Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I would associate myself with the comments by the member for Canberra and also the comments in the chamber yesterday by the Prime Minister and the opposition leader. As with all members, it is with a very heavy heart that I join this debate on this condolence motion. This parliament, as we know, is often bitterly divided but today we stand united as elected representatives from all corners of our wonderful nation, thoughtfully reflecting the grief and the compassion of the many different communities that we represent. It is days like these when the Australian people have their faith restored in our wonderful democracy. On issues that really matter, this parliament is as strong and as resilient as the people we seek to represent.

I must admit that when I woke to the news of the MH17 disaster my first thoughts were quite selfish. I guess it is just human nature but, on learning about this tragedy, I thought to myself: I hope there is no-one that I knew on the flight. I hoped there were no Gippslanders. I hoped there were no Australians on the flight. And, as I said, I acknowledge now that that is probably quite selfish, but I guess that is human nature. Unfortunately, within a few hours, it was very apparent that on all counts I was going to be bitterly and sadly disappointed. There were 38 Australians on board MH17. Two of those people who perished on the flight were from Gippsland and one passenger was a lady I had met personally during my campaigning for the seat of Gippsland in the beautiful coastal village of Mallacoota.

In speaking on this condolence motion today, I wish to share a few stories from the lives of those two Gippslanders: Gerry and Mary Menke. But, first, let me give you a little bit of context and my comments a bit of context to the community we are talking about. As the nation and the world recoiled in horror from the stories and images of MH17, the last place in the world that you would expect to be directly impacted would be Mallacoota. It is a refuge from all of the bad stuff that happens somewhere else. We see images of war and destruction, but it is not something you would imagine that our little community of Mallacoota, on the east coast of Australia, would be directly impacted by. People live in Mallacoota for a whole host of reasons. Surely, one reason must be the beautiful sanctuary that it offers. It is an unspoilt wilderness, with a very close-knit community. People do not just know each other in Mallacoota; they know their pets' names, they know each other's kids, they know which university their kids are at, what job they are doing, what course they are doing, they ask about each other and are a very close-knit community. Sure, there are disagreements, there are arguments and disruptions to community life, but people care about each other. We have about 1,000 or so full-time residents. They are passionate about their community and proud of their community. It is a little slice of paradise. It is restful, it is calming, it is relaxed, in an otherwise increasingly busy world.

Mallacoota is famous for its world-class abalone industry. It has a tourism industry dating back many decades, a small business and services sector and it has a vibrant visual and performing arts community as well. And, for at least nine months of the year, it is a very quiet place to go and recharge your batteries. In the tourism season, however, the town's population multiplies to about 8,000 people, as visitors—primarily from Melbourne and also Canberra—come to Mallacoota to try to soak up a little bit of that Mallacoota special atmosphere. So it is indeed a very special place. It has a unique mix of lakes, wilderness and ocean frontage that welcomes both locals and visitors.

And so it was that, on 2 August, the town gathered on Captain Stevenson's Point for a memorial service for Gerry and Mary Menke, two of Mallacoota's best-known and much-loved citizens. As always, it is hard to paint a picture in just words alone, but imagine a grassy, elevated parkland, overlooking a pristine inlet, the sun rising and the water shimmering in the sun and the gentle pounding of the shore break in the background. That was the setting for the memorial service for Gerry and Mary Menke.

Thankfully, the weather was kind to us on that day. It was a bright sunny day. It was still chilly, as you would expect in late winter in Victoria. It was chilly, but the air was fresh with the morning dew and typical of what we like to think of as an East Gippsland masterpiece at that time of year. It was the type of day that made me think it would have convinced Gerry and Mary Menke—all those years ago—that they had made the right decision to settle and raise their family in Mallacoota.

