the last week our young generation has been savagely introduced to the horrors of war. They have been introduced to the horrors of war in a place they visited to holiday, relax and enjoy themselves. I am sure that the horror is greater to them.
There is no doubt that we all listened with horror to the news bulletin on that Sunday and over the days that followed. We cannot imagine the pain of the people who were involved in that area in Bali and we cannot really feel the pain of the families who have lost so much. Our prayers and our thoughts are certainly with every one of those families that have been touched by this outrage. The Premier read out the large number of victims in New South Wales, and many members in this Chamber and the other place would have known people who have lost their lives or who have been greatly injured by this act of terrorism.
As the death toll grew on the Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and the hundreds of injured became known, we as a nation were united in mourning for the dead, the missing and the injured. However, after a few days the media started to put faces to some of the people involved—those who were known to be dead, the many who, unfortunately, are missing and the many who are injured. I want to talk very briefly about two of those people. The Premier mentioned one young girl from Bondi, Chloe Byron. Chloe's father and mother, David and Tia, and her brother, Jared, have lived in Bondi for some time. Chloe went to Bali on a family holiday. I think the Premier said that the trip was a birthday present.
I congratulate the Daily Telegraph, which on Wednesday 16 October introduced Chloe to Australia, certainly to New South Wales. In her article Carly Chynoweth reported in some detail the trauma that Jared, her brother, had experienced as he searched for Chloe on Monday night. He said that in the end he simply walked the streets of Bali, calling out Chloe's name in the hope that she might have been in one of the houses or buildings and may have heard his voice. She did not return his call and she is still missing. I spoke this week to Chloe's father, David, and I asked him whether he would like to say a few words. He asked whether the following text could be read into Hansard today:
Chloe Blanche Byron, her life was music and dance and whoever was with her joined in that dance. In the Domain on Sunday one of her friends had a plaque which perhaps said it all for us. It read "keep dancing Chloe". Wherever you are, keep dancing.
David explained that they have a poem on the refrigerator which Chloe loved and which they recited every day. That poem reads as follows:
You've gotta sing like you don't need the money
Love like you'll never get hurt
Dance like there's nobody watching
It's got to come from the heart if you want it to work
That message, which we are hearing about so many young people who lost their lives and from so many young people who were injured as a result of this terrorism, is a message by which we can all live every day. I refer also to Adam Howard. I did not know Adam but I know of a family that was well connected to him. I asked Emilia, Adam's girlfriend, to provide me with some words that could be used today. Emilia provided me with the following quite moving words:
Adam Lionel Howard was born on the 20th August 1975 to Don and Joyce Howard. He was born in Sydney but early in his life moved to Orange where he attended primary school. At the age of 10 his family moved back to Sydney along with his brother Brendan who is two years younger than him. He attended Sydney Boys High for his high school years and it was during those years that he got a job as a foreman for one of Sydney's racehorse trainers. It was during this time that his love for horses and racing began. This love continued through to the day he died and beyond with a bet on last Saturdays Caulfield Cup.
He had a love and talent for all sports particularly rugby league. He started playing at a young age for Bondi United and it was through this club that he played for the UTS Roosters. Four years ago he moved to the Coogee Dolphins where he became a valuable player as well as holding an important position on the clubs committee. He was selected to play for South Sydney Juniors Representative side in 2000 and travelled to the UK to play for them.
In 1999 he fell in love with Emilia Armytage, the two of them were inseparable from the first day they got together. Adam moved into Emilia's family home two years ago and then earlier this year they moved into their own apartment together in Double Bay. They were each other's loves and had plans for a future together. She will forever miss him.
Adam was a mate's mate, he loved his mates and spending time with them, he loved a party and a drink. He could never say "no" to anyone and hated anyone to be lonely. To everyone who knew him he was invincible, which makes this tragedy even harder to believe. Most of all Adam loved life; he lived his short life to the fullest and always lived for the day. His motto in life was "party hard, die young and leave a good looking corpse." He did just that.
Having spoken to Emilia today, and having gone through those words with her, I am in awe of the courage that she has shown in the last week and of the way in which she has carried on. I, and I am sure all honourable members, express deepest sympathy not only to Chloe's family—David, Tia and Jared—but also to Emilia, to Adam's parents, Don and Joyce, to Ruth and to Hamish. I congratulate—as have many honourable members who have spoken in the debate today—the organisers of all the memorial services on Sunday. I attended a local church service, and Deborah and I attended the memorial service in the Domain, which was very moving and well done. Tens of thousands of people participated in that service.
Members of the community are grateful to all those who helped on that Saturday night in Bali. Other honourable members referred to police, the armed services, the Air Force and hospital workers. People who saw the bombing on television got on a plane, went to Bali and did whatever they could. They might not even have been able to help, but they simply went to Bali in the hope that they could. We, as a community, owe them all a debt of gratitude. Ongoing terrorism reinforces our resolve to fight terrorists and to enjoy every minute of our lives. Twenty-four hours ago 14 people died in a bus bombing in Israel and another 65 people were injured in that blast. As many honourable members have said today, wherever terrorism happens and whomever it targets we condemn it and we will fight it.
The Hon. Dr ARTHUR CHESTERFIELD-EVANS [4.15 p.m.]: On behalf of the Australian Democrats I express sympathy to the friends and relatives of those who were killed and injured in Bali. This speech is one that I should not have to make. We should never have to express sorrow about an event such as this because it never should have happened. I do not know why it happened. I do not know why some people pack explosives into a car and set them off with the intention of killing as many human beings as possible. No-one has claimed responsibility for these bombings. No-one has said why they believe that murdering so many people would further their own cause. However, we are sure of one thing: no cause is worth killing innocent people. No cause is so lofty, so right or correct, or so noble that cold-blooded murder would advance it. We know that war is not the way to peace.
The Australian Democrats offer their sympathy to the families, friends and loved ones of all those who died in Kuta, Bali. The pain and heartache that they are going through is shared by us all. We share their pain and their grief. We know that those who died will live forever in our hearts, our memories and our actions. I say to those who survived: Stay strong and live your lives to the full. Your mates would have wanted you to. We do not know who did this, but in our globalised planet there is a philosophical battle in all societies between moderates who seek discussion and consensus and radicals who seek to impose their views, sometimes violently. If we are belligerent we invite retaliation. If we seek understanding we favour those in society who also seek moderation. The western world has achieved military domination but events have reinforced the commonsense notion that might alone cannot achieve peace or make us all safe. The western world favours peace and justice. It must set the standard and be an example of these values. Australia must lead the western nations in this objective. We owe it to the victims of this tragedy, to our citizens and to the world.
Mr COLLIER (Miranda) [4.16 p.m.]: Our hearts go out to the families and friends of our young fellow Australians whose lives were stolen so tragically, so unexpectedly and so senselessly in Bali. As a compassionate, freedom-loving people we also mourn for the Balinese people and the people of other nations who lost their loved ones at Kuta. As Australians we are united in our sorrow. As Australians we are united in our prayers for those who are still missing and for those who are injured. We are united with their families and their friends. We are united in our compassion and in our support for those facing a loss and the uncertainty of the bleak days ahead. Each of us expresses grief, compassion, support and hope in different ways. We express those feelings as individuals and we express them as communities.
Sutherland shire has lost young freedom-loving Australians—young freedom-loving friends and mates. Tomorrow in the shire a funeral service will be held for Jodie O'Shea of Como. Our deepest sympathy goes to Jodie's family and her friends. Charmaine Whitton of Bangor, Jodi Wallace of Gymea, and Renee Anderson and Francoise Dahan of Caringbah remain missing. The prayers and the thoughts of all honourable members are with their families and friends. Simone Hanley of Cronulla remains in the burns unit of Royal Perth Hospital. We wish her, in her fight, a speedy recovery.
Last Friday in Cronulla mall, with more than 300 people from the shire, I attended a short ceremony—a tribute to those who have lost their lives, those who are missing and those who were injured in Bali. The ceremony was organised by the Cronulla Chamber of Commerce. I attended the ceremony with Bruce Baird, the Federal member for Cook, and Malcolm Kerr, the honourable member for Cronulla. We walked to the base of the flag and together we laid our wreaths. The Chamber of Commerce President, Mr John Casson, read a poem entitled "A Letter from Heaven" to the people who were gathered around the flagpole. It reads:
To my dearest family and friends
Some things I'd like to say
First of all to let you know I arrived OK
Please do not be unhappy because I'm out of sight
Remember that I'm with you morning, noon and night
And when it's time for you to go
Remember you are coming here to me!
A minute's silence followed. Wreaths and flowers were laid at the foot of the flagpole. Mr Casson asked whether anybody wanted to say anything else, but there were no more speeches. The tears in the eyes, the photographs among the flowers and the Australian flag at half-mast said it all: those things said what needed to be said from the heart of every Australian present. On Sunday, the National Day of Mourning, St Joseph's Catholic Church at Oyster Bay, like many other churches in the shire, held a service for those who lost their lives in Bali, were missing or were injured. Prayers were said for Jodie O'Shea, Jodi Wallace and Charmaine Whitton, who attended the kindergarten at St Joseph's in 1978, as well as for Francoise Dahan.
With hundreds of others I attended St Joseph's where Father Robert Stephens conducted a moving service. To the left of the altar stood a simple cross fashioned from the branches of two local trees and draped with Balinese cloth. It was surrounded by candles. To the right of the altar was the Australian flag. The Prime Minister's message was beautifully read to the congregation by Ms Jacqueline Hewitt from Como West. John Howard said what each of us in the congregation felt:
As much as they were carefree they were also innocent.
We mourn for those who have senselessly perished and offer comfort to the injured, the grieving and the waiting.
I join parliamentarians of all political persuasions in this House and across Australia in extending my deepest sympathy to the families and friends of all those in the shire and the rest of Australia who lost their lives. I offer my prayers for the injured and for those who face loss and uncertainty.
Mr MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga) [4.21 p.m.]: It is with a heavy heart that I join fellow members in speaking to this condolence motion. The Bali bombings have spread their murderous tentacles to every corner of our nation and, indeed, the world. The people of the adjoining towns of Albury, Coolamon, Forbes and Leeton in our region have suffered. Wagga Wagga shares the grief of its regional neighbours and of our nation and offers sincere condolences to the communities that have been so badly affected by this terrible tragedy. Wagga Wagga lost David Mavroudis, an Australian our city is proud to call its own. With our community my wife, Maureen, and I extend condolences to David's parents, John and Colleen Mavroudis, and to his sister, Jane.
David Mavroudis was 29. He was educated at Sacred Heart Primary School, St Michael's Regional High School and Trinity Senior High School. He studied medical laboratory science at Charles Sturt University before securing his first job at Moree. David was an accomplished sportsman who represented New South Wales in gymnastics, and played representative rugby league and group 9 for the Riverina. He was in Bali with his teammates from the Coogee Dolphins when he was tragically killed in Saturday's events. On behalf of our community I thank the medical fraternity, emergency services workers and the Australians who, in the true Australian tradition, pitched in to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.
I join with the honourable member for Lachlan in expressing my pride in them and their efforts to help their mates in a crisis that we at home viewed with disbelief. I was also proud of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition for the way in which they flew to Bali together to take charge of the situation. I give them credit for that. Over the years Australia has faced many challenges—wars and crises—but apart from the Hilton bombing Australians have been relatively removed from acts of terrorism such as the one we experienced recently. As the days, the weeks and the months roll on, the truth about Saturday's acts of savagery will become clearer. I appeal to all Australians to work in a united and appropriate manner to seek truth and justice with tolerance.
Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [4.25 p.m.]: On behalf of the Christian Democratic Party I express our support for the condolence motion moved by the Premier, which is in these terms:
That this Parliament expresses its profound sympathy to the families and friends of the victims of the Bali bombing on Saturday 12 October 2002.
In our prayers we remember each of those who are grieving and filled with sorrow. That grief and sorrow was evident on the National Day of Mourning last Sunday. We also support the amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition, which seeks to ensure that a permanent memorial be established in memory of those killed and injured in the terrorist attacks in Bali. Last weekend I flew to Dubbo, Wellington, Narromine, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran and other regional centres to hold public prayer meetings and observe one minute's silence on our National Day of Mourning. I noticed that a change had come over our country. I was aware of a sense of apprehension at the airport.
As I visited country towns and met with families, many of whom were associated with people who had lost loved ones, I became aware of the deep impact of the events of 12 October on our nation. Photographs in the newspapers of the many football teams from New South Wales and other States brought tears to my eyes. As I looked at the young men I was reminded of our young men who died in Gallipoli, at the Battle of El Alamein, which we commemorated only this week, on the Kokoda Trail and in Vietnam. This terrorist attack resulted in the loss of many healthy, young Australian men—sons, brothers, fathers—in the prime of their lives. We also lost daughters, mothers, sisters and friends. It is a tragic waste of life.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not yet released official figures, but holds grave fears for 92 Australians, 41 of whom are from New South Wales, 23 from Victoria, 15 from Western Australia, 18 from Queensland, three from South Australia, one from Tasmania and one based overseas. Indonesian authorities apparently put the overall death toll at 180. Tragically, it is difficult to identify many of the victims because of the type of explosion and the resulting fire. That is why so many people are listed as missing. But as time moves on it seems that almost all of those listed as missing, except perhaps for one or two, will have lost their lives in this terrorist attack.
Although we are particularly concerned about the loss of life in New South Wales and the other States of Australia, the list of people from other countries who have died as a result of this senseless attack shows nine Indonesians dead and 195 hurt. "Hurt" can mean severely burnt. We know that some Australian casualties have died because of the massive impact of burns on their bodies. Although people may appear to be recovering, they can suddenly relapse and die. The list also shows three dead from Singapore, 12 dead and 19 missing from Britain, two dead and three hurt from the United States of America, two missing from Brazil, 10 missing and three hurt from Sweden, three dead from Switzerland, one dead from The Netherlands, and four missing and seven hurt from France. The list goes on, and it covers a large number of countries around the world. This is not just a New South Wales tragedy; it is an international tragedy.
One aspect of this cruel, callous and murderous attack that I am sure causes all of us concern is that it was planned in such a way by the misguided and confused people who carried it out as to achieve the maximum number of casualties. One small bomb was thrown into Paddy's nightclub. It is now understood that that was designed to draw the crowd further towards the front of the Sari nightclub so that when the massive van, which was in fact a bomb, exploded, it would cause the maximum number of casualties. It is difficult for us—with our upbringing and, for many of us, our Christian faith and belief—to comprehend that people could plan such an attack in such detail, knowing that they would kill, maim and injure so many innocent people, especially young people.
As other speakers have said, we need to pray and work for an end to all forms of terrorism in the world. We need to do all we can to prevent people from being misled by others, whether it is those in the al-Qaeda terrorist movement or some other movement. Obviously misguided young men, and possibly young women, are being manipulated to carry out these attacks, and sadly, in some cases, to believe they are doing the will of Allah or the will of God. We must take as many steps as possible to ensure that in our society the seeds of destruction, hate and cruelty are not sown in such a way as to manipulate and mislead these young men, who are often idealistic but who are obviously wrong in their beliefs. Together with other members, we will continue to pray for those who are suffering as a result of their sad losses. I add my thanks to the Prime Minister, John Howard, and to other national leaders, including the Federal Leader of the Opposition. I believe the Prime Minister has provided, in his usual manner, humble but positive leadership to our nation.
