John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek the indulgence of the House to say a few words about the tragic and untimely death of Steve Irwin. Steve Irwin’s death yesterday in bizarre, tragic, and in some respects quintessentially Australian circumstances has not only shocked and horrified the people of Australia; it has brought forth around the world an outpouring of grief and emotional expressions of regard for this remarkable man. As the Cinderella Man, Russell Crowe, put it so well, ‘The crocodile man Steve Irwin was the Australian many of us aspire to be.’ He was, to use that old expression, a larger than life character. What you saw was what you got. He was a talented showman. He used his massive talents to support causes and to achieve goals that he greatly believed in.

It is easy when looking at the colour and showmanship of Steve Irwin’s life to overlook his extraordinary grasp and understanding of environmental and nature conservation issues. I had the opportunity of listening to the British environmentalist Professor David Bellamy on radio this morning. He paid a very high tribute indeed to Steve Irwin’s depth of detailed understanding of the creatures that inhabit this earth and of the environmental challenges that we all face.

Steve Irwin was an indefatigable campaigner for things that were important, and are important, to Australia. His services to the tourism industry have been quite remarkable. He epitomised to so many people around the world what they saw to be uniquely Australian characteristics. For that we should be simultaneously proud and grateful. He also believed passionately in a strong, protected Australian environment. His willingness to front the high-profile ‘Quarantine Matters’ campaign was a great contribution to the quarantine cause and the clean green protected image that this country wants to continue and represent to the rest of the world. That successful campaign, which started in 2002, grew to be one of the nation’s most successful public awareness campaigns. His commitment to the cause of that campaign and the love he evinced for Australia in that campaign was evident.

A few months ago he participated in the ‘G’day LA’ exhibition in Los Angeles to mark Australia Day, and it has become one of the showcases of our country to the United States and to the world. In February of this year he was the recipient of an award for services to the tourism industry. But the greatest reward that his memory can have has been the remarkable outpouring of affection for, and grief for the loss of, this remarkable individual. The joy he brought to millions of Australians and people around the world of all ages and the understanding he brought to young children of the importance of the creatures of this earth to our wellbeing and to what makes our lives amount to something has been amazing, and is deserving of immense tribute.

He was a great Australian icon. I found him essentially a person of what you saw his what you got. There was nothing contrived about him. He was a genuine, one-off, remarkable Australian individual. I am distressed at his death, and I think I speak for millions of people around Australia in conveying the sense of distress and sadness that such a rich, active, energetic Australian life should have been so abruptly ended in such circumstances.

To his wonderful wife, Terri, and to their children, Bindi and Bob, who must confront and deal with this awful tragedy, I extend on behalf of myself and my wife and the members of my government—and, I am sure, everyone in this place—our deep sorrow and sadness at his death. Steve Irwin was a wonderful Australian. We mourn his loss, we are devastated by the tragic circumstances in which he has been taken from us, and we send our love and prayers to his grieving family.

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