Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

On indulgence: I rise to associate the opposition with the remarks of the foreign minister. Like many members of the House, I've had the sad privilege of meeting the families of the people who were murdered in 2014. Thirty-eight Australians were murdered. Two hundred and ninety-eight people were murdered. We supported, when this terrible atrocity occurred, the strong actions of the then Prime Minister, the member for Warringah. We again support the government now and the actions of the foreign minister.

We wholeheartedly agree with the conclusions of the international report about the origin of this murder weapon. Despite what the Russian ambassador to Australia has said—that these are merely reports on social media—they are most certainly not, and no amount of counter-rhetoric from the Russian Federation will dissuade the Australian government or opposition from the truth of what has happened. I make these remarks on indulgence not just for the Australian people but also to send a message to the Russian Federation that, whatever the debates we have here, when it comes to the MH17 atrocity this parliament of is one mind. There is no daylight. There are no shades of grey. The UN Security Council resolutions must be respected. We demand full transparency. We seek compensation, not because there's a single family member who wouldn't rather just have their loved ones back but as a recognition of responsibility. The families of those people who were murdered deserve closure, and the Russian Federation should be on notice that this parliament unanimously supports the actions of the government.

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