The Hon. HELEN SHAM-HO [4.33 p.m.]: I join with other members in expressing my sorrow, anger and condemnation at the tragic terrorist bombing which took place in Bali on 12 October 2002. It has cut short the lives of hundreds of innocent people, destroyed the families of many, and stands to devastate the fragile, tourism-based economy of Bali. As I did after the terrible attack on the United States of America on September 11, 2001, I categorically state that such campaigns of fear and violence are an affront to all humanity. As a nation so accustomed to security and stability, the bombing marks a profound loss of innocence for Australians. Our closely held values of personal freedom and liberty have been hit hard. It is imperative that the perpetrators and those who assisted them be brought to justice.
I send my sympathy to the relatives and friends who have lost loved ones or are awaiting news of the missing. As to the scores who were injured in the blast, I pray for their complete and speedy recovery, and I offer my support for their families as well. For the victims and their relatives here in Australia, we must do all we can to help them put their lives back together. I have been told that as at today's date the death toll from the attack stands at approximately 180. At least 92 of those are thought to be Australians. Another 113 Australians were wounded in the blast, the nature of their injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening. A great number have suffered burns and will be disfigured for life. Some individuals are still fighting for their lives. As other speakers have said, many of the victims were only very young. Some were members of football teams kicking up their heels with their mates at the end of the season. Others were in Bali holidaying with friends and family. Most of them were in the prime of their lives, and no doubt they would have gone on to have happy and productive futures.
Though it was born from extreme hatred and cruelty, this terrorist act has, nonetheless, produced stories of great courage and altruism. During the chaos and fire which engulfed the Sari Club immediately after the bombing, many bystanders and survivors ran to assist the injured. Some of those were wounded themselves, yet they selflessly risked their own lives to do what they could to save friends and strangers. That kind of bravery stands in stark contrast to the cowardice of the attack, and it is certainly a tremendous example to all of us. It shows that in the face of grave personal danger, people will still rally together to help one another. Credit must be given to the multitude of volunteers in Bali who are offering their services to assist to identify the dead, and to aid local police, soldiers and medical personnel on the scene. That small army of helpers has brought together many Balinese, as well as other locals and tourists of all nationalities. They have done everything from carrying bodies and compiling descriptions of the missing to simply making tea and coffee. They must be sincerely thanked for their practical support and compassion.
In the wake of the event it is imperative that we do not unfairly or unjustly blame or victimise any section or religious group in our harmonious multicultural society. We must protect that society vigilantly. That view has been echoed by the Federal Minister of Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Gary Hardgrave. He stated that no innocent person in the community should be persecuted as a consequence of the terrorist act. Premier Bob Carr has warned about attacks on Muslim Australians and has called for greater tolerance. Unfortunately, a Muslim school in Sydney and the house adjoining it has been vandalised, and a mosque in Melbourne has been firebombed. There have even been demands for Muslims to leave Australia entirely. Not surprisingly, many members of our Muslim and Arabic communities, particularly women, are frightened to go about their normal business because they fear they will be subjected to abuse or even violence.
This is extremely alarming and must be addressed quickly. We simply cannot allow innocent Islamic or Arabic people to be unfairly targeted. Islam is a peace-loving religion. So too are the people who practice the faith in Australia. Now more than ever Australians must show tolerance, fairness and respect, irrespective of race or religion. To allow prejudice and racism to spread will only perpetuate the harm that was committed in Bali on 12 October. Last Sunday's National Day of Mourning, which was observed by thousands of Australians all over the country, demonstrates just how we can unify against this threat. In conclusion, I support the amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition to establish a memorial in remembrance of this event. Once again, I convey my condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims of this terrorist attack, and I commend the heroism of the individuals who endangered their own lives to rescue others.
Mr E. T. PAGE (Coogee) [4.39 p.m.]: I join with other speakers in expressing my shock and horror about the events on 12 October. This tragedy has particularly affected my electorate of Coogee and is a matter close to my heart because six members of the Coogee Dolphins Rugby League Club, three of whom live in my electorate, were killed. At times such as this we endeavour to identify with those who have suffered. I am able to have some empathy for the victims because 44 years ago my 13-month-old son was badly scalded. I will never forget that time. I pay tribute to the Australians who went to Bali to help ease the pain and succour those involved in the catastrophe. I also pay tribute to the Balinese who gave their support to Australians and other nationalities during the crisis.
Last Sunday Reverend Craig Segaert of St Nicolas Anglican Church conducted a memorial service in my electorate. Representatives of the Coogee Dolphins Rugby League Club were in attendance, including Peter Blake, who inaugurated the club some years ago. Later in the day approximately 10,000 people attended a commemorative service which was held by Randwick City Council at Coogee Oval. Although it was a sombre event, the mood was not morose. The club members, whilst mourning for their friends, see a future for their club; there was not a dirge of despair. I was impressed that only one police officer was present at this quiet congregation. Although other police officers were on call, the minimal police presence gave the service some dignity. Obviously the authorities did not believe that this large group of people would get out of hand.
Like many others, I hope that the perpetrators of this terrorism are found and punished. But I hope that our reaction is sensible and not disproportionate. Obviously the perpetrators want to destabilise our society, but we should not take their bait. If we restrict the liberties of our citizens, they have won the battle. We should maintain our freedom and not succumb to the pressure applied by extreme organisations and individuals by reacting to their agenda. There was a shooting at a university in Melbourne yesterday. How do we stop this sort of thing? Should students be frisked or classroom sizes reduced? If we react in that way our society is diminished. In a sense, we cannot stop this type of thing happening now and again, but if we overreact, we ensure that it happens more often.
I agree with the sentiments of previous speakers about opening our arms to our Muslim community and making them feel a part of our society. They have the same right to be in Australia as we have. I am an Australian by accident; one of my forebears came to Australia in a convict ship, so I have no priority right to be here. I am in the same position as the members of our Muslim community. If we marginalise groups, they will act in a manner that is not consistent with the society in which we live. I support the view that we must convince our Muslim community that it is part of our society. In this way we will ensure it does not feel a sense of alienation, which could cause problems in the future. The commemorative service at Coogee Oval was addressed by Eric de Haart on behalf of the Coogee Dolphins. On behalf of the club he said:
The pain will not go away. It will take a long, long time to heal. In the dark days to come we will need your help and your support.
As to the men who did not come back, he said:
They had their faults and failings, but they were my mates and I will never forget them. They will always be my mates.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to associate with others who are appalled by this event, but I hope we do not become obsessed and paranoid, and that we remain positive.
Ms SEATON (Southern Highlands) [4.45 p.m.]: On 12 October Australia directly became a part of the senseless horror that terrorists have been waging around the world since 11 September last year. It is hard to comprehend the complete and utter cowardice and the evil of those individuals, whoever they are, who perpetrated this act of horror on our Australian brothers and sisters. These people also inflicted unspeakable horror on travellers from other countries and on the innocents in this tragedy—the Balinese. It would appear that the Balinese were not the target of the terrorists, as they were not Westerners, but they have suffered physical and economic casualties as a result.
Like most Australians, the horror of the events unfolding in Bali late on Saturday night did not become clear to me until Sunday morning. Even then, it took several hours for the reality to sink in. On Anzac Day this year I was privileged to deliver the Anzac Day address at Mittagong. In that address I tried to express my understanding of the spirit of the young Australians who travelled so far and with great curiosity about the world with a generosity of spirit and willingness to defend freedom. Two of them were my forebears. In his heart-felt remarks at the memorial service in Bali, the Prime Minister touched on their sense of adventure, their wish to explore the world, and their desire to reach out to other people and form lasting relationships in other cultures.
I have learnt a great deal and felt a great sense of pride, as well as great sadness, from watching interviews with Australian volunteers and survivors from Bali. They have spoken candidly about what happened and of how they coped and helped others against the odds. A young Australian man who, although injured himself, helped many other injured people, said on the television news during the week of his own rescue efforts, "We're not heroes. We were just mates looking out for each other. It's just what you do." This is the Anzac spirit alive in 2002. Although things seem bleak and we are hurting from a terrible loss, this Anzac spirit gives me the confidence to believe that we will emerge from this tragedy strengthened, perhaps wiser, but still Australians to the core, with all the best that that entails. I could imagine my Anzac grandfather saying in 1915 the same thing that that young man said last week.
I do not wish to romanticise the tragedy that occurred in Bali. Families across the country, 41 in New South Wales alone, are mourning the loss of their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. But Australians will not be defeated by terrorism and will not be faced down or intimidated by terrorists, however faceless and unpredictable they are. We are defenders and lovers of freedom. Every soldier who has served under the Australian flag has fought for our freedom. We must honour the memory of those Australians who died in Bali by continuing to defend freedom.
The tragedy hit the Bowral community through the loss of Joshua Iliffe, a fine young man who is being mourned by his parents, Peter and Yvonne Iliffe, his brother and sister and his friends and colleagues from the Coogee Dolphins Rugby League Club. Josh Iliffe was 28 years old. In his parents words, "Everybody loved Josh." I spoke to Mrs Iliffe today when preparing for this joint sitting and sought her permission to speak of Joshua in this debate. Mrs Iliffe graciously gave her agreement for me to speak about Josh in order that there might be a permanent record of the Iliffe family's love for Josh and their devastation at their loss. Mrs Iliffe hoped to contact her husband, Peter, and ask him to tell me what he would like me to say about Josh. I am sorry to say that I have not heard from Mr Iliffe, who is somewhere in Sydney this afternoon. Mr and Mrs Iliffe understandably want their son returned home, and I will do whatever I can to assist them in this task. My heart goes out to them, knowing the obstacles they face. May Josh rest in peace close to his family as soon as possible, as is his mother's most heart-felt wish.
I wish to acknowledge the organisers of local remembrance services on Sunday. My husband, Lachlan, and I attended a special service at St Marks church at Picton conducted by Reverend Allan Wood. I was also able to join Mayor Col Mitchell at Bargo, who led the community in one minute's silence. There has been much reference in this debate to words such as "battle". The Anzacs knew who and why they were fighting. In fact, they had a grudging mutual respect for the enemy because the enemy had the courage to reveal themselves in that conflict. The terrorists in Bali do not have the guts to reveal themselves, but they have underestimated us; we will not be defeated by this. Mateship and the Australian spirit will prevail. We will not let down Josh Iliffe and the other Australians who died in Bali.
Mr GIBSON (Blacktown) [4.51 p.m.]: Like my colleagues, I am very sorry about what happened in Bali. For many years we believed that ours was the lucky country and the best nation in the world. No honourable member would disagree. We were too far away from the rest of the world to suffer some of the nasty events that had occurred elsewhere, such as the terrorism experienced by the United States of America and other countries. Until recently we thought that that sort of thing happened only in other parts of the world. Unfortunately it was our turn in Bali last Saturday. It is interesting to note that 12 October was one year, one month and one day after 11 September. My colleague and friend the honourable member for Cabramatta asked whether that was a coincidence. I do not think it was.
The streets of Bali ran with Australian blood and all Australians have been touched in a way never thought possible. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have paid the ultimate price—the loss of their life. My thoughts are also with the people who have been injured and the families and friends who have been left behind. No words can explain how we feel. This tragedy has affected the Kotronakis family in my electorate. They have lost two daughters: Elizabeth, who was 33 years old, and Dimmy, who was 27. They were members of the wedding party mentioned by honourable members. The bride, Maria—their sister—and her new husband decided to go to Bali for their honeymoon and the wedding party accompanied them to continue the celebrations. Maria and her husband left the Sari Club an hour before the explosion. Unfortunately, Elizabeth and Dimmy stayed behind and they have not been found. The sympathies of everyone in Blacktown are extended to the family. The people of Blacktown, including the Mayor, Mr Alan Pendleton, and his wife, feel for the family. We hope that they will heal over time. Of course, they will be in our prayers forever.
After the disaster of September 11 we all said the world could never be the same again. I do not think it can. I could not understand President Bush's reaction when he said that he wanted to "kick some butt". We all have our own opinion of him, but I thought that was a strange thing for a president to say. However, after what happened in Bali, I feel the same way. We should kick some butt as well; we must not rest until we find the people responsible. We have suffered the heartbreak of watching mothers and fathers looking for sons and daughters who they know are dead but whom they want to take home. We have watched husbands and wives looking at the badly burnt bodies of their partners lying in the sun in body bags. We have also watched children looking for their parents. It was more than we could bear.
As has been said, the victims included members of football teams from Coogee and Perth. Between them they have left 13 mates in Bali, all assumed dead. Having been a member of sporting teams all my life, I know about the bonding that occurs in that environment. Coming home from a team trip without 13 mates would never occur in normal circumstances. Given that bonding, this event must be eating away at those who did come home. We hope that it never happens again to our countrymen or to people from any other country. We must pray that decency and commonsense will again prevail in our lives. I extend my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, to those who have been injured and to the many thousands who have been left behind and who are suffering. I say to the terrorists: You can break our bones and you can break our hearts, but you can never break our spirit.
Mr GLACHAN (Albury) [4.57 p.m.]: My wife, Helen, and I were shocked and dismayed when we heard about the bombing in Bali, particularly when we heard the reports of many deaths. We realised that many of those killed would be Australians. As the story unfolded, we learned that it was an international tragedy and that people from many countries had been killed and seriously injured. It is a particular tragedy for this country because so many of the victims are Australian. The tragedy was quickly brought home to us in a very real and personal way with a telephone call from friends who told us that another person we knew well, Neta Hore, had asked them to ring me because Neta's daughter, Andrea, was in Bali with a friend, Jenny Murphy from Wangaratta. They had rung the hotel where she was staying and were told that she had not returned. Andrea and Jenny are in their mid-thirties—about the same age as my second daughter, Alison. That brought the tragedy home to Helen and me. Jenny has two young children, which makes this even sadder.
Getting information was very frustrating. I tried to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade but was unsuccessful. It was difficult even to get through to the department to ask for information. I suppose that is understandable, because between 20,000 and 30,000 Australians were in Bali at the time and families from all over the country wanted information. The workload would have been enormous. Fortunately, Andrea worked for Uncle Ben's of Australia, which is a subsidiary of Mars Confectionery of Australia. The company has representatives in Indonesia and Singapore and it immediately offered to help by making inquiries about Andrea and Jenny. When the first survivors were returned to Australia and Andrea was not with them, the family clung to the hope that she had been sent to Singapore. They turned to Uncle Ben's, which sent people with information about Jenny and photographs to hospitals in Singapore to try to find her. So far nothing has come to light and everyone is in limbo. Her mother clung to the hope that some miracle would occur and that Andrea would survive, but as the days went by she gradually began to lose that hope and now has to face the prospect that Andrea has been lost.
Yesterday I went into a sandwich bar in Albury to buy lunch. I saw there an uncle of Andrea's, who said to me that the family is now beginning to believe that Andrea may never be identified, so they will have to face the extra sad prospect that they may not be able to bring her body home to bury her, as they want to do, in the area where she grew up. Andrea was a happy-go-lucky, intelligent, wonderful young woman who will be missed by everyone in the Albury area. Everyone who knew her loved her and held her in high regard. It is sad that we have lost her. It is sad too for her parents and family, because they will forever remember their sad loss, and their tension and frustration when they were looking for their daughter. It has been a horrible time for them. The thoughts of everyone in the Albury electorate go out to Neta and Tony and their family. We feel for them. We are upholding them in our thoughts and prayers. I add my personal condolences to all those throughout the world who have lost loved ones in this dreadful tragedy, but especially to Australians and particularly to the Hore family of Albury.