More than 500 people gathered on Captain Stevenson's Point that morning to commemorate the lives of two of the community's most-respected citizens. It was held in a spectacular open-air cathedral, a very fitting environment in which to listen as family members and friends told stories of a couple who lived their life to the full and led by example, as business people, as community members and as loving parents. I must acknowledge that it is moments like these that I, as a local MP, find the most difficult of all. We have bushfires, we have droughts, we have floods, which often impact our lives and test our resilience in Gippsland. And as politicians, as local leaders in our community, we are expected to provide comfort, support and leadership in such difficult times. But normally in those natural disasters you can make some sense of the event, even when lives have been tragically taken or people have been seriously injured. Normally, in a natural disaster you can make some sense of the event. But there is no making sense of the MH17 tragedy. How do you make sense of the loss of 298 innocent lives from Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and of course the Netherlands, which bore the heaviest burden of all?

Indeed it was with a very heavy heart that I accepted the invitation to attend the memorial service and offer words of condolence on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Australian nation. I read the following message to the gathering which I will repeat here today for the sake of the public record. This is a letter from the Prime Minister:

To the family of Gerry and Mary Menke

During the weeks ahead, all around our country, at services like this, Australians will gather to mourn the dead of Flight MH17.

All of us grieve for everyone on Flight MH17.

We mourn for everyone, especially the 38 men, women and children who called Australia home.

Today, we mourn for Gerry and Mary Menke.

Gerry and Mary provided our country with the greatest possible complement: they chose Australia.

Gerry migrated from the Netherlands and Mary travelled 'across the ditch' from New Zealand,

Over forty years ago, they met in Mallacoota and they stayed in Mallacoota. They raised a family, ran small businesses and gave back to their community.

Their last days were amongst their happiest: celebrating Gerry's 70th Birthday in France.

Gerry and Mary were good, honest people. The contrast between their lives and that of their killers could not be clearer. This, at least, shines through in these sad times.

My prayers are with Gerry and Mary's family and the community of Mallacoota.

May all who gather to mourn Gerry and Mary draw comfort from a nation united in grief and in our determination to ensure that justice is done.

It was probably the only small comfort that people could draw from these events that they were not alone—that the nation and the hopes, the prayers and the love of the civilised world are with the families and the friends who have suffered such tremendous losses. It may be hard for those who were not there on that occasion to understand this, but the memorial service was also quite a joyous occasion. One after another we had family members and friends who spoke about the special bond the Gerry and Mary shared, and their life stories, adventures and triumphs, and the difficulties they overcame. They shared a remarkable life. It was quite an uplifting experience, as there were plenty of tears but also much laughter and music as people fondly remembered a remarkable couple. We heard about the Menke family's struggles after World War II, about their move to Australia, about Gerry's courtship of the young New Zealander whom he first met at the Mallacoota Pub, about the early days in the abalone industry, and about their wonderful birthday celebrations in France. The family has drawn comfort from the fact that Gerry and Mary's last days together were happy ones indeed. I have had the opportunity to talk to the family after the memorial service, and also during the national day of mourning. They are very thankful for the words of support they have received, and the comfort they can take from knowing that the nation is united and that the civilised world is united in pursuing the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

I also asked the family if they would like to place on the public record a tribute to Gerry and Mary, and I am honoured today to read from an address that was given by the children Sara, Brett, Anna, and Paul at the memorial service:

Mer and Ger, Mum and Dad, Oma and Opa

Our hearts are heavy. Our bodies are weak with grief, and our heads still trying to comprehend that we will never see, talk, hold or kiss the two people who raised and nurtured us to be the people we are today.

What can we say that hasn't already been said? What can we feel that we aren't all feeling together? What can we do to fill the gaping hole in our hearts?

You both know how much we loved you; You both know how much we all admired you. You were always there for us with love, support, guidance and generosity.

We can all remember the last cherished moments that we had with them. A kiss and embrace from Mum&Dad, 'See you back at home and have a good trip', they said. All we can remember are the good times, the happy times. Maybe this is why it is so hard.

Mum&Dad were the most loving and inspirational people we know. They loved their family to no ends and were very much the caring and nurturing grandparents. Valuable life lessons and family values that Mum&Dad instilled in us are now blossoming in their grand-kids.

