Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I'm calling on the Prime Minister to immediately summon the Laotian ambassador to address shocking revelations that those responsible for the deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles received fines of just $185. As a mother, I was devastated to see the fathers of Bianca and Holly forced to resort to fronting the national media today because the Albanese government has failed to obtain justice for their beautiful girls. There has been no justice for Holly and Bianca. The fact that their families learnt what happened not from their own government but via a British victim's family is a disgrace. Australians are rightly shocked.

A year ago, we learnt that the Laotian government was refusing Australian Federal Police assistance in the investigation. A year ago, Australians were told by the Albanese government that the matter was in hand. Holly and Bianca deserve justice, their families deserve answers, and Australia should have done everything possible to deliver that. The Prime Minister should join government officials in apologising today and commit to doing something about this. Australia makes a significant contribution to Laos through our foreign aid program and other assistance, and the Laotian government should be reminded of that. The Albanese government must explain why the families of Holly and Bianca were not kept properly informed of these weak prosecutions. Australians are appalled by what they have seen.

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