The Hon. IAN COHEN [5.01 p.m.]: On behalf of my colleague Ms Lee Rhiannon and the Greens I support the condolence motion and express our horror at this monstrous and cowardly act of terrorism that killed or injured 400 innocent people in Bali. Behind the bomb blasts are hate and destructiveness that should be given no quarter in human society and should have no part in our global community of the twenty-first century. Our hearts and our deepest sympathy and empathy go out to those who are injured and who are suffering unthinkable agony as a result of the blasts. So many, so young and with so much life in front of them, were cut down by this murderous act.
My first notice of this tragedy was a phone call from a friend, Maggie Luke, a resident of Byron shire, where I live. Maggie was desperate to find a way to make contact with her daughter, Hanabeth Luke, that brave young Byron woman who saved a life but lost her partner. I attempted to contact Foreign Affairs but was unsuccessful. We all now understand why. Like Hanabeth, the young travel freely, in a world where borders are more easily crossed than ever before. This hideous act of inhumane violence in Bali finds Australia and Indonesia bound not just as victims but also in the urgent task of aiding the victims and tracking down the criminals responsible.
The wounds that Australians have suffered in Bali will take a long time to begin to heal. As a nation we want to help in that process to our utmost. The pluralism of views that we value so highly in our nation must be encouraged and not discouraged, as we look for long-term peace and security in our region and in the world. Terrorism must be tackled as a priority, but not at the expense of our democratic society, our freedoms that have endured two world wars, or our growing place as an independent nation able to help lead the world to a fairer, more secure future. Not least, in our global outreach let Australia concentrate on civil rather than military engagement to find that peace and security.
The Greens want to see Australia help to close the gap between the rich and the poor in this world, between the haves and the have-nots and between the powerful and the powerless people of the world. We are all equally human beings on this planet. If any good is to come from this awful event, let it be our long-range commitment to encourage and bolster the vast majority of our neighbours in Indonesia who want more democracy, peace and opportunity for their children and their future. In this commitment we will find the key to securing our own children's future, in a sharing world without need, where terrorism is starved of much of its ill-conceived motivation. In this terrible hour, let us aspire to such a world. Our thoughts are with the thousands of people suffering so much today.
More than 250,000 Australians visit Bali each year. Bali has been our national escape to innocent pleasure. We are in a relationship with the Balinese people. They made and laid Hindu funeral flower arrangements to honour our dead. They cried with us for their dead and for ours. I first visited Bali in 1975 to surf and to experience life. Bali was and is a special place, a symbol of peace and beauty. I have travelled there a number of times since, as have so many other Australians who have trodden the same path. On last Sunday's day of mourning I gathered with other ocean lovers and surfers at Sandon Point. In silence, Senator Bob Brown, surrounded by little nippers, delivered a wreath of wattle through surfers lined up with an honour guard of surfboards. We paddled out and circled the floating wreath to remember fellow Australians and Balinese, and a Bali forever changed. We cannot change what has occurred but we can all work towards a non-violent future.
The Hon. Dr PETER WONG [5.05 p.m.]: On behalf of the Unity Party, our local government councillors and members, I offer my profound sympathy and express my strong condolences to the victims and to the families and friends of those who were killed, injured or traumatised by the terrorist attack at the Sari Club and in its surrounds in Bali, Indonesia. The horrors of terrorism have been visited upon us. The Australian nation has traditionally been immune from this type of event but it has reeled in shock from the devastation that terror is wreaking upon millions the world over. This tragic incident has shaken us, our communities and our children as perhaps no other single event in the past 100 years has. That effect can be seen by the public response from all the people of Australia, especially those who have come to this wonderful nation to escape intolerance, political persecution, war and terrorism. Many of us were welcomed by a peace-loving nation that has only experienced these problems vicariously through the media, through friendships and relations with those who have escaped such violence, or, more directly, through armed conflict and peacekeeping in other nations enduring these problems.
Many of the wreaths and flowers laid in front of this place are from the various ethnic groups that make up Australia. I note that many are from our Muslim brothers and sisters. These communities have expressed their deepest sympathies to the wider community and their abhorrence of terrorism, and they will continue to do so. On 26 October the Forum on Indonesian Churches in Sydney, which represents 30 different denominations of Indonesian churches, will hold a memorial service commemorating those who were lost and injured and those who lost loved ones in the Bali bombing. The Indonesian churches have asked me to express their feeling of sadness and offer their prayers to the victims and the family members through this Parliament. The Lakemba mosque has already held a mourning and prayer service attended by the immigration Minister, the Hon. Philip Ruddock, on Sunday 20 October. His Eminence Mufti Alhilali stated on that occasion, on behalf of his people:
We share the pain and grief, and our prayers go to the victims. We ask God to grant comfort to the grieving families and to all Australians to help get them through these difficult times.
Keysar Trad from the Lebanese Muslim Association put it best when he publicly stated:
We repeat our call to the Indonesian Government; end the speculation, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
Tomorrow, Mufti Shaykh Taj Aldin Alhilali will lead a delegation of Australian Muslim leaders to donate blood for the victims. I have witnessed much beauty among us and in our communities in response to this dreadful act. We must take pride in ourselves in the way we come together to support each other. Our society is a beacon of tolerance, love and respect, and it shines strongly against those who attack us. That is why young Australians could travel the world with virtual immunity from nationalistic, racial and religious violence, and we must ensure that our response to the Bali bombing does not hinder our children's ability to once again travel in this world in peace and harmony. Today, as we in Australia mourn the victims of the tragedy, we must also remember the peaceful people of Bali. They too have suffered the loss of loved ones, and their livelihoods have been all but destroyed. As Jane's International Security News stated on 16 October:
The historically placid and religiously tolerant tourist haven of Bali provided the perfect "soft" target that was not only guaranteed to cause maximum casualties amongst Western targets but was also replete with symbolism.
A … Hindu state, Bali has exemplified a core tenet of modern Indonesia, that of secularity. Relations between the indigenous majority and Muslim minority on the island have traditionally been cordial.
Terror aimed at us has affected the social, religious and economic fabric of that lovely society. This is why, along with offering our help and prayers to the victims of Australia and abroad, we must also find solutions to the problems that allow this type of intolerance and wickedness to flourish. I believe no member of this Parliament will accept hatred as a repayment for the bombing. Neither should the sentiment of revenge replace the victims' love for Bali and Indonesia. Lastly, in the aftermath of this vicious attack, our response ought not be more violence and turmoil. In the words of Nelson Mandela:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We should allow our compassion for others to lead us out of this nightmare. In the words of Jesus Christ, "By this shall all men know you are my disciples, for you have love for one another."
The Hon. RICHARD JONES [5.10 p.m.]: I express my deepest sympathy to the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy in Bali just over a week ago. One cannot imagine what pain and anguish they are feeling and we all empathise with them tremendously. In fact, I do not think any person in Australia was not affected by this enormous tragedy. I would also like to mention the Balinese who suffered very much as well. One could see in the lists of those missing and dead names like Wayan, Made, Nyoman and Ketut. These are the first names that they have in Bali. Wayan means "One", Made "Two", Nyoman "Three", Ketut "Four", and the names go round and round. So all young people are called Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut. I first went to Bali in 1971, and Kuta in those days was a very different place from what it is today. There were just dirt roads; one could not telephone out of the country; there was no television. It was a very beautiful and peaceful place. I have seen it gradually change during my dozens of visits over the years.
Bali had, and hopefully still will have, a beautiful, peaceful culture, quite different from that in the rest of Indonesia. Bali, 90 percent Hindu, has a history of arts and sculpture and clothes making. It is a very cultured society. Approximately 10 per cent of those in Bali are Muslims, and they and the Hindus have been living in peace together for very many years. One can be sure that no Balinese was involved in this appalling tragedy. The Balinese Hindus say that a violent event disrupts the harmony between the physical and spiritual worlds, so one can be sure that they were not involved in this bombing.
My son and his American wife, Jenna, were married in Bali four years ago just up the beach from this tragedy. I have friends living in Bali and I send my sympathy to the many Balinese people I know and have known for many years for the devastation in their country. This tragedy must not be allowed to divide us as a community. We must all come together much more closely, as I believe we have done, including the Muslim community in Australia, who are suffering as much as the rest of the community. No extremism works, whether it be Christian extremism, Muslim extremism, or any other extremism. It can never work.
One should remember that 14 people were killed tragically in Israel yesterday, and dozens more injured. Several hundred innocent Israelis have been killed in terrorist attacks, but well over a thousand Palestinians have also been killed in terrorist attacks by Israelis. That may be part of the reason why this attack took place in Bali. We have to look at the root cause of this violence and address the problem. We need justice everywhere, whether in Palestine or in any other part of the world. We have to realise there are motivations for these appalling events and we have to look at and deal with those motivations. I believe that one step would be to renew our efforts for peace in Palestine so that the Palestinian people and the Israelis have their own homelands. We have to strive for peace. I do not believe that violence works, whether it be the violence of bombing our customers in Iraq or the violence that has killed our sons and daughters, and mothers and wives in Bali. I hope that we learn from this tragedy that violence does not work, that it can never work, and that peacemaking is the only way forward for all of us. Once again I express my deepest sympathy for all those families who are affected, both in Australia and in so many other countries.
Mr McGRANE (Dubbo) [5.14 p.m.]: I support the condolence motion and endorse the comments by all previous speakers. In my electorate of Dubbo lives the family of Paul Cronin, the son of Brian and Ann Cronin of Trundle. The honourable member for Lachlan spoke with great depth and emotion about the three football players from Forbes who lost their lives, and Paul was one of them. The Premier mentioned that Gerard Yeo was a member of the football team from Coogee. Gerard was educated in Dubbo. He left school and worked in two places in Dubbo before moving to Coogee to further his career as a plumber. Gerard was the son of Pat and Kier Yeo of Dubbo, one of eight children. This tragedy has brought that family together. The Yeo family has been in the Dubbo district for a great number of years.
Last Friday at St Brigid's Church more than one thousand friends of the Yeo family gathered to pay their respects to Gerard and to support the Yeo family. It was the most moving ceremony that I have ever witnessed, with the coming together of a community to express grief to the Yeo family and to the other victims here in Australia and overseas. The most moving part of the ceremony focused on strength of the family and strength of faith. It was a two-hour ceremony, a ceremony for the young, but a very Christian ceremony to say goodbye to Gerard. During the ceremony, which the family took part in, Paul Yeo said:
I just wish we could all shake hands and the entire world live in peace.
That is a very graphic statement and I think it has been expressed by all speakers in this Chamber today. As a demonstration of Gerard's love of his family and his friends, he left a note in Paul's ute. The note, found after the tragedy, revealed his love for his family. It said:
I love my family and wish not to harm any of them or any of my cousins.
Again, words of passion, simple words but words of conviction, all about the family and all about having faith.
We should not succumb to terrorism. Australia and the rest of the world will not surrender to terrorism. The evil acts that have been taking place in the world in the past 10 years, especially in the past two years, show that the world is a different place to live in and that travellers must be more vigilant. One never knows when one is in the right or the wrong spot. But the sheer courage of Australians, the courage of the Western world and the courage of people of all faiths will overcome this great terror. I, on behalf of my electorate of Dubbo, extend my greatest sympathy to the Yeo and the Cronin families and to all the other victims of this tragedy that has affected us all here in Australia.
Mr MOSS (Canterbury—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.20 p.m.]: Like most Australians, I went into a state of shock on hearing of the terrorist attack at Kuta beach in Bali some week and a half ago. It took probably a week before the reality of this event sunk in and I realised just how monstrous the attack was. That occurred last Saturday when I picked up the Sydney Morning Herald and found on pages 12 and 13 photographs of 49 Australian victims who had died or were missing—and many of them still are missing. Most of the faces in the newspaper were of young, vibrant Australians in their prime who had everything to live for.
All of us have experienced emotional times in our lives. The first time I visited the Vietnam monument in Canberra I was deeply moved, probably because those who died in Vietnam were of my generation and were young at the time. Recently I visited the mining monument in Broken Hill. It carries the names of all miners killed in mining accidents in Broken Hill. Again I was deeply moved, mainly because most of the miners were young when they died. The same emotions erupted within me on seeing the faces in the Sydney Morning Herald. I thought how tragic a waste of innocent young lives it was. I extend my condolences to the families and friends of all the victims.
The real tragedy of terrorist attacks is not only that innocent people are caught up; it is that innocent people are actually targeted. That is the real horror: Those who commit the crimes concentrate on innocent people in order to get their warped message across. I believe that to take a person's life is the ultimate act of evil, but words just cannot describe how evil it is for perpetrators to kill innocent people who are not even known to them. On television last Sunday I saw an interview with the former President of Indonesia, President Wahid. He said that terrorists prey on our fear of them and their actions. He quoted Roosevelt's famous statement: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." I thought how true that statement is. These terrorists are trying to prey on our fear of them and their actions. We should never fear these sly, gutless acts of barbarism. We should never forget the innocent people who lost their lives, and we should continue to support their loved ones in whatever way we can.
The Hon. Dr BRIAN PEZZUTTI [5.24 p.m.]: Late in the evening there were two blasts followed by silence, a series of screams—death, dismemberment, pain and suffering all inflicted in an instant. We saw pictures of people running from the bomb site. Some were on fire. Some were naked. Some had been dismembered. People were being dragged away. Water was poured on some people to put out the flames on them. These images will remain with us for an awfully long time, particularly with the friends and relatives of the victims. However, I want to concentrate on what was done to help bring the victims home, both the living and the dead.
In Canberra, tasked by Strategic Command and by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the national burns and disaster plans were rolled out and implemented. Air command was given the task of rescuing the injured Australians from Bali and bringing them home. The first plane took off from Sydney at 10.00 a.m. It was a Royal Australian Air Force C130 and it arrived in Darwin about 2.00 p.m. Nurses and an aero-medical evacuation regular doctor were on board. They were augmented in Darwin by a reserve anaesthetist from the Army, a reserve general duties medical officer from the Air Force and a reserve surgeon. Additional stores and equipment were picked up from Robertson Barracks, from Headquarters Northern Command and from Darwin hospital.
The plane left Darwin at 1500 hours and arrived at Denpasar, where it was met by a warrant officer from the embassy in Jakarta who organised transport to Denpasar National Hospital. A team of medics was left behind at the airport to establish an air staging facility [ASF] so that people being sent from the hospital to the airport to be evacuated could be cared for through that process and properly documented so that we knew who got on and who did not. We also wanted to ensure that they were properly assessed. The C130 took off about 2½ hours later with 20 people on board. The Australian anaesthetist and surgeon who went to the hospital had done some resuscitation work and had brought back some people to the ASF.
On the tarmac the surgeon performed some operations and the anaesthetist gave some Ketamine anaesthetics. The next plane was filled with people on ventilators. Those people had been brought back by the first team that had gone to Denpasar hospital. There were about 30 people on board. That plane brought back some of the more seriously injured people. The team on the second plane stayed to look after the ones who were going to be prepared for the third plane. This national capability is possible because there is an armed force. The only way to provide such a response is by having well prepared and well-organised plans and people who know the tasks they have to perform.
