James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank all those who have contributed in a bipartisan way on this motion, particularly the member for McPherson for moving it and giving us the opportunity to discuss this very important issue, which is remembering that the world we live in is a dangerous one and that there are a lot of people in this country and around the world who keep us safe and do so much to protect us from the risk of terrorism.

I'm sure everyone in the debate, not just those whom I've listened to since entering the chamber, has talked about some of their own recollections of epochal moments related to terrorist attacks. Obviously, everyone of a certain age has their own recollection of where they were when the September 11 terrorist attacks happened, with the attacks on the World Trade Center and other aircraft hijackings in the United States in 2001. I was in school at the time, and it was the evening here in Australia. Just about to go to bed, I happened to see the very beginnings of the coverage of that attack, which was when the first building had been struck but before the second building was struck. For me, as someone who was only 18 years old, it was the first time I could comprehend something of that magnitude happening. Obviously, it changed the United States dramatically. It changed our country and the whole world dramatically in many ways. I pay tribute to Australians—including members of this parliament such as the member for Herbert, who is with us—who proceeded to serve our nation in Afghanistan and other theatres of conflict in response to the unprovoked attacks and the need to ensure that the people responsible for that were brought to justice and that the risk that they posed was removed. While there were the innocent victims who unfortunately succumbed on that day, there could have been more into the future.

We must always remember that, although we reflect on and think through the attacks that occur, there are so many that could have occurred if our national security agencies didn't do the work that they do. Of course, we'll never know some of the threats that they have removed from the free people of Australia and around the world. But I'm very confident that, if it weren't for the work that they do and the service and protection that they provide, other attacks would have occurred and could occur into the future. This motion gives us an opportunity to really acknowledge that. At times, of course, it's very important that these things be confidential. They are related to the national security of our nation, and so the people who probably give the greatest service to us are not always fully acknowledged publicly, because that's simply not possible. But this gives us the opportunity to make that point through this debate.

I was in London in June 2017 when the London Bridge attacks occurred. I remember that was around 10 o'clock in the evening. I was in my hotel room. I couldn't believe that within walking distance of where I was staying, if I'd decided to go out instead of going back to my hotel room after dinner, I could have been in the midst of a terrorist attack—perhaps a victim of it. Tragically, two Australians were killed in that attack. Of course, the phone lights up and everyone who is back home in Australia who has heard that this has happened is trying to get in contact with you, because they know you're in London and they're desperately concerned that you could have been a victim of this attack. That makes it very real at a personal level, to have been in proximity to the sort of attack that occurred then.

These risks are ever present, and, unfortunately, they will be into the future. We have to accept that. We have had to change the way we live our lives over the last few decades because of the growing risk, particularly through new technology et cetera, of people who want to terrorise free people in nations across the world, just as much here in Australia as anywhere else. We have to remember that there are necessities and there is a balance between the free way we want to live our lives and the important need to give our security services and agencies the powers and the tools they need to protect us, particularly from the great evil of terrorism. I take the opportunity to thank all of the Australian national security agencies that keep us safe and, of course, commemorate victims of terrorism both here in Australia and across the world.

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