Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is with a level of gravity that I speak on this bill, and I acknowledge all the wise words from both sides of the chamber. It is very nice to have members of parliament talking about something that is really about achieving a good outcome and cleaning up the mess of what was a mistake in the past. We do not know all the history of why people thought asbestos was safe, but we do know the consequences of asbestos in people's houses, of this particular product and what it is doing.

It pleases me somewhat that we live in a country where people are prepared to acknowledge and clean up the mess. I remember several years ago being in Odessa, in Ukraine, where you could still buy asbestos sheeting for roofing; it was quite common and people were still using it. It seemed to me somewhat appalling that we had learnt so much in modern First World countries but in Third World countries this dangerous product was still available and still being used; but, hopefully, we can replicate the knowledge that we have learnt.

This bill is about cleaning up a mess. It is about cleaning up a mistake of the past and also recognising that, to the average Australian, the great Australian dream is your family home. The home should be a place where you come and you feel safe. The home should be a place where you put your children to bed and know that they are safely in that bed. Even the thought that the house you are living in could be killing you, could be putting your children at risk, is a thought that is unfathomable. It is something that we, as Australians who value our home and value that as our major asset, really repulse against. Given that it takes so much to buy a house, it even takes so much effort to find a house, to then have a situation where your house is actually so dangerous that you cannot be in it, so dangerous your children cannot be it, is recognition of the need to do something about this.

I think the fact that the government is now providing money as a loan to the ACT government to allow these houses to be knocked down in a very controlled and knowledgeable way—now that we know how to minimise the risk of asbestosis and are able to clean those houses up, clean those blocks up, and of course those blocks will rebuild safe houses for many happy people to live happier lives in—is a great thing. This is going to be a very worthwhile thing. I think it does show that the Australian people, at times, will pull together; Parliament House can work collectively and constructively to minimise the risk for our people. It is for that reason that I very much commend this bill to the House.

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