The team that went over on the first flight, including my good friend Lieutenant-Colonel Sue Winter, an Army Reserve anaesthetist, arrived back in Darwin on the second flight at Darwin at 7 o'clock eastern standard time. The patients were received by ambulances from the Northern Territory health service and the medical personnel from Royal Darwin Hospital. One of the doctors who was on the third C130 to arrive reported that some 20 patients were already there, all with drips up and all with sheets of useful notes. Most had their catheters in. They were all adequately assessed by an Australian Defence Force medical team on the ground as being fit for transport and stable for the journey. Nearly all of them had greater than 20 per cent burns and many had 30 to 60 per cent burns. Several had already had operations.
There was no panic but a degree of calmness amongst the patients and their relatives. There was no "Take me first". They seemed to be rational, aware and brave. None of these 20 required intubation but some did shortly after arrival in Darwin. Two had previously undergone major surgery at a hospital in Denpasar. Some had spinal injuries but they were on the third, fourth and fifth of the C130s. So we had five C130 major evacuations. The same person who wrote that said I should tell you that Royal Darwin Hospital has been magnificent throughout. That person could not imagine any hospital doing better than Royal Darwin Hospital, which is technically an organisation that is friendly, efficient, humane, caring and charming. That goes for the emergency department, intensive care, surgical wards and all staff.
I am impressed that many other people helped. Many people flew from Australia to help bring back the injured. I draw it to the attention of honourable members that from the very earliest time the Australian Government was getting its forensic experts ready. On Sunday afternoon I was aware of teams of people being assembled in Australia, because the Federal Government knew of the difficulties in identifying the bodies and how important it was to identify the dead and bring them home. Most of the people who came back on the C130s were Australian but there were also some Belgians and Canadians. It takes time and diplomacy to get our forensic experts into a foreign country to assist.
I am very impressed with the way Alexander Downer and John Howard have conducted very difficult negotiations with the Indonesian Government. One would not expect experts from a foreign country to enter one's territory but, in the spirit of co-operation, the Indonesian Government has been highly co-operative. On the Monday morning after the blast I received a phone call from Robin Kruk, the Director- General of Health, letting me know that our emergency team in New South Wales had been activated according to the national plan. She was pleased that everything was going well. New South Wales has a proud history of responding well in a planned way for disasters of flood, fire, the Olympics—of course, the planning for that was exemplary.
The plan allowed this well-oiled machine to move into place; as the Minister for Health said, many of our specialist doctors have been moved to Bali to assist with the civilian evacuation. I spent last Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Perth attending the Australia New Zealand Intensive Care Society's annual meeting and the critical care nurses' meeting to hear what is happening in the world of critical care medicine. I was impressed by the stories I read in the Perth papers about what was happening in Perth, the way the professionals are dealing with the issue and the way the relatives are being fully assisted.
But of course there is a long way to go with multiple stage surgery. People will go back and forth to surgery, perhaps up to 50 or 60 times. Each time they will have to undergo anaesthesia, each time they will have to endure pain when they come out, and each time they will need more support. As the Minister for Health said, there will need to be a lot of understanding by relatives because post-traumatic stress disorder is a very serious condition and many people, not only those who are there, will be affected by what they saw on television and what they continue to read about this in the press. However, I am confident that New South Wales health professionals will rise to the task.
I urge anybody who has a problem with grieving or who has been seriously impacted by this disaster to seek help. I join with my many colleagues in strongly supporting the sentiments expressed by the Leader of the Opposition and his amendment to the motion. My sympathy and that of my wife goes out to all the relatives and friends of the dead and the injured. May our actions now and in the future lead us to peace. But we must be vigilant and have plans and the capability to deliver those plans at any time to deal with this disaster and many other disasters in the future.
The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO [5.34 p.m.]: Following the act of terrorism in Bali on 12 October I offer my sincere condolences to the families in Australia, in Bali and elsewhere that have suffered the loss of loved ones. I also extend best wishes for a speedy and safe recovery for the injured. I note the efforts of those who helped in the aftermath to rescue and to tend to the injured, and those who continue to provide medical support to the injured. I believe that those who are religious will receive some comfort from their faith in the aftermath of this act of terrorism. Bali has long been a very popular tourist destination for Australians, whether they were attracted to the shopping, beaches and night-life of Kuta or to the culture and tranquility of Ubud. I believe we must ensure that the ties and the affection that exist between the Australian people and the Balinese will survive this act of terrorism.
I hope that the tolerance and respect for cultural and religious diversity in Australia will not be diminished. We must resolve not to succumb to the fear of terrorism. When we allow that fear to disrupt our lives the terrorists will have won. We must not let them win; we must ensure that freedom prevails. In the aftermath of an event such as the bomb attack in Bali on 12 October people reassess the way they go about their ordinary lives. They think about the times they may have visited Bali, they think about family and friends who they know have holidayed there in safety, and they think about the future. When we think about the future in this context we must ensure that we do not cower before the acts of terrorism that we have seen in New York, in Washington and now in Bali. We must ensure that we stand up for democracy and freedom, and that we do not allow these acts of terrorism to change the way we go about our ordinary lives.
As a parent, I worry about the impact on my young children of seeing these sorts of horrors on television. I assure them that the majority of people in the world in which we live today are peaceful, tolerant and do not approve of these acts of terrorism. I entreat them not to be despondent about their future but to look forward to a future in which they can participate in a democratic society such as we have in Australia now and that their future will allow them to travel overseas in safety to experience the culture and diversity that so many other countries have to offer. In conclusion, we have a responsibility to ensure that our responses to acts of terrorism like that which occurred in Bali on 12 October are measured and that we act in a united way. The debate in this Chamber today has shown that there are many common threads between people who have many differences in terms of political affiliations. Only by working together can we ensure that we have a safe future and that the future for our children will be a positive one.
Mr MARKHAM (Wollongong—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.38 p.m.]: It gives me a sense of sorrow and shame that human beings can perpetrate acts of terror against each other such as that which happened on 12 October at 11.15 p.m. when a bomb detonated in the village of Legian, Kuta, in the centre of Bali's main tourist area next to the popular Sari Club and Paddy's pub. These explosions resulted in at least 187 deaths, with victims of several nationalities, including Australia, Britain, Indonesia, Japan, France, South Africa, Germany and many more. Many of the Balinese who were injured or killed were innocent pedestrians or employees working in the area's tourist industry. It has been said that if one stood in the Sari Club long enough one would meet a member of every nationality.
By attacking those clubs terrorists have preyed on some of the most innocent people: young, unpretentious, carefree people who were having fun and enjoying an idyllic island holiday. The disturbing events of September 11 shocked and saddened the entire world. However, most Australians felt somewhat removed, due to our geographical isolation. The recent events in Bali have clearly demonstrated that terrorism can strike anywhere, any time. Shock, denial, anger, guilt and overwhelming grief are the emotions that bereaved families and friends are experiencing following the devastating events in Bali. When a loved one is lost all families grieve the same, no matter what nationality. I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to all families who have lost a loved one and to people who suffered injury in the bomb blasts. The Bali bombings have impacted on us all very deeply. We have seen the news footage of the devastation and horrific injuries; we know someone who was there or who has just returned from Bali, and it has all the more impact due to it being so close to home.
David Walsh, a young footballer, is the captain-coach of Dapto's first grade football team. David and his wife, Lisa, were in Bali on 12 October. My family's association with David goes back a number of years. When David and his brother, Gary, came from Narromine to play with the Illawarra Steelers they lived with me and my family for two years. My family has kept a close relationship with David, Lisa, Gary and their family. On that fateful day David and Lisa Walsh arrived in Bali and were faced with a bit of a hiccup getting through customs at the airport. When they arrived at their hotel there were more delays. Later that afternoon they went to the marketplace with friends and it was suggested that they go to the Sari Club for a beer. However, the girls suggested that as they had been travelling all day that they go back to the hotel, have a meal and have an early night. That is exactly what they did—they did not go to the club. There is an old saying about being in the right place at the right time, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time—and it can be applied either way as far as David and Lisa are concerned. They were lucky that they decided not to go to that club that night but to go the next night. However, that did not happen—and they came back to Australia the following Monday.
I will relate a story about terrorism and how we should not bow to its pressure. In November last year I represented this Parliament at a conference in Ottawa, Canada. Many friends and relatives said that I was mad to travel overseas because of the terrorist attacks of September 11. Had I not travelled, I would have succumbed to the pressure of terrorists. I will not do that. I went to Canada in defiance of terrorism. Of course, we must mourn and grieve, but we must not let terrorism win; people must not let the events in Bali put them off their plans, dreams and aspirations. To do so, the terrorists will have won—and they must not win. My wife, Melissa, and I express our condolences to all the families and friends of those families who have been involved in this horrific event.
Mr O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai) [5.44 p.m.]: Concepts such as good and evil seem old-fashioned in what is an increasingly modern and changing world. Undoubtedly, the events of 12 October were unadulterated evil. Clearly the taking of innocent lives in any circumstances is evil. The attacks in Bali are, regrettably, not unique, and I echo the comments of the honourable member for Vaucluse. Those sorts of terrorist attacks are everyday and commonplace in countries such as Israel. However, the events in Bali have brought them closer to home. I join with colleagues on all sides of the House in expressing sympathy and condolences to those affected by the Bali tragedy. I can only guess at the incomprehensible sorrow and sense of loss that families touched by the terrorist attacks are now feeling.
I express my appreciation to all those involved in the rescue effort: those who responded on the evening, those who were involved in the stunning evacuation processes carried out by Australia's armed services and those currently involved in the ongoing work that will last for many months in seeking to bring those wounded back to full health. Last Sunday, along with everyone else in New South Wales, I commemorated the National Day of Mourning. I attended the church service at St John the Evangelist Church, Gordon, conducted by the rector, Reverend Rob Sutherland. He made a point in his sermon that is worthy of repeating in this place. He said:
For God's love has been strongly present since this disaster. I have seen God's love in the selfless rescue efforts; I have seen God's love in the selfless efforts of caring medical staff and strangers; I have seen God's love as one nation reaches out to help the innocent victims of another. In the worst of times I have seen the very best of humanity; I have truly seen the love of God in selfless actions of these people.
I reinforce the message delivered last Sunday by Reverend Sutherland. The efforts of those who sought to rescue and help those injured in Bali was nothing short of magnificent. In my view, the efforts of the Prime Minister of this country have been magnificent. Irrespective of my political beliefs, irrespective of my political lineage, I have never been so proud of a nation's leader as I was of the man who leads us in Canberra and who engendered such a response in this country. The sentiment he gave voice to over the week and a half since the Bali tragedy was magnificent, as was the way in which he ensured that every possible support was available to those families and others affected by this tragedy, and the way in which he supervised the flight from Bali for those who had been severely affected.
During a time of national crisis the Prime Minister reached out across the political divide and ensured that Simon Crean, the Leader of the Federal Opposition, was included on the flight that he and John Anderson took to Bali to express comfort and sorrow to those affected by this tragedy. Honourable members know how hard it is in times of crisis within our electorates, when loss has been suffered, to front up to homes and express sympathy to people. John Howard, John Anderson and Simon Crean showed enormous courage and we should be proud of them. I am proud of my Prime Minister for dealing with this crisis in a bipartisan manner.
Fanaticism and extremism flourish where ignorance and prejudice abound. Whilst the war on terrorism is, undoubtedly, just and right and, in my view, must be pursued, at the end of the day the battle against evil will be won only through education. Members opposite have reflected on the value of education. I repeat a point I have made in this House time and again: our compulsory system of education in this State and in this nation has contributed to the peaceful and successful development of this nation. The only way that we will win the battle against fanaticism and extremism and the only way that we will wipe away ignorance and prejudice is to ensure that when these sorts of situations arise we redouble our efforts to ensure that education is extended throughout the world. We must shine lights on places of darkness and exterminate the evil that was so evident in Bali on 12 October.
Mr ASHTON (East Hills) [5.49 p.m.]: I join with other honourable members to express my condolences to victims and their families who have been affected by the terrorist attack in Bali. On the night of Saturday 12 October a seemingly small bomb exploded at Paddy's bar in Legian Street, Kuta, and very shortly thereafter a much bigger bomb exploded outside the Sari Club. Those who understand a little about terrorism know that it is not an unusual terrorist tactic to set off a small explosion to draw a crowd to the scene and then explode a much bigger bomb. The first news stories that came through on the Sunday morning after the blast were not live coverage by CNN and were confused. Apart from the initial shock, one tended to think that a bomb had gone off in Bali, that three or four people may have been killed and that more may have been injured. It was only after hours of watching television reports that realisation of the horrific nature of the incident sunk in. It was only some time later that it became clear that the bomb had virtually destroyed street after street of buildings at Kuta Beach in Bali. In common with most people, I became increasingly shocked at how many people were killed and injured as a result of this outrage and I asked myself, "Why Bali?"
I tumbled to the realisation that the bomb scene, which consisted mostly of nightclubs and bars, is a place frequented by Australians and Europeans, but particularly by Australians. While political arguments about westerners as targets generally should be deferred to another time, it seems clear that Australians were selected as the primary target for the attack. The explosions were designed to kill Australians, particularly young Australians—people who, as Eliot said, had not even had the chance to measure out their life "with coffee spoons" much less live a long life. The victims were young people who had not had the chance to live life at all, and I think that is what made this tragedy so very sad. Many young people were either tragically injured or killed, and many very young people lost parents, brothers, sisters, uncles or cousins. Football coaches lost half their football teams, as well as older people who trained and coached players and younger people who looked after the teams' arrangements. I do not intend to cite figures because, unfortunately, details on the numbers of people who have been killed or who are still missing vary each day—as I am sure they will for some time to come.
There is probably no-one in this Chamber who has not been to Bali or who does not have a relative or friend who has been to Bali. Although I have not been to Bali, my brother and sisters-in-law have done so several times. Since the 1970s, Bali has been the young Australians holiday destination of choice. Going to Bali was something that young people did in the seventies. At this time of the year young people are planning to go to the Gold Coast in Queensland for schoolies week. If Bali had been a little bit more affordable for young people wishing to celebrate schoolies week, the Bali murder may well have involved hundreds of young Australian school students celebrating the conclusion of Higher School Certificate examinations. Although one life can never be valued by being measured against another, all of us would agree that when young lives are taken in such tragic circumstances it seems harder to bear than when lives are lost of those who have had their chance to live.
Later I am sure questions will be asked about who perpetrated this attack, why it was done—if a reason can be found, as pointed out so eloquently by the honourable member for Lachlan—when the attack was planned and what it has achieved. There is no doubt that this tragedy has achieved a unity of purpose throughout Australia regarding the war on terrorism and has prompted Australians to come together, as Australians do under these circumstances. We also know where it occurred—namely, Bali—which is too close to home. It must be remembered that the Balinese people have been friendly towards Australia for the longest time. Bali is basically an island of Hindu people who are dependent on tourism, so to some extent the plight of westerners and Balinese as a result of this tragedy cannot be separated. I cannot understand how anyone would think that this incident could progress a cause.
