Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I feel privileged to follow the Chief Government Whip. His contribution to this debate was outstanding and I think got to the core of the issue—as have the contributions of everyone who has spoken in this debate. I was in the House when the minister and the shadow minister moved the motion, and I believe that this is one issue which brings the parliament together. It is an issue that a number of members of this parliament feel passionate about.

I will start my contribution by pleading for mercy for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, two young men who made a really silly decision, a very bad mistake—a mistake which, if they had been successful, would have led to the loss of many Australian lives. In no way does any member of this parliament sanction their act but, as the Chief Government Whip rightly pointed out, they have been in jail for 10 years and have undergone enormous rehabilitation. They are totally different men to the men who were arrested for a very stupid act that took place such a long time ago. They were men in their early twenties. They were men who did not think of the consequences of their act and did not think of the enormous suffering that the drug trade leads to. These men were caught and punished and have served considerable time in jail. These men have learnt that there is more to life than what they thought at the time of their arrest. Andrew Chan has become a pastor within the jail, helping other people. Myuran Sukumaran is also dedicated to helping other prisoners through his art and helping them to the realisation of who they are and what they are.

I am totally opposed to the death penalty in any form—not only for our Australian citizens but for anyone. To take a person's life is the ultimate denial of human rights. It has been shown that it is not a deterrent; rather, it leads to a situation where you are inflicting pain not only on that person but also on their family, as we have seen in the last few days in Australia with the mothers and the families of both Andrew and Myuran pleading for their lives and making statements. I think it takes away from us as human beings when we take the life of another person. As has been mentioned by many in this debate, an eye for an eye does not resolve the issue. What we need is to work closely with Indonesian government, and other governments throughout the world, to address the issue of drug trafficking—and to address the issue of the death penalty, for that matter.

As has been said by previous speakers, Indonesian prisoners have been held in places throughout the world where the death penalty has been imposed on them and their government has pleaded for clemency—and in many cases that has been granted. We are doing the same here for our Australian citizens. As a member of this parliament, I feel it is imperative that I stand up here and plead for the lives of these two young men. I know that members on both sides have joined together in pleading for mercy and clemency. In doing so we show no disrespect to Indonesia. We recognise their sovereignty, but we also need to put on the record that taking the lives of these two young Australians, who have been rehabilitated and who are helping to rehabilitate others—who, far from being involved in any drug trafficking in jail, have actually worked to stop it happening—would not resolve the issue. I would very much like my support for the motion by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the shadow minister put on record.

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