Craig Emerson (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I wish to make a short statement about the house fire in Kingston. A well-known Tongan-Samoan family has suffered a great loss in Logan City this morning where, it is believed, 11 members of their immediate and extended family passed away in a fire. The family has been in Australia for more than 25 years and have been Logan stalwarts for the past 15 years. The family are respected by the Tongan, Samoan and wider communities in Logan for their commitment to making Logan a better place.

One survivor is in Logan Hospital with severe burns. He is well known for assisting local families with migration matters and has had some pretty good success. His wife was a devoted wife and mother, a person who cared deeply for her family, her church and her community. She will be missed and mourned greatly by the Logan community. Although I cannot confirm the other members who perished in this horrific fire I can confirm that students of Mabel Park State High School and Mabel Park Primary School are today mourning the loss of this family. Flags are flying at half mast.

I wish to thank emergency services, all the other support services and the local community for rallying around the family at this terrible time. I thank members from other areas for the concerns that have been expressed and I will pass on their condolences to the family.

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