Honourable members would have read about terrorist acts in other parts of the world having deep roots, but that is not the case in the Bali incident. From time to time Australians die in natural disasters, aircraft crashes, mining accidents or bus crashes. A number of Australians died at the hands of a sick man with a diseased mind, Martin Bryant, at Port Arthur—another horrific incident that united Australians under the leadership of the Prime Minister and members of the Opposition. People felt a loss of hope as a result of the actions of that madman's use of automatic weapons. In contrast to that, however, the Bali incident was a risk that Australians should not have had to take. Australians should not have to accept that only a few hundred kilometres north of Australian shores so many lives have been lost, nor should Australians expect terrorist attacks to occur in the future. Virtually no-one in Australia has been unaffected by this attack and people have very much taken this tragedy to heart.
All honourable members have seen pictures of men and women suffering from the guilt of being survivors. I remember seeing an old man who had returned without half the members of his football team. Another man was distraught because, despite having saved many of the members of a South Australian football team, he could not save one fellow. There was another man who, in typically Australian fashion, was saying, "Don't look after me, I am okay. Look after all the others." He was badly burnt and, although I am not an expert on burns, I understand that significant damage occurs internally. As a result of infections and complications, that man, who said he was only burnt on his face and that he would carry on to save others, is now at death's door. Almost all members of this Parliament have expressed their condolences. While I am not trying to say something different from what has been said by everybody else, on behalf of the 46,000 voters of the East Hills electorate and another 20,000 young people who are not yet on the electoral roll, I convey my deepest condolences to the victims and their families who suffered as a result of the outrage that occurred at Bali just over a week ago.
The Hon. DAVID OLDFIELD [5.57 p.m.]: There will be many laudable attempts, but there are no words that adequately address the premeditated murder of Australians in Bali on Saturday October 12. Perhaps it is helpful to victims and their families to know that the thoughts of so many of their fellow Australians and friends from around the world are with them at this most terrible time. Certainly I very much hope that those who have suffered directly find comfort in the level of sympathy that has been expressed by so many. The events of October 12 have awoken many Australians from the dreamlike state of believing themselves to be living in safety—one year, one month and one day after a similar terrible awakening was endured by our American friends. When the United States suffered through the events of September 11, it seemed so different to the many terrorist atrocities that had befallen hundreds of Americans in so many other places around the world. Such tragedies always seem worse when they happen at home, and even worse still when they happen to people we know.
In reality, it matters not where Australians are killed because it is the loss and consequences for loved ones that should be foremost in our minds. Distance should not be allowed to diminish the terror and personal tragedy of such events. This violent, unwarranted and unjustified attack on innocent Australians is of a kind we have not previously experienced, yet those of us without direct association with the victims can only imagine the horror felt by loved ones who are left to endure, for the rest of their lives, the pain of October 12 2002. Australians everywhere are proud of the many acts of kindness and bravery emerging from the Bali nightmare. While witnessing such acts is uplifting and inspirational, I, like so many others, find it immensely difficult to overcome a profound feeling of sorrow. What I want to say with regard to the perpetrators of this tragic event is inappropriate for this condolence motion—hence I will contain those remarks for another time.
The Hon. PATRICIA FORSYTHE [5.59 p.m.]: Despite all the eloquent words that have been spoken today, I believe words are not enough to express to the families of those who have lost loved ones the community's thoughts about what those families must be going through. Words are not enough to express our thoughts to those who volunteered their services in the past week: some who were at the Sari Club that night and put others before themselves, supporting the injured and those who later lost their lives; medical doctors and nurses; chaplains; members of the defence force and employees of companies such as Qantas who volunteered their time and expertise. I believe words are inadequate to express our thoughts to them. Nor do we have the words to express to those who committed this appalling atrocity the Australian community's thoughts about what it means for us and for other communities around the world. We must not forget that while the impact has been greatest in Australia, this event has impacted also on countries as far away as those of Scandinavia and Asia, the United States of America and on many of our neighbours. Words are simply not enough.
When I awoke on the morning of Sunday 13 October my thoughts were of all the young Australians who must have been killed or injured in the bomb blasts, as surely many of them must have been in the Sari Club and in Paddy's bar that night. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I recalled also how my daughter, like so many of her friends, had visited Bali about four years ago. Earlier today the Premier spoke about the rite of passage of young Australians, many of whom consider a trip to Bali to be part of growing up. It could have been any of our children. As we know, this tragedy has impacted on people across Australia, and our hearts go out to them all.
When we have finished with words we must remember several things. We must think of the peace-loving Muslim community in Australia and ensure that its members are not victimised as a result of the actions and the terrorism perpetrated by a small minority who use religion as an excuse. Their ideology, born of hate, bears no resemblance to the peaceful religion practised by so many in the Muslim community in Australia about which many of us know. We must think, too, of the times ahead. People who have endured the trauma of Bali—those whose burns must heal, those who have been traumatised by the sight of bodies or those who looked through body bags for lost friends, some of whom are still missing—will suffer for months and years to come. We must be there for them not only today in speaking to this condolence motion but in appreciating the impact that these events will have on our community for a long time into the future.
Bali is a beautiful, peace-loving island. Next week it will be 12 months since I visited Bali and I thought then how wonderful and peace loving its people were. We must recognise that this act of terrorism will have an enormous impact on their economy and way of life. Nothing disrupts peace and harmony more than poverty and acts such as this. They are our close neighbours. Australians have enjoyed good times on their island for a long time and we must be there for them in the months and years ahead. We must not neglect or desert them. Whether Australian assistance takes the form of aid or tourism, we must not desert the people of Bali. Terrorism will have its strongest impact if it undermines the peace and security of the Balinese people.
We have talked today about building a shrine of remembrance in New South Wales. I hope that this nation will remember those young Australians who will never come home by doing something in and for Bali. Whether it is building a new hospital, adding a wing to an existing hospital or establishing scholarships to provide medical training and support for Balinese doctors and nurses, we can make a lasting and tangible contribution that the people of Bali will appreciate. This will help them to understand Australia's generous spirit. As a consequence, when our young people visit Bali again, as they shall certainly do, they will know that there are better health facilities than were available in the past. That would be a positive step, and I hope that the Federal Government will consider taking an initiative such as that.
People across Australia have come together in the past week. We must not forget the contribution of the media and of the journalists who reported from the front line at Kuta beach, Denpasar and various other locations throughout Bali. We must be proud of the standard of their reports that appeared in our newspapers and on television and radio. Perhaps the day will soon come when we can read the newspapers without a tear in our eye. I hope that in the aftermath of this terrorist attack we can work with and support the people of Bali, who have been there for us in the past 10 days.
Mr W. D. SMITH (South Coast) [6.06 p.m.]: It is with great sadness that I speak to this motion of condolence to honour the victims of the Bali bombings and their families and friends. The acts of terrorism in Bali are incomprehensible to any right-minded person. It is still difficult to believe the horror of September 11—the vision on our television screens of persons intentionally flying planes into two skyscrapers is mind numbing—but now that horror has come closer to home. Young, vibrant, fun-loving Australians have been cut down in their prime by cowardly and despicable acts. Australians with so much to offer our country in the future have had their lives cut short by people who hate and who use violence to channel that hate. If this senseless act can happen in Bali, a tourist playground, it can happen anywhere at any time, and of course to anyone. This threatens our personal security: it makes us feel less safe, less secure and less confident that we can go about our daily lives in comfort and with peace of mind.
Before the events in Bali Australia seemed a long way from terrorist activities: they happened in other places. We now know that they can happen here. However, we must go about our daily business and our usual routines for life goes on. To change markedly and to become obsessed with possibilities of mayhem will deliver a victory for terrorism. That is what terrorism is about: sapping our confidence and our belief in ourselves and disrupting our way of life in the long term. We must not succumb to these abominable tactics. As time passes we will realise that, while we will always need to be on guard and vigilant, we live in a very safe country and life must go on for us all. Unfortunately, things will be changed forever as a result of this act of barbarism.
To the families and friends who have lost loved ones I offer my deepest sympathies. To the families and friends of those struggling for survival as a result of their injuries I offer my deepest sympathies and positive thoughts about their recovery. To those families and friends still seeking closure regarding the whereabouts of loved ones, I express my hope that this will occur hastily. Specifically to the Dunn and Lewis families of Ulladulla on the South Coast who have not been able to find their sons, Craig Dunn and Daniel Lewis, I express the hope that their search will end soon.
Craig was 19 years of age and Daniel 18 years of age, and they were on the second day of a 17-day surfing trip with friend Nigel Davenport, 18 years of age. Nigel survived with minor injuries, and is home safe. The fathers, Dave Dunn and Robert Lewis, have travelled to Bali in search of their sons. That experience must be gut-wrenching. Our thoughts are with you. I know the South Coast community will be there for you when you return home. Every effort possible must be made to identify the perpetrators of this murderous act and have them brought to justice. On behalf of my family and members of the South Coast community, I extend my deepest sympathies to all those who have suffered as a result of the devastating events that occurred in Bali on 12 October.
Mr KERR (Cronulla) [6.10 p.m.]: I wish, firstly, to speak in support of the amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition; secondly, to say a few words about Bali, and thirdly, to touch on the consequences of this tragic occurrence. In relation to the amendment, it is important that there be a physical reminder of what has occurred and a focal point at which people can gather to share their sorrows. The amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition will go some way towards achieving that aim. Secondly, in relation to Bali, I grew up in Cronulla and the surf culture there. Bali was an integral part of that culture. I have never been to Bali, but many Cronulla board surfers have. We now know that it has been a tradition of those involved with team sports, following the sport's season, to go to Bali to enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Even Australians like myself who have not been to Bali are aware of its attractions. Interestingly, the London Sunday Times said in a very long article entitled "Paradise lost—War on terror ":
Bali, whose population is predominantly Hindu, unlike the rest of Indonesia, was preparing for the Galungan festival. Holidaymakers were streaming in from all over the world. But other visitors with different intentions had also turned up, undetected: watching buildings, preparing vehicles, running through timings—and waiting.
We now know the consequences of what those visitors did. This tragic event was a blow not only for Australia but for Bali. On Sunday night the Deputy Prime Minister said that during his visit to Bali many local people came up to him and apologised for what had occurred. Yet they bore equally the consequences of the tragic events of that day. They lost loved ones, their friends and families suffered horrific injuries, and they will live with the economic consequences of the events. It is important that Australians remember the price that Balinese have paid and will pay for what occurred. The London Sunday Times also said that the total number of British citizens killed and injured would exceed that of any single IRA outrage in the past 30 years. Other honourable members have said how widespread among the nations of the world are the casualties of this tragic event.
The honourable member for Miranda mentioned people from the Sutherland shire who were killed or otherwise affected by the bombings. The honourable member outlined what occurred at a service held at Cronulla Mall. Bruce Baird, the Federal member for Cook, spoke in Federal Parliament today. He got in touch with every affected constituent of the Cook electorate and offered to help with any assistance they need. One family member was helped to obtain a passport quickly to get to Bali. Bruce Baird mentioned a number of other instances of double checking of information and passing on information directly to the Minister's office and departmental officials. The honourable member for Albury spoke about the pressure that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is under as a result of this event.
It is important to remember that this act, horrific and calculated as it was, brought into play both the worst and the best of human nature. The cowardice of a few was transcended by the courage of many. The cruelty of a few was transcended by the selflessness and kindness of many. But there are important implications. We are all aware of the terrible consequences of the events of September 11 last year, and not long ago we commemorated the anniversary of those events. Many in this Chamber attended a service, along with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition, at the Salvation Army headquarters to mark the occasion. September 11 resulted in the commencement of the war on terrorism. What happened in Bali showed that the war has been brought to Australia. As the Hon. Michael Egan said, we are all targets of what happened. Those who died or were injured were not meant to be the targets; they bore the brunt of the violence that was directed at us and undermining our spirit. As the London Sunday Times said in its editorial:
The war on terror is total war in which only one side can be the winner. Yet the paradox is that there will be no clear-cut victory along the lines of the triumph over Nazi Germany or the collapse of the Soviet Union. There will always be zealots who will be able to commit outrages. But this does not mean that Al-Qaeda cannot be destroyed, its finances intercepted, its followers harassed and imprisoned. Ultimately it can be made to see that reckless violence will only accelerate its destruction. Some of Al-Qaeda's followers may embrace this martyrdom but in the end its support among moderate Muslims will be undermined and it will be forced so far underground that it will rarely resurface. That will be a victory, however untidy, and it can be helped by the West's sensitivity towards Islam and a refusal to equate this religion with terrorism. The clash of civilisations will benefit nobody.
The editorial went on to say:
At the beginning of the cold war, when urging aid to countries imperilled by communism, President Truman gave a warning to Congress. "At the present moment in world history nearly every nation must choose between alternative ways of life."
He was criticised for his simplicity and for his refusal to compromise with the world's complexities. Above all, the critics said, the United States and the West could never sustain such a campaign. Truman, Churchill, Attlee and their heirs proved them wrong. Today we must prove them wrong again. But this is not a matter of a contention between the West and terrorism. It is a confrontation between decency and evil. It is a confrontation that will require every person in this world to take sides either with the forces of evil or those who would fight them.
Mr NEWELL (Tweed) [6.18 p.m.]: It is with a great deal of sorrow and a heavy heart that I join my colleagues in speaking to the motion. Too often throughout history there have been periods when extremism has led a society in its political and spiritual aspirations. Too often that leadership has led to catastrophic results, whether they be bloody, disastrous or otherwise. Today, more so than ever, we feel the result of some of that catastrophic and aberrant leadership. As has been recorded throughout history, there have been times when extremism has played a role.
As I said, unfortunately, this role was bloody and disastrous. Certainly in the past 12 months we in Australia have been exposed to the consequences of that abhorrent form of leadership and aspiration. Many speakers have requested that the residents of New South Wales and Australia retain their acceptance of, or if not acceptance at least tolerance, and trust in, our multiculturalism and diversity. Last Sunday, with many others, I attended a service held at the All Saints Anglican Church at Murwillumbah that was conducted most ably by Father Harry Reuss to pray for the victims of the bomb blasts in Bali. The mayor of Tweed shire gave an address and the Federal member for Richmond read a message on behalf of the Prime Minister. I made some brief remarks and read a message from the Premier of New South Wales, Mr Bob Carr.
The major theme of the messages revolved around the shock, horror and feeling of desperation on hearing the news that terrorism was not just on our doorstep but was part of us. It will remain forever a part of our history but one that we would have preferred to avoid. Following the church service I met with a large number of the congregation. Veteran Eric Loder reminded me with some irony that while we were celebrating the lives that have been taken from us, on the other side of the world Australians were commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein. He acknowledged that 60 years ago, for different reasons, a large number of young Australians volunteers paid the supreme sacrifice. Today we, too, express our condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of those whose lives have been taken away in what can only be described as an act of war.
Last Sunday a number of ceremonies were held around the nation and within the electorate of Tweed to extend our thoughts, sympathies, grief and support to the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones. The Tweed has lost a young man by the name of Billy Hardy, a member of the Southport Sharks Football Club. We extend our sympathies to his family, and particularly his sister, Jessica, whose infectious and honest zest for life has become known to all Australians over the past 12 months. Also, more than 300 young surfers, gathered together by the Surfrider Foundation and the Kirra Board Riders Club, held a ceremony last Sunday off Duranbah Beach beneath Point Danger to express in their own way their sympathy and support for those who have been injured and for the families who have lost loved ones. Finally, on behalf of all those in the Tweed electorate I express our sympathy and condolences to all those who have been affected by this tragedy.
