Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I want to say thank you very much to the member for Kennedy for raising this issue in the parliament. Everybody has been watching anxiously and waiting—hoping and praying for a miracle—in relation to these two men. I commend the Prime Minister for his very generous and warm words.

The mine has about 500 workers and they'll all be incredibly anxious. Family members in the local community, and, obviously, the family members of Trevor and Dylan, will be beside themselves. The work of the emergency services is always to run towards the danger, not away from it and, in people's hours of darkness, they know that those emergency workers will be doing everything humanly possible to find the miracle that we all hope and pray for.

I am reminded, of course, of the miracle that we saw in Beaconsfield, and I acknowledge Bill Shorten's efforts, and those of many others, in Tasmania in 2006. But it does look dire, and it's a reminder of the dangerous work that is undertaken in a very significant industry and sector within our community. On behalf of the opposition, I want to send our thoughts and prayers to the families and to the community in Dugald River, Cloncurry and the surrounding areas. We are all hoping for the best possible outcome, but fearing the worst.

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