We were taught that family is important, that family love carries you through the good times and hard times, and as a family unit we can and could get through anything. They would make times for us and held no grudges.

Family holidays in the caravan, camping trips to the Thurra River, trips to the many beautiful destinations and even the simple things such as blackberry picking for jam, chopping wood for winter and growing veggies in the garden.

Mum was so vibrant, always riding her bike, playing tennis or playing the piano with Dad in tow or Dad sitting in his favourite chair listening to Mum play. You could always hear and smell Mum before her vivacious personality filled the room. Family dinners were exceptional with Dad on the pasta machine and Mum cooking up a storm. Her spontaneous nature was infectious and her desire to watch us achieve our goals was heart-warming. "Live life (and shop!) in the now!

Dad was full of knowledge. If you didn't know the answer, he would! He would never have idle hands, always in the shed tinkering around, in the garden, or down at the boat yard organising things. And more often than not had a bump on his head!! He is a great mentor and was known to laugh harder at his own jokes than anyone else!

We especially remember the early guidance with the help of the wooden spoon -yes Mum you did go thru a few!!! And if that didn't work and we got away, Dad always said "they have to come in to eat sometime!'

When people talk about marriage, it is a unison like yours that people have in mind. Your devotion to each other is unwavering. Your commitment to each other is an inspiration. You were never swayed by anything that was put in your path. It is this total love for each other that brings us some comfort that you are together now and always. Selfless, not selfish. Help and seek nothing in return.

All the people here today is a testament to the far reaching love of Mary&Gerry Menke, our Mum&Dad, a love that is TRUE, PURE & UNDYING.

Grab your family, grab your friends. Tell them you love and care for them and that you will be there thru thick or thin.

You both wanted the best for us and we hope that we will continue to make you as proud of us as we are of you as our parents.

Mum&Dad, we know you are together, laughing and dancing to an endless song looking after us all. We miss you and we love you.

It is an extraordinary family, a remarkable family, and I did feel privileged to play a very small part in that memorial service at Mallacoota on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Australian people and, of course, my electorate of Gippsland.

Finally, I would like to make some general comments on the nature of the motion before the House and the views expressed by both the Prime Minister and the opposition leader, and I do join with the Prime Minister in supporting the motion that is before the House. I would like to take the opportunity to commend the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Defence for the manner in which they have conducted themselves and led our nation in the most trying of circumstances. Let no-one listening at home today misunderstand that the members of parliament, our leadership team, feel their grief and experience it like anyone else. To see the strength of character of our leadership team in these most trying of circumstances has been something which we should all be proud of.

I also, at this time, extend my personal thanks and join with other members who have extended their thanks to the men and women of our Public Service—particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but also the men and women of the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Federal Police, who have to this day continued to place themselves in harm's way and to provide a service to our nation which can only be described as first class. I cannot imagine the hardship, the hurt, that they must have experienced on the ground as they set about their work in those early days. They face the most difficult task of their lives to do that work in a war zone, made all the more complex and more challenging, and a simple thank you does not seem enough.

I said at the outset that it is times like these when we see the best of this parliament and the best of our democratically elected leaders. I attended the national memorial service on the national day of mourning at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, along with the representatives of the Menke family and the loved ones of other victims of this tragedy. It was the most extraordinary service: It was a moving and compelling tribute to those who had lost their lives and, again, it must have given some comfort to their loved ones. I think it reminded the families that they will never walk alone on the journey they face now. Our nation is united in its grief and we are united in our resolve to do whatever is humanly possible to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. I think it goes without saying—but I will repeat it here again today—that the world community stands with us and stands with us in our commitment to bring our people home and to seek the justice they deserve. I commend the decision announced yesterday by the Prime Minister to establish a memorial garden in the parliamentary gardens as a public sign of respect to the 38 Australian victims, and I commend the motion to the House. May the victims rest in peace.

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