Mr FRASER (Coffs Harbour) [6.24 p.m.]: Invincibility is part of the Australian psyche. Australia excels in most sports—tennis, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, swimming, golf, volleyball, netball and so on. We have been or currently are the number one nation in all those sports, and others. The majority of the young people who were at the Sari Club on the night of 12 October were sportsmen and sportswomen from Australia celebrating the end of their season and their victory. The faceless act of terrorism in Kuta, Bali, has taken away our innocence and made us question our invincibility.
Even on 11 September 2001 when Australians lost their lives in the World Trade Center terrorist attack, as we watched horrified in the early hours of that morning and realised that the world would never be the same again, we still assumed that within our own region we should and would be safe. Terrorism was something that happened in other parts of the world—in Northern Ireland, Israel, Palestine and other countries—not in our own backyard, as Bali has been regarded. On behalf of my family and my electorate I extend our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of those who were killed or injured in this horrific act of terrorism.
I commend the actions of the Australians who assisted those injured in a way that mirrored the selfless heroism of countless forebears who acted in a similar manner during times of conflict. These people saved lives regardless of their own safety. I commend the doctors, the nurses and all the volunteers who have had the unenviable task, both here and in Bali, of tending to the injured and identifying those who died. I congratulate the Federal Government on the speed with which it acted in bringing the injured home and sending aid. I congratulate also Qantas on acting so swiftly in bringing home the tourists who wished to come home. I wish to turn now to two stories that appeared in the media on Tuesday 15 October. A byline under a photograph of a lovely young lady on page 5 of the Daily Telegraph said, "Bright and intelligent … Angela Golotta whose body [was] identified by a distinctive necklace she was wearing". The article stated:
Angela Golotta will never leave her teens. The vibrant Adelaide woman died in the Sari Club explosion—just five days short of her 20th birthday. Her distraught parents, John and Tracey, scoured hospital beds yesterday before finding their daughter's grossly disfigured body in the morgue. They were only able to identify her because of a distinctive necklace she wore. It had been made for her by her brother Michael's fiancée, Jacinta.
No parent should have to do that. The article continued:
Ms Golotta's maternal grandmother, Marlene Rollason-Taylor, of Dernancourt, said her son, Andrew, was flying to Bali to bring back the body. "We're very, very unlucky but we're lucky that we've got a body that we can bring home," she said. "We've got body bag 152 and we've got closure."
Mrs Rollason-Taylor said a big party had been planned for her granddaughter, who would have been 20 on Thursday. "She's got the biggest circle of friends that you've ever known," she said. "She was one of the brightest, most intelligent girls." Angela managed her parents' Cheese Cake Shop franchise at Modbury.
The second story was about Craig Salvatori, who had to send home his two daughters, aged six years and nine years, while he looked for their mother in the morgues and ruins. It is appalling that he had to put his young children on a plane that would take them home to family and friends, and then had to telephone them and tell them that their mother had gone to heaven and would not be coming home. No father should have to do that. I am sickened by those in Australia who are suggesting that Australia's stance against terrorists—particularly the Prime Minister's stance—has caused this tragedy that has been visited upon us. Bob Ellis, speechwriter and political adviser to the Premier, wrote to the Age and said:
We are paying in blood for John Howard's arse-licking ignorance and xenophobic bigotry.
I wonder whether the Premier supports that comment. It is an embarrassment to, and a slight on, all Australians—all those injured, and all those who died. Claire Monger said in a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald today:
Mr Howard should argue his case for Australia's participation in the worldwide war against terror on its own merits and not in the name of those who died in Bali. He needs to explain whether our actions will save or cost more young lives.
To Claire Monger I say: Hiding from a problem that has now directly affected Australia and Australians will not solve it. We must act and support the Prime Minister and his Government in their actions. The majority of Australians who lost their lives in this terrorist action on Saturday 12 October were fit, young Australians with everything to live for. The only way to save young lives is to ensure, in conjunction with governments of other nations in all parts of the world, that we do everything we can to stamp out terrorism and any person or country connected with it. We owe it to those who died and to those who were injured, to their families, and to all Australians to do everything we can to ensure that the risk of further acts such as this are minimised or rendered non-existent. Once again I, my family, and the people in my electorate extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed. I wish those who were injured a speedy and successful recovery.
Mr PRICE (Maitland) [6.32 p.m.] I support the condolence motion moved by the Premier and wish to place it in a perspective that relates to me. Losing a partner or a child under any circumstances is a major blow to any family. As a teenager I watched my parents cope with the loss of my younger brother in a serious road accident. It ultimately destroyed my father and I watched him die of a broken heart. My present wife lost her husband and daughter in a plane crash and fire in New Guinea. One of the things I became aware of after watching my mother and my wife was that women can cope with those sorts of things far better than men. That is probably why women have the privilege of bearing and raising children.
I cannot imagine what is going through the minds of the families that were involved in this tragedy—whether it was a near miss or a hit. The anguish, the stress, the strain and the memories that they will have forever are far more significant than anything we can talk about today. On Sunday night, on behalf of the citizens of Maitland, I attended an ecumenical memorial service at Christchurch Cathedral in Newcastle at which all the churches were represented. The first reading was by a member of the Muslim community who quoted sections from the Koran in Arabic and in English. That brought a perspective to the service that we would not normally have experienced.
The sermon was given by a Presbyterian minister, Reverend Andrew Campbell, who has been in Australia for only a few months. He was a pastor at a Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland. For the past 30 years he had witnessed bombings and the results of those bombings on communities not only in his parish but throughout Northern Ireland. The Minister for Gaming and Racing was present at that memorial service. I am sure that he, like me, felt as though we were no longer in isolation and that there were comparisons to be made. The compassion, the support and the sorrow displayed by 700 people in the cathedral as they filed up to light their remembrance candles brought home to me just what the slaughter of innocent people can do to a community, particularly when there is no reason for it.
Those deaths, which were unwarranted, should not be in vain. We must treat them as a sacrifice to remind us of what can happen if we are not vigilant. Along with other honourable members, I extend sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones. I hope that those who have been seriously injured will get well quickly. It behoves us all to try to seek peace in our time—a phrase that has been used often in debate in this Chamber. If that is our objective we will all be able to live more easily in the future.
Mr D. L. PAGE (Ballina) [6.36 p.m.]: On behalf of the people of the Ballina electorate I extend deepest sympathy to all the families and friends who lost loved ones and to those who were injured in the Bali bombings on 12 October. As we know, many of the people who were killed were Australians, and many of them were young Australians. They had their lives cut short by this cowardly terrorist attack. These people were all innocent victims of an unbelievably callous act. I hope that the police catch the extremists who were responsible and that they pay in full for their heinous crime against innocent victims.
My wife, Morag, and I offer our condolences to the Wallace family in my electorate. A good friend of ours, Barry Wallace from Byron Bay, lost his daughter, Jodi, in the bombings. Jodi, aged 29, was holidaying with two friends in Bali. As soon as Barry heard about the bombings he flew to Bali to look for his daughter. After two days of unsuccessful searching he was left with only the morgue in which to search. In last Thursday's Northern Star newspaper under the heading "Dad's hopes fade" Barry Wallace, speaking from Kuta, said:
There are 181 bodies there in the morgue and 140 of them are supposed to be Australian.
He went on to say with the emotion that only a father in these circumstances could truly understand, "Our kids were slaughtered." He did, however, comment favourably on the Balinese people's reaction. He said:
All the people in Bali are just lovely. They just stop you in the street and apologise. They are just so sorry about it all.
Honourable members who have been to Bali and know the country would not be surprised by that comment. The Balinese are a gentle people. The bombings not only killed people of their own kind but will devastate, certainly in the short term, the Balinese economy. Unfortunately, Barry Wallace was unable to find his daughter in the morgue, so he returned to Australia to comfort Jodi's mother, who now lives in Sydney. The only chance that the family has of being able to identify Jodi's remains will be through DNA testing. Is that not just the most unsatisfactory situation for the Wallace family to have to face? The whole family will have to struggle to cope with its grief. Closure will be very difficult for them in the absence of Jodi's body. Our hearts go out to the Wallace family and all the other families across Australia and beyond who are grieving and hurting so much at this difficult time. We also pray that those who have been injured will make a full recovery.
Last Sunday I attended a Kites and Bikes Festival at Brunswick Heads, an event that had been organised long before the Bali bombings. The organisers considered cancelling this eco-friendly family day because it coincided with our National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bali bombings, their families and friends. However, to their credit they decided to go ahead with the day but to make the theme one of peace. Thousands of people turned out at Brunswick Heads. Like so many others across Australia, we observed one minute's silence in memory of the victims of the Bali bombings, and in support of their family and friends. During the minute's silence even children of three and four seemed to understand that it was a very sad and moving occasion.
A special peace kite was flown along the beach from Byron Bay to Brunswick Heads. Hundreds of us signed our names on the kites. In doing so we committed ourselves to peace and freedom, and totally rejected the violence and slaughter that occurred in Bali some 10 days ago. Sunday's commitment to peace and the preservation of freedom was a local but clear statement from the many Australians present at Brunswick Heads—replicated around the country—that we will not be intimidated into abandoning our fundamental values of freedom and openness that we hold so dear. Australia has a rich tradition of defending freedom and justice. We must keep faith with those who have died or who have been horribly injured by continuing to uphold our Australian values, values that are so different from those of the terrorists. We must condemn terrorism in all its ugly forms and respond intelligently, but firmly, to combat it.
All of us were impressed by the actions of those who helped others on that fateful night in Bali, and of other Australians who responded so quickly and so well to lend a hand with medical or other assistance. Most of us cannot fully understand the pain and suffering that the families and friends of those who died are feeling at this time. It is hoped that the many expressions of sympathy we have heard today and those from other places throughout Australia will offer some real and lasting comfort to those who are grieving and hurting so much at this time. There is merit in the suggestion of the Leader of the Opposition that, given the impact of the bombings on all of us, a permanent memorial be erected to those who died in the Bali bombings. The Royal Botanic Gardens seems to be an appropriate location.
Mr MILLS (Wallsend) [6.42 p.m.]: I join with other members of both Houses of this Parliament in expressing our condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the bombing atrocities in Bali on 12 October. We also express our grief to those who were maimed, burnt and injured in that evil event, and their families. Some 92 or more Australians are dead. Many more are injured, yet they survived. Lest the terrorists win, our lives must go on. At noon last Sunday, the National Day of Mourning in Australia, I kept my commitment to attend the presentation day of the Wallsend-Maryland Junior Rugby League Football Club, the Tigers. The club president commenced the day with a minute's silence out of respect for the victims of the Bali bombings.
Some 200 kids and even more adults standing under tents, finding what shade they could, observed that silence for the full minute. The respect shown by our young and active people is indicative of the impact on our communities of the horror that occurred in Bali. As a symbol of Australians' love of helping each other out, the Westpac rescue helicopter landed at Grange Avenue Reserve at Maryland, which was quite a thrill for the kids. They did not care that the crew was two hours late because it was involved in rescue activity related to the bushfires that affected the Hunter region last weekend. We must ask why this atrocity occurred and we must resolve to do what we can to protect ourselves. The Australians who were killed and maimed were innocent. They, like tourists from other countries, were happy to be away on holidays and enjoying themselves.
The Balinese and other Indonesians who were killed and maimed were working to earn their living. They, too, were innocent. But somebody saw our people, and others, as enemies to be killed. How can they be perceived as enemies? Australians are an open, tolerant, free, modern, democratic and secular nation. One of our most important values is the rejection of violence to resolve conflict. Whoever is responsible for this atrocity, those who see Australians as the enemy, must have rejected those values that we are proud to hold dear. I am very proud to support those values that help to identify me in this great land, Australia. When the initial grief has passed let us seek justice on behalf of those who were killed and injured, but let us seek it in a way that enables us to retain those values and that Australian spirit.
Mr BARR (Manly) [6.46 p.m.]: In September 2001 I organised a vigil on the grounds of St Patrick's estate in Manly for the victims of the September 11 outrage. Sadly, and distressingly, last Friday I had to do the same to enable my local community, once again, to express its condolences and sympathy to the victims, and families and friends of the victims in the latest outrage, in Bali. Both occasions provided a modest opportunity for us to express our feelings about the appallingly cold-blooded murder and maiming of innocent young people, many of whom were in the full bloom of youth. These feelings of grief, sorrow and outrage are a stark recognition that there but for fortune was any one of us, our children, our family or our friends.
Horrors such as this unite us in our hurt and sorrow and bring us together to show unremitting support for our fellow Australians who have suffered so appallingly. We stand united to support those who have been put through hell because of a hate crime perpetrated by terrorists who are so disconnected from the human race that they could, with intent, bring about so much damage and so much sorrow. They are, in essence, subhuman. From what the investigation has ascertained to date, two bombs were involved: an initial small bomb at Paddy's bar and a much larger one in a van outside the Sari Club. It appears that the small bomb was designed to get people out onto the street so that the larger bomb could inflict maximum damage. What can be said about people who deliberately perpetrate such a heinous offence?
At last count more than 90 Australian victims and people from other nations, including local Balinese, were dead. The nature of the wounds suffered by survivors has been horrific. People have lost limbs and eyes. They have been burnt appallingly. The deliberateness of the attack is what causes our outrage. The date of 12 October will go down in infamy in our history. Our response must be appropriate. We must not be cowered into submission. We must not forsake our democratic ideals of tolerance, respect for other people's views or our enjoyment of life. To change our values would mean that the terrorists win. We cannot allow that. We must work to ensure that the killers are brought to book. We must do all we can for our fellow Australians who are now suffering. We should also work to help our gracious Balinese neighbours who are also suffering greatly.
Mrs CHIKAROVSKI (Lane Cove) [6.49 p.m.]: In this House tonight there is a terrible sense of déjà vu, because this House met just over 12 months ago to speak about the terrible atrocity that was New York. At that time I felt that tragedy personally, having lived in New York as a child for some years. My feeling today is even worse than that, because this is not just about people whom we may or may not have known but about our family. I feel that the people we have lost in Bali in that terrible, terrible bombing a week ago last Saturday are our family. Whether they are known to us, whether they are related to us, they are our fellow Australians and they are our family.
The attack that took place in Bali on that Saturday night was horrendous. The photographs we have seen of the utter devastation of the Sari Club and the surrounding areas will remain with us, chillingly, forever. The sight of the maimed tourists and the burnt bodies will not, and must not, be forgotten by any of us. Our hearts go out to the families of loved ones who will never come home from that holiday. Alongside those images we have also heard stories of bravery and self-sacrifice. For me, it was a moment of great pride to hear those stories—to hear about the young men who were inside the club and who, rather than flee, risked their own safety to help others get out, their fellow Australians and others from overseas who were in that club simply having a night out.
Whilst the flames were getting closer and closer, instead of fleeing they stayed. They stayed longer than perhaps they thought they should have. In fact, I do not think they even thought about their own safety. In doing so, they were able to rescue a number of their fellow Australians. We have heard the stories about the tourists who had no medical skills but who managed to get themselves to the hospitals so they could be there, standing next to and holding the hands of those who were injured—people who at the time probably did not even know whether their own family members were safe, and who perhaps subsequently, heartbreakingly, found that they were not safe. We have also heard the stories of the young Australians who looked for whatever they could find to carry the injured to the hospitals. I am told they used doors, bits of wood, and even surfboards.
We have heard about the doctors who were on holiday in Bali and who rushed to the hospitals to provide whatever medical assistance they could. We have heard the stories of young, almost brand-new graduate doctors who really were not very confident about their own skills but who rushed to those hospitals to make sure that they could be there to do whatever they could to assist. One young doctor said: "Look, all I was able to do was make sure that the fluids were kept up to all the burns victims. I knew we needed to have that happen, so I wandered around all night making sure the burns victims got the necessary fluids, to make sure they were as comfortable as possible." There is also the story of the Australian doctor who basically walked into the hospital and took charge of the triage. Probably because of him a number of people were able to get back to Australia, with the help of the Australian military, to make sure they survived. But because he was able to determine the victims who were most in need of assistance at the time, people who were absolutely in need were given priority.
All those stories warm our hearts, in spite of the terrible tragedy. This is a typically Australian attitude. This unselfish attitude of getting in and helping our fellow Australians is something we should be extremely proud of. To use an expression which has sometimes been maligned, but I cannot understand why, it is a very good example of Australian mateship. Mateship is not just a bloke thing. I say that as a female member of this House. Mateship is an expression that describes how we as Australians come together to help each other in our hour of adversity. It is often in our hour of greatest adversity that we see the strongest mateship. We saw it at Gallipoli in World War I, we saw it on the Kokoda Track during World War II, and we have now seen it in Bali. It is not just the people in Bali; it is all of us coming together not only to grieve but also to support those who are suffering and to make sure they know they are loved, not just by their immediate family and friends but, indeed, by all of us as a nation.
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to attend the commemoration service in the Domain. Together with thousands of my fellow Australians, we sat there and listened to the words of the Governor, Marie Bashir, who spoke of the terrible tragedy that had unfolded in Bali and how we all felt about it. I was very proud of our Governor. She spoke with such passion and compassion that she spoke for all of us. I would also like to place on record my thanks and congratulations to Geraldine Doogue, who I thought conducted the day with great dignity. It was a day of great sadness, but it was also a day of remembrance. Geraldine, you did a fantastic job in making sure that you kept it all together, not only for you but for all of us who were in the Domain.
I would also like to thank the performers, John Farnham, Kasey Chambers, Wendy Matthews and Iva Davies. I have no hesitation in saying that I cried when John Farnham sang Amazing Grace. I think everyone around me did as well. When Iva Davies sang The Great Southern Land, again I think a number of people just could not keep it together any longer and we all cried. But I suppose the most moving part of the day was when the friends and relatives were invited to go forward, take flowers and scatter them in the water, which was as close as we could get to a Hindu tradition and reflected the fact that this had occurred in Bali, which is essentially a Hindu State.
It was very difficult watching the children, the young people, the mothers, the fathers and the large number of members of the Balinese community move forward, in a line which seemed to go on for a considerable distance, to place the flowers and express their grief. But in some ways, I suppose, the whole concept of the interaction of the flowers with the water was also a cleansing experience, particularly for me, not being familiar with the Hindu religion. The blessing of the flowers by the Balinese people certainly gave it a poignancy I will always remember.
I heard my colleague the honourable member for Lachlan say earlier today that this tragedy is personal. I agree; it is very personal. I did not personally know anyone who died in Bali, and I do not know anyone who was injured. But this is personal because the people who committed this atrocious act have shattered my sense of security and my sense of complacency. As the mother of teenagers, it has made me incredibly wary about their desire to travel overseas. It has made me incredibly anxious about their natural Australianness in wanting to explore other parts of the world. I know that that is something that I will have to overcome, because I will not, and must not, allow these people to ruin my life, my children's lives or my sense of safety. It will take a little while, but I know that as Australians we will gather together and we will say to these people: You can do your worst, but we will not be cowered by you; we will not allow you to subjugate us and make us the prisoners of your terror.
Following the September 11 attack I said that we come together as a community to support those who have been hurt, whether they be members of our own community or overseas people. That is even more the case today. Today we come together as a community to grieve for those whom we have lost, and to pray that those who are still suffering will get better shortly and that their families will be comforted. But, most importantly, we come together as a community to say to those who inflicted this horrendous act on us: You will not beat us; you will not cower us. We will not allow terror to rule our lives. You have succeeded in taking away some of our best, some of our youngest, some of our brightest, but you will not succeed in taking away the Australian spirit.
The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN [6.58 p.m.]: I wish to express my sincere condolences to our brother Australians who lost loved ones in Bali on 12 October. They were random and innocent victims of a new and evil form of warfare, perpetrated by perverted minds conditioned to hate—miserable, evil, twisted beings. These people hate our western style of life. They hate our freedom, they hate our individuality, they hate our success—and they somehow want to blame us for their miserable state of mind. They are intolerant of anyone who does not subscribe to their extremist, fundamentalist ideals—if you can call them ideals. They have sought to take advantage of our tolerance, our democratic way of life and our freedom to do whatever we like, to travel and work wherever we want and to mix with whomsoever we wish within the confines of the laws of our democratic Australian society.
We are a peaceful society and a fun-loving nation. We love our sport, we love to travel, we love adventure and we love to share our way of life. But beneath this laconic national attitude is a resilience, a toughness and a togetherness that allows us to weather the storm of adversity. A reflection of our achievements in two world wars, during the Great Depression, in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, in many peacekeeping roles around the globe and at home during flood, fire and drought reveals our national resilience and ability to conquer adversity.
After we have recovered from our grief, the Bali bombing will eventually take its place as a tragedy that served to unite us and make us even stronger. One only has to look at the instinctive reaction of the young Australians to the tragedy. They showed instinctive teamwork, leadership, mateship, courage and sacrifice. Recently the words "Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice" were inscribed on granite pillars at Isurava on the Kokoda Track in honour of the spirit of our young Diggers who served us in our hour of need. They could equally be erected on the bombsite in Bali to honour the spirit of our current young generation.
I compliment our Australian media outlets who reported on the tragedy. The emotionally gut-wrenching stories that have come from the heart of the young Australian reporters have allowed us to understand the sense of loss, suffering and anger and to share the grief. Our Prime Minister accurately captured the spirit of our feelings when he told the survivors that they have 19 million mates back in Australia sharing their grief. I hope that they derive some comfort from this.
We should all be proud of our Prime Minister, John Howard, for his humane leadership during this crisis, and of our other national leaders, the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the National Party, John Anderson, and the Leader of the Opposition, Simon Crean, for their bipartisan spirit both in our national Parliament and during their visit to Bali. Also I am proud to be a member of the New South Wales Parliament today and to listen to the consoling words of speakers across the political spectrum as they offer their condolences and recall the stories of suffering and grief that they have heard from constituents in their various electorates. In the forecourt of Parliament House there are hundreds of wreaths and messages from people paying tribute to those who died. One message on a sheet of paper caught my eye. It simply states: "We Despair, We Share, We Care". It is a simple and powerful expression of our national feeling.
We honour past generations of Australian sacrifice in war with an annual day of commemoration on Anzac Day. Bali represents a new, ugly, cowardly form of war. I hope that 12 October will one day be set aside as an annual day of mourning when we can reflect on the meaning and spirit of freedom. Such a day of remembrance will reinforce our unity and send a message to these cowardly merchants of terror that, rather than destroy us, their actions have had the opposite effect by strengthening our bonds of mateship and our pride in being Australian. Our loss in Bali will eventually become a symbol of what it means to be Australian. I remind the Parliament of the wisdom in the RSL motto: The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance. Lest We Forget.
The Hon. IAN MACDONALD (Parliamentary Secretary) [7.03 p.m.]: I wish to place on record my sympathy to all who have suffered as a result of the Bali bombing at the Sari Club and Paddy's pub. In the last 60 years Australians have not been as personally shaken as they were when they heard the news of this terrible tragedy. So many innocent young people were targeted in a most brutal and callous manner. To all those whose lives were indelibly wrecked by this bombing, I extend my deepest sympathies. We must take every step to alleviate their suffering, both psychologically and emotionally. Fortunately, following this tragedy all levels of government have worked in co-operation to alleviate the suffering not only of Australians but of many citizens of other nations who were caught in this diabolical attack.
The medical officers and nurses at Concord hospital battling to cope with the massive life-threatening inspections deserve our highest admiration and thanks. Each life saved is a joy to hundreds of Australians directly connected to each person and to the nation as a whole. Young Australians will continue to experience the world. This experience is vital not only to Australians but to those they meet in other countries. It prevents xenophobia and cultural isolation through the interaction of the world's young travellers. Hopefully we will not turn inwards as this would only serve the objectives of terror. We must not lose sight of the need to avoid a rise in religious and racial intolerance.
What drives such acts of terrorism is virtually incomprehensible to rational and civilised societies. Potent cruelty is often driven by a dangerous cocktail of poverty, despair and religious intolerance. Whilst we alter some of our own structures and habits to meet the spiralling challenge of terror, we must not lose sight of our obligations to address the great social problems boiling near our shores. Without doubt this world is changing. How do we overcome the temptation to tighten the shackles on our own liberties and freedoms in response to this undeniably inhumane act? The challenge of ensuring security but at the same time retaining liberty and freedom will be most important. We must get the balance right. I again offer my sympathies to the family and friends of all those who have lost their lives or have been injured through this devastating assault on humanity.
Mr WEBB (Monaro) [7.06 p.m.]: I offer my sincere condolences, those of my family and, more particularly, those of my constituents throughout Monaro to all the families of the victims and to those who were injured in the horrific bombing in Bali. October 12 is a special day for me because it is my son's birthday. He turned 25 this year. He lives quite a few kilometres away from me, and I rang him on the day to wish him a happy birthday. He is a young man with the world ahead of him. As we discussed a quarter of a century of his life, I was not aware, nor were many Australians at the time, of the horrific events that were about to unfold in Bali. Any Australian could have been there at the time. It is extremely sad that so many have been severely affected by this tragedy—lives have been cut short, many have had family members taken from them and many more have feelings of loss and sorrow. The heroic stories of those who survived and helped others to search for friends and family members is indicative of the Anzac spirit.
On Sunday morning, 13 October, I was invited to attend a church service at Michelago to celebrate 100 years of St Thomas' church. The Anglican Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn, George Browning, was present. Very early on Sunday morning that community stood in silence and thought about the tragic events in Bali. A man from Cooma was among the victims. We have heard today many stories from families and others caught up in this event. Last Sunday I attended also a church service at St Paul's Church in Cooma. I was very moved by the words of the sermon delivered to the congregation by Viv Straw, a senior warden of St Paul's Church. Among other things he said—and this is relevant to the Christian community but even more relevant today to Australians generally, those people of good mind and soul who wish to do good in the world—that Christianity was not a cruise ship on the way to heaven but a battleship at the gates of hell. That struck home to me that that is where we are in Australia today.
Regrettably we have moved on from the peaceful, fun-loving country that we were 13 months ago, before September 11. These events in Bali have brought home to us the world as it is. The globe has shrunk and has allowed those with evil intent to impact on young innocent people in our environs. Bali is situated very close to Australia and its people are fun loving and peaceful. Australians love Bali; many have visited the country. I support the comments of those who have spoken today. I support also the words spoken and actions taken over recent days by our Prime Minister. As Edmund Burke said, "It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph." Recent events will galvanise Australians to become world leaders in the fight against terrorism to ensure that the world is a better place for us all to live in.
The Hon. JAMES SAMIOS [7.10 p.m.]: I support my leader, who spoke so ably to the motion. I commend his amendment, which seeks the establishment of a permanent memorial in the Royal Botanic Gardens. I offer my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who died or suffered as a result of this barbarous act of terrorism on 12 October. One aspect of this tragedy that we should never forget is the heroism, resilience and determination shown by our youth and their friends in such challenging times. As Australians we can take pride in our culturally diverse society, which, I believe, is second to none in providing its people with social cohesion and stability. We are a nation of people from some 230 ethnic groups and 114 nationalities. In the Sydney basin one million people or more speak a language other than English. We can take great pride in the religious diversity of our multicultural society, which includes Muslims, Buddhists and so many Christian groups, all of whom contribute to the mosaic of our multiculturalism.
Just before 12 October, on the occasion of the Indonesian National Day, I took the annual pilgrimage to Addison Road, Marrickville to enjoy once again meeting with so many Australians of Indonesian background who are delighted to be part of the mosaic. It is important to acknowledge that Australians of many ethnic and religious backgrounds are playing an important role in the social cohesion of our nation. If we are to counter the barbarism of the terrorist attack of 12 October, we must send a clear message to those who would challenge our values of freedom and democracy that we will not bend to terrorism but will pursue justice, which will continue to underpin our freedom and democracy. I remind honourable members of the important words that are supported by the Returned Services League: The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
Mr GEORGE (Lismore) [7.14 p.m.]: I join with all members of Parliament today in extending heartfelt sympathy to the relatives and friends of the Australians who died or were injured in Bali in the terrorist attack on Saturday 12 October. I extend sympathy also to the many families and friends of people from other nations who were killed or injured in the attack on the popular Sari nightclub in Bali. Sadly, terrorism has now come to our region. The bombing and the callous and murderous manner in which it was performed will change forever the way we live in Australia and go about our daily lives. Everyone has been profoundly moved by the grief and quiet dignity of those who lost friends and family in this cruel and terrible attack. The unqualified support of all Australians during this most sad occasion has been overwhelming, and it has been reflected in this House today by members from all sides of politics.
The trip of a lifetime turned to terror for three Lismore boys in Kuta on Saturday night. Michael Sivewright, Blair Flynn and Robbie McKenzie, all 19, had flown to Bali for eight days of fun. Their trip ended in flames, the three taking refuge on a beach after the blast, which rocked the Sari Club and forced them to flee their hotel near the club. They were among the lucky ones. The three lads were in their room getting ready for a night out when disaster struck. Michael was showering when an explosion rocked the room, the impact throwing him from the shower, shattering windows and bringing down part of the roof of the building in which they were staying, which was quite close to the location of the blast. The lads just got out. They had to scale a three-metre fence and run for the beach. The details of their escape are quite sketchy, but it involved a flight over Kuta's roofs and through fences which took them to the beach area. They described the experience as unbelievable.
The three boys contacted their families to say that they were okay, that they had escaped and spent the night on the beach. The parents who received these phone calls could not believe what they were told. They were in shock. As news of the blast unfolded on their televisions they realised that their children were among the lucky ones. Since the bombing, the families have had intermittent contact only with the lads but they have been much appreciative of the contact. On their return to Lismore the three mates related their experiences of their first holiday together just six days—a lifetime—ago. They said they thought war had broken out when two bombs ripped through the Sari Club and Paddy's Bar at busy Kuta. The three of them said they were glad to be home and lucky to be alive but would always feel bad for those hurt and killed in the attack.
As the son of a Lebanese migrant family I wish to place on record the contents of a fax I received from Mr Philip Riszk, the President of the Australian Lebanese Association of New South Wales, who wished to convey to the suffering families the deepest sympathies of his members. They fully support any initiative or action that the Australian Government may decide to take in response to this tragedy. I record also the admiration, appreciation and gratitude of the Lismore electorate for the performance of our police and Air Force, who had medical supplies and personnel in the air within an hour of hearing of the bombing. I commend our doctors and nurses, both here and in Indonesia, who worked round the clock providing medical assistance. I acknowledge the efforts of the airline crews who courageously went to Bali to retrieve the injured, knowing what that entailed, and I thank the many others who treated the injured and helped get them home to Australia. Their efforts in this massive task were exceptional. We simply say thank you to everyone who has helped in any way. In offering our sympathies to the families and friends of those who died and have been injured by terrorists in Bali I say: Our prayers and thoughts are with you all.
Mr HAZZARD (Wakehurst) [7.20 p.m.]: I support the motion before the House and, on behalf of the people of Wakehurst and my own family, I extend deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the Australians killed in this cowardly attack. To some degree we have all lost our innocence. In September 2000 we all joined together in a great celebration of the Olympics. We feared then that terrorism would come to Australia, but it did not. We were joyous in the fact that we had our freedom and that so many nations were here sharing that freedom with us. We had the feeling that we might actually extend that freedom to other parts of the world so that they could see that this was the way nations could live.
Then came September 2001. We had fears and concerns for all those who suffered as a result of terrorism in New York. Our peaceful joy of September 2000 turned to the horror of terrorism in one of our closest allied countries. Now, in October 2002, terrorism has come right to the doorstep of Australia. Young Australians, children, parents, grandparents and sporting mates simply visiting an island of peace—an island many of us have visited, an island many of us have taken to our hearts almost as an honorary part of Australia—found terror. The peace-loving nature of the Balinese people and the fact that the island has become a stepping stone, a rite of passage for young Australians as they step forth to explore the world, makes this tragedy all the more evil. This was, without question, a monstrous act by cowards with understated but most evil and vile intentions.
Those Australians who were murdered could have been any of us. To some degree I think we have all suffered in that part of us has died as a result of what happened in Bali the weekend before last. The attack on fellow Australians was an attack on all of us. It was designed to murder our Australian brothers and sisters, to murder other citizens of Western democracies, and to murder innocent Balinese. It was intended to destroy our spirit. But I can say without any shadow of a doubt that it will not destroy our spirit and it must not destroy our spirit. I believe as time moves forward these cowardly terrorists will see a reconfirmation of that great Australian spirit: people helping other people, people showing that they can stand up to whatever pain or agony is thrust at us by these evil beasts.
I have visited Bali on three occasions. Like many Australians I am extremely fond of Bali and the Balinese people. I hope that what has happened to all those people in Bali—the people affected directly—will not cause ongoing suffering for them. I hope at some stage we will all feel secure enough to visit Bali again—although I doubt whether that will happen for a while. I also hope that we reflect carefully on our responses to people from other parts of the world; that we do not condemn people from different cultural backgrounds, people of different religions. There is a tendency to sometimes blame people of the Muslim faith for some of these acts. We do not know who carried out this attack, but even if it was people with some claim to the Muslim faith, I do not believe that they are truly Muslims but fanatics who have been born of some evil background that has distorted their minds. They cannot possibly be reasonable and decent human beings—and I believe that most people who are Muslims are reasonable, tolerant and peace-loving people.
I thank the police, members of the Air Force and the other military services, the Federal Government and the Federal Opposition. I thank all those who came together to assist those unfortunate people who were hurt and those who lost loved ones in Bali. It has been quite amazing to see that the Australian spirit can be so indomitable that we can rise from such adversity and all work together. A few months ago I was in New York visiting an agency that handles foster care for children. I got off the bus where the bus driver told me to, and I discovered that the Vera Institute was only 150 metres from Ground Zero, the site that was the World Trade Center. I thought the bus driver might have misunderstood me when I said I wanted to visit this particular institute but, sure enough, that was the closest bus stop.
As I got off the bus I looked around. There was a church with lots of T-shirts and hats and little mementos that people had put on the fence around the church, but behind the church there was nothing but a large, flat void. But on the north-western corner of the fence around the church was an Australian flag. I felt quite overwhelmed at the reminder that we had lost Australians, as we had lost so many other citizens of the world, in that most vile act of destruction of the World Trade Center, again by fanatics. Whilst Australians had suffered, the flag—as it hung there rippling gently in the wind—reminded me that there was still a sanctuary, a safer haven where Australians could always return: Australia.
I reflected further on that as my plane landed at Kingsford Smith airport. The feeling that I always get when I touch down at Kingsford Smith airport—that I am in a better place, the best place in the world—was further reinforced. I sincerely hope that these terrorists never impact sufficiently on other Australians—who I am sure share that feeling as they touch down at their home airports around Australia after travelling overseas—as to remove the feeling that we can at least feel safer in our home country, Australia.
Finally, I raise a serious issue which has not yet been raised. If any one of us were injured in Australia by a criminal act we would have a right to compensation, a chance to look after ourselves with the help of community money because we were victims of crime. In New South Wales we have victims compensation. It is not a huge amount of money, but it is something. I wonder what will happen to the survivors—who could have been any one of us—who were targeted by evil people overseas because they are Australians. Will they be left without adequate compensation for the rest of their lives? If that is the case, we as a community, the community of Australia, should come together through all the State Governments and the Federal Government to consider what happens when Australians off our shores are injured or killed by a criminal act most vile—a criminal act resulting from terrorism.
I am not saying there should necessarily be compensation for every individual who happens upon an unfortunate circumstance in an overseas jurisdiction. But those individuals who have recently suffered and who are currently lying in hospitals around the country—victims of terror because they are Australians—should have the benefit of a compensation scheme which will at least give them some chance of living a reasonable life. At the moment I do not believe there is any such opportunity. The Federal Government, I think supported by the current Opposition, has indicated support for certain ex gratia payments to people who have been injured, and assistance in bringing them back from overseas. But the big question is: What will happen to them for the rest of their life once they are back and out of hospital? If they cannot work for the rest of their life, what will happen?
At the Olympics we proudly sang the Australian national anthem. It is interesting to reflect on the first few words and the last few words. The first line is "Australians all let us rejoice for we are young and free". It appears that is the very reason we have been targeted. We must be prepared to fight the tide of hatred that would seek to take that right to be young and free away from us. We must stand up to these cowards. The last words of the second verse of the Australian national anthem are "with courage let us all combine to advance Australia fair"—regardless of what those in other parts of the world may seek to do to us.
Mr McBRIDE (The Entrance) [7.31 p.m.]: I support the condolence motion and the expressions of regret and sympathy for all those people who have been affected by the tragedy that recently occurred in Bali. September 11 2001 was an unbelievable event beyond any previous world experience. It put the world on notice that terrorism was the new threat to world order and Western democracy. As much as it crushed our optimism and enthusiasm, terrorism was still something that happened elsewhere, outside Australia. On October 12 2002 Australia and Australians have become part of the global village. World terrorism has come to our immediate shores. As a parent I realise that terrorism now threatens my own children and family. Every parent in Australia must now be experiencing that concern.
One of my sons recently visited Bali and attended the Sari Club, just as many tens of thousands of young Australians have over past years. The thought that he could have been a victim sickens me to the depth of my soul. Bali now represents a challenge to all Australians. We must show the spirit, courage, values and strength of character of those Australians who are now part of the Bali tragedy. I, like all Australians, am inspired by and in awe of the courage of ordinary Australians in these tragic circumstances. It makes me proud to be an Australian. I convey my sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to all the families affected by this tragedy. I express a sincere thank you on behalf of my family and electorate to all those who have contributed to our nation's response to this national tragedy. From what I have seen and read I am convinced that the Australian Anzac spirit is as alive and as strong as it ever was in our history in the acts of mateship and heroism that have been carried out by young Australians in the Bali tragedy.
In conclusion, as a parent and as an Australian I feel that this tragedy will be the making of our future young Australians. It has demonstrated to me and to the community that young Australians are the future of Australia. We can be proud of them and we can be confident in the future of Australia, having witnessed on television and in other media the great acts of heroism and mateship they have demonstrated. We should all be proud of our young Australians.
Mrs LO PO' (Penrith) [7.34 p.m.]: I had not intended to participate in this debate. I listened to members whose constituents were directly affected but to my knowledge no-one in the electorate of Penrith was involved in this appalling crime against innocents. However, listening to the debate I realised that the people of the electorate of Penrith would want me to pass on their condolences to the families of the victims, as I pass on condolences from my family. I cannot imagine how families would feel. I refer mainly to parents and siblings who have lost sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. I know that there were others—mothers and fathers and close family and friends and neighbours—but let me concentrate just on the parents. Every time our children become just a little more independent there is that bitter-sweet feeling of being pleased and proud of the new independence but also concerned about their safety when they socialise, start to drive cars and go overseas. Parents who supported their children in their great adventure to Bali would have had their worst fears realised. Australians in times of crisis always shine, and they have done it again. We have heard about the superb medical administration in our hospitals and what is happening in the burns units.
During the last week radio reports about the attack became compulsive listening. An expatriate doctor simply turned up to the hospital to see whether any help was needed. He remarked very casually how pleased he was with our Australian medical training because, although he had not used his skills for 25 years, he seemed to be able to fall into doing what was needed at the time. Generally, Australians have much to be grateful for, but on this occasion we are hurting—all of us, families, friends, neighbours and strangers. My electorate's sincere thoughts go to those families who in many ways are anonymous to me but known to me because they are Australians. The people of Penrith will recognise them in their grief this coming Sunday at an ecumenical service in the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. We will be sending our condolences to the families as a group. As many people have said, this is a time for Australians to unite, as we have done before and as we will do again.
Ms MOORE (Bligh) [7.37 p.m.]: I also condemn the evil action in Bali on 12 October. I express my support for and empathy with the families and friends who are grieving. Like many members, I had a connection with the tragic event. One of the young Coogee Dolphins who was summarily killed, Adam Howard of Centennial Park, had gone to Sydney Boys High School with my son and played football with him. Such personal connectedness brings home directly to us the tragedy of what has happened. Like so many, I too have found it difficult to contain my emotions as I have read about and watched the tragic circumstances and experiences of those affected.
No-one can help being affected, moved and angered at the loss, the pain and the suffering. However, rather than talk of revenge we, as a blessed Western democratic, tolerant nation, must play our role in contributing to reducing the injustices and poverty experienced by so many, particularly in our part of the world, that can lead to the creation of a fertile climate for evil religious fanatics to incite the poor, the displaced and the disadvantaged to shocking acts of terrorism. Much has been said and written and shown on television over the past two weeks. I will refer to two articles. One by Mike Carlton appeared on 19 October. The article, headed "Unaware, unready for a foreign world's rage", states in part:
But the iron truth revealed in Bali is that it does happen to people like us, and it happens precisely because we are people like us. Australians, Americans, Europeans, we are the fortunate heirs to centuries of Western liberal democratic thought and advancing prosperity. The bombers view us from the dark side of a vast economic, cultural, social and—yes—religious chasm, and hate us for our wealth, health and happiness.
So terror will happen wherever there are wild-eyed psychopaths to convince ardent young men that they can right the injustices of the world and attain a heroic martyrdom by mass murder.
This is not singular to Islamic extremism—the IRA operates on exactly the same principle—
we can think of countless other examples throughout history—
but it is the Muslim fanatic who is now the enemy at our gates.
In an article entitled "A risk picking easy answers" Hugh Mackay said:
Meanwhile, we should be nurturing the civilised and compassionate impulses of our own hearts. It would be wrong to call for the kind of retribution that would lock us in a mutually destructive embrace with the bombers. And it would be wrong to forge some facile link between Bali and Baghdad.
But it would not be wrong to ask ourselves this: what is it about Western society and culture (and US foreign policy, in particular) that attracts such hatred from the margins?
With those salutary words, I conclude.
The Hon. DON HARWIN [7.40 p.m.]: As a resident of Huskisson on the South Coast, and having travelled up and down the coast quite a bit in the past three weeks, I had occasion to visit Ulladulla a couple of times in the past week. To say that that community is suffering is absolutely right. I encourage honourable members to go to the web site, www.ulladulla.info. It shows how that community is in absolute grief. In particular, the effect on young people in Ulladulla of what has happened to the two young surfers who are missing, Craig and Danny, is quite extraordinary. I shall conclude by reading a tribute that has been posted on the web site by Bruce Summers, who is the cousin of one of the missing surfers, because I think it encapsulates the whole thing. He said:
Craig and Danny the surfing soldiers are missing at war, but in the spirit of happy young men just beginning life's journeys, the weapons they used on the front line that night have not been lost.
Craig & Danny were armed with freedom of choice, spirit of adventure, love of outdoor life, a sense of kindness to others, the love of their family & home and respect for all things good.
All of us can rejoice in the fact that we still have those things. What happened is a tragedy. I extend my sympathy to the families that are suffering. I ask that they hold in there and reflect not only on their loss but also on what makes Australia such a special place.
Mr WHELAN (Strathfield—Parliamentary Secretary) [7.42 p.m.]: I thank all honourable members for their contributions to what has been a difficult debate. I ask honourable members to think about this: If it is difficult for members of Parliament to relate the stories of their constituents and people they know, imagine the heartache that is occurring in the families that lost loved ones as a result of the events in Bali on 12 October. I convey my sincere and deep sympathy to those who are grieving—grieving about the loss, the disappearance and the horrific injuries suffered by so many of their loved ones. Not only Australians but all those in the international community have suffered and continue to suffer. To me, the security of our nation and its people has been shattered forever. The world was a different place after September 11; now it is a vastly different place, and it is vastly different in Australia. I do not believe that the peace and security of Bali and, indeed, Indonesia can be restored for many years, if at all.
I hope that all those who are grieving for loved ones who are dead, missing or injured take solace from the community's outrage, as they take solace from the support of the community which has been evident since 12 October. The Prime Minister, who has done a remarkable job, Federal Ministers and State Ministers have been actively involved in ensuring that the loss is minimal. We do not know who the perpetrators are; we do not know what their motivation was. The only thing we know is what they have done. We are all hurt. The national community has been mortally affected. Instead of peace and harmony, the actions of these murderers—and they are murderers—has focused our minds on defending ourselves, our person, our families and our nation. In other words, they have put fear into our hearts, not love, understanding and peace. Australians are stoic and brave. We are not a foolish group. As a nation we are deeply hurt.
However, it is worth noting that as a nation we will not give up the values so richly inherited by everybody in the Chamber and in the gallery—that legacy of democratic and judicial processes handed to us by previous Australians, our ancestors, who resisted intolerance and corruption in the world to enshrine in all Australians and in our nation the principles of equality, tolerance and understanding. There are no acceptable reasons, and there cannot be any acceptable reasons, for the Bali bombing, but we should not lessen our drive for world peace. I indicate to the Opposition that the Government agrees with the amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition. As many staff in Parliament House have contacted me since the commencement of this debate, including Hansard and the Clerks, it would be appropriate to extend the motion to include their heartfelt sympathy. Therefore, when this message is conveyed to the relatives it is conveyed with the blessings of everybody who works in Parliament House, not only the blessings of members.
Amendment agreed to.
Motion as amended agreed to.
Mr SPEAKER:The joint sitting is now concluded.
The joint sitting concluded at 7.47 p.m.
_______________