Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister inform the House of the strength of our relationship with New Zealand, particularly in light of the tragic earthquake in Christchurch?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Corangamite for his question. On indulgence I was able to update the House on our efforts to assist New Zealand, but I did, on a day like today, want to speak about the depth of the relationship between our two countries.

Last week I had the very great honour of being the first Australian Prime Minister—indeed, the first leader of any foreign nation—to address the members of the New Zealand parliament. It was a great occasion on which to reflect on the bonds between our two countries. On that occasion I said the following to the members of the New Zealand parliament:

In the 1890s, there was a possibility that New Zealand and Australia might formally have joined their destinies to each other.

A relic of that aspiration even remains in our Constitution to this day.

But it was never necessary.

Our founders could not have imagined the extraordinary events that would bring our nations far closer than any words or any laws.

Not forged in meeting rooms by old men wearing suits.

But by young men in trenches wearing slouch hats and lemon squeezers.

That is why I say Australia has many alliances and friendships around the world.

Economic and defence partnerships of every kind.

But New Zealand alone is family.

When those 29 men never came home from the Pike River mine, we didn’t just mourn for the two Australians.

We mourned for them all.

Family.

When Pike River exploded, New Zealand didn’t have to ask Australia to send help.

We just did.

And when natural disasters hit Australia this summer, New Zealand didn’t need to be asked to lend a hand.

You just did.

And our gratitude is boundless.

When I spoke those words, I could not have foreseen that so shortly afterwards we would be returning to help New Zealand in its hour of need.

I want to take this opportunity to place on the parliamentary record the words that New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has spoken to the New Zealand parliament today about circumstances in his nation. He said:

To the people of Christchurch: we feel your pain, as only a small nation can, for none of us feel removed from this event.

Mr Key went on to say:

I am a proud son of Christchurch. I was raised there, I got my first job there, my sister lives there, my mother died there, I know what a wonderful place it is.

But my connection to Christchurch is no rare thing.

All New Zealanders have a piece of our heart in Christchurch.

All of our lives are touched by this event.

Those are Mr Key’s words to the New Zealand parliament. I believe we can say in this parliament: all of our lives are touched by this event, too. Mr Key went on to say:

Today I want Christchurch to hear this message:

You will get through this.

This proud country is right behind you and we are backing you with all our might.

The world is with us.

Our Australian neighbours, our British and American friends, the great countries of this world, all are putting their shoulder to your wheel. They are sending their support, their expertise, their people to help us …

And we are. He went on to say that this was the start of the long journey of recovery and that New Zealand would walk that journey with the people of Christchurch. Australia will walk that journey with the people of Christchurch, too.