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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the efforts being undertaken following the tragedy of the MRH-90 Australian Army helicopter crash off Central Queensland last Friday?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question and for the Leader of the Opposition—but I think every member of this chamber—joining with us today on what has been a very difficult weekend for our nation.

As the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chief of the Defence Force made clear, earlier today, our worst fears have been confirmed. I know that every member of this House, along with every Australian, is thinking of the families of Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs, four men who made the brave and selfless choice to serve our country, to dedicate their lives to keeping us safe. They were soldiers and they were sons, husbands, brothers, fathers and friends. Today our deepest sympathies are with the people who loved them and the people that they loved. We will have, of course, a formal condolence motion at an appropriate time for them.

We are also thinking of all those who served alongside these four men who remain missing, the members of the 6th Aviation Regiment based at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney and, indeed, all of their brothers and sisters in uniform, many of whom are continuing to assist in the search and recovery effort. I know the House will want to join me in acknowledging the vital support that Canada and the United States of America are providing to the efforts of the Australian Army, Navy and Air Force as well as the civilian authorities led by the Queensland Police Service and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Our nation offers them all the strength that we can while their difficult work goes on.

It is important for us to recognise that this will be a very hard time for many serving members and their families as well as veterans, and I encourage anyone who feels in need of support to seek it. Families can call Defence Member and Family Support on 1800624608. Serving men and women, veterans and families can contact Open Arms on 1800011046.

This terrible incident has provided a stark reminder that there are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country's name or, indeed, for their families, for they also serve. The Australians we mourn today were taking part in Exercise Talisman Sabre