Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence: the Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on earth. Its name means ‘peaceful’ or ‘making peace’. It was originally named by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who described it as a calm and peaceful ocean. Many thousands of Australians have swum in its waters and travelled to its beautiful island nations. Whilst the vast majority of visitors to the islands have come away with wonderful memories of sandy beaches and warm water, most Australians are aware of the potential for the Pacific to be a danger to human life, mostly through the cyclones that batter the Pacific coastlines. We have been warned many times over the years about the dangers of earthquakes and volcanoes along the so-called rim of fire that circles the Pacific Ocean. Those dangers usually seem distant; however, natural disasters can strike without warning and with great ferocity.

In recent weeks the Pacific Ocean was anything but peaceful. Indeed, throughout South-East Asia and the Pacific many thousands of people were affected by a spate of natural disasters—typhoons, tsunamis and earthquakes. The first of the disasters, Typhoon Ketsana, lashed South-East Asia on 26 and 27 September. The typhoon flooded most of the Philippine capital of Manila. The flooding was the worst for decades. People were killed; many were injured; and there was devastating damage to cities, homes and businesses, particularly agriculture. The typhoon then hit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It is deeply concerning to read reports that the typhoon caused more than 1,000 deaths. I extend my deepest sympathy to the people of the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos who lost loved ones or were otherwise affected by this disaster.

There was such significant damage to infrastructure that thousands were left homeless. The devastation has been massive. Australia as a good neighbour and friend of these countries has a role to play in helping rebuild the damaged infrastructure. The damage may well take generations to repair. We have a role in providing emergency help with food, water, shelter and other essentials for displaced people. On 29 September I extended my sympathy to the people of the Philippines as they struggled to cope with the devastating floods and welcomed the government’s announcement on that day that Australia would provide up to $1 million to support response and recovery activities in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Ketsana. I understand this assistance is to be delivered through the Philippines Red Cross and UN agencies.

I am pleased that the government has also announced $2 million to feed thousands of people affected by the typhoon in the Philippines, with this assistance to be delivered through the World Food Program. I would support the provision of further emergency assistance by the Australian government if the governments of the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos issued a request for further international support.

Just as the world was coming to terms with the devastation caused by the typhoon, another disaster befell the region when Samoa was hit by a tsunami. This brought back horrific memories of the Indian Ocean tsunami that hit on 26 December 2004. That was a most extraordinary disaster which had a profound effect on the whole region, with more than a quarter of a million people killed, including Australians holidaying overseas. The news of the Samoa tsunami was deeply distressing. On 30 September, I expressed our concern at the news then known that several Australian tourists had been listed as missing and that many local residents were also missing. I confirmed that the coalition would support the government in providing whatever assistance was necessary to Australians in Samoa, especially those who may have suffered injury. Of course, we now know that there was a death toll of 138, including five Australians. Sadly, nine people also lost their lives in Tonga. We supported the government announcement on 3 October of a million dollars in support for Tonga. I take this opportunity to extend my deepest sympathy to the affected families and communities as they cope with the loss of loved ones and the destruction of homes and businesses.

I have been to the Pacific and I have visited Samoa, and there are strong links between this Pacific nation and Australia. For example, there are 40,000 Australians of Samoan ancestry living in Australia and the Samoan community here was very active in the relief efforts. We must not forget the vulnerability of low-lying Pacific island nations to tsunamis, and the latest in Samoa is a tragic reminder of this geographic reality. Of course, Australia’s coast-loving communities are also at risk.

It is for these reasons that, following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the Howard government announced a major initiative to establish an Australian national tsunami warning system. The system gives protection to Australia. It supported international efforts to establish an Indian Ocean warning system, and it contributed to tsunami warnings for the south-west Pacific.

And there was no end to the tragedy. An earthquake occurred in Sumatra on 30 September, which was followed by another on 1 October. The coalition supports the government’s announcement on 11 October of $17 million in recovery and reconstruction assistance. Thankfully, no Australians were killed, but I offer my deepest sympathies to all those who were affected. It is such a tragedy that over a thousand people have reportedly died and that many thousands have been left homeless. The bonds of friendship between Australia and Indonesia have again proven strong in our emergency efforts. We will continue to help Indonesia over the years it will take to rebuild this shattered region of Sumatra. With Indonesia we have one of our most important bilateral relationships. It will become even more so in the coming decades. Working together as friends in times of crisis such as these will bring us closer together.

Australia and Indonesia must coordinate our efforts with international relief and development agencies in order to ensure the recovery of the region from this triple tragedy. Australia is at the forefront of development aid programs in the region, with the EU being the second biggest donor. But I believe that we can enhance the quality and effectiveness of our aid and emergency relief programs to the Asia-Pacific. I consider that there is more scope for better international development cooperation and humanitarian and disaster relief. The need for this has been tragically demonstrated by the spate of natural disasters in our region in these recent weeks. Australia and the region are bound by our geography and shared interests. Close engagement with the countries of the Asia-Pacific has long been a high priority in Australian foreign policy and, with the rapid and ongoing economic development of our region, Australia is in one of the most fortunate positions in the world to proceed into this, the Asia-Pacific century.

The coalition is proud of its record of cooperation and constructive development in the region. The previous Howard government took us down the path of a long-term commitment to the countries in the region, with good relations with all key regional stakeholders. We contributed to initiatives to develop the regional architecture to better address regional issues and concerns and made Australia’s voice in the region welcome and respected. Australia will continue to help our neighbours in the region who are being tragically affected by this spate of natural disasters.

We are a prosperous and advanced nation surrounded by many less fortunate nations. As we have done in the past, we will help our neighbours in times of crisis and help them to develop their economies. The coalition urges the government to stand ready to offer further assistance to Samoa and other Pacific countries. Australians can feel rightly proud that they have a reputation for generosity to others who find themselves in dire straits. This has been shown once again by the overwhelming financial and other support provided for those affected by these disasters in our region. I commend all Australians involved in these worthy causes. I urge the Australian government to continue to uphold Australia’s longstanding reputation in the region as a responsible and generous neighbour.

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