Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: members of the House will be aware of the catastrophic earthquake that occurred in Haiti on 12 January—an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0, striking the most highly populated part of that nation. Australia is a long way from Haiti, but Australians have nevertheless been moved by the images that we have seen of this terrible tragedy. It is a tragedy on a scale that simply defies our comprehension. It reminds us in its human dimension of the tsunami much closer to home. The number of people affected is beyond imagining. An estimated 170,000 men, women and children are now confirmed to have lost their lives. A quarter of a million people are injured, waiting for medical help. Up to one million people are left without a home or any belongings. The nation’s infrastructure has suffered colossal damage, including to hospitals, roads, schools, water supplies and electricity and communications networks.

For any country, this earthquake would have been a terrible tragedy, but in Haiti it is particularly traumatic. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Indeed, the disaster is made all the more tragic by the fact that Haiti’s future had in recent times begun to look brighter. Relative stability had been restored to Port-au-Prince after years of extreme gang violence. Foreign investment was on the rise, and new economic opportunities were emerging. Then this quake hit. On behalf of the parliament and the Australian government, I extend our deepest condolences to the people of Haiti and to the families and friends of the victims of the quake. Among the confirmed dead is an Australian-British dual national who worked with the United Nations, Frederick Alan Wooldridge. We convey our deepest sympathy to Mr Wooldridge’s family and to his friends.

In this time of crisis for the people of Haiti the international community has responded quickly and generously. As of yesterday, the United Nations Financial Tracking Service reported that almost US$1.25 billion had been contributed or committed, and a further US$781 million had been pledged. Australians have, in the great Australian tradition of compassion for those near and far, donated $13.5 million already through such charities as World Vision, Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders. The Australian government has also committed $15 million to these humanitarian efforts. This comprises $10 million in emergency assistance and $5 million in longer term help. Of this funding, $2.5 million will be provided to Australian non-government organisations who are working with vulnerable populations, including women and children. The Australian funding will also include assistance to help children recover from the devastation wrought by this earthquake, including many who have become orphans. There will also be support for projects to provide children affected by the earthquake with ongoing schooling and safe locations. I also announced on 24 January that the government has approved the deployment of a small team of Defence air traffic controllers to assist America’s efforts to bring supplies into Haiti as quickly as possible.

We know that the recovery and healing process in Haiti will take years. It will require ongoing support from the international community, and the Australian government stands, as always, ready to assist in these efforts. To conclude these remarks about Haiti, the principal supporter of Haiti in its time of need is of course the government of the United States of America, and we appreciate America’s continued global role in tragedies of this order of magnitude and remember America’s heavy lift effort early in the days of the tsunami. Bearing that in mind—I am sure with all members of this place—we place on record our welcome and anticipation of the visit of the President of the United States, Barack Obama, and his family to Australia during the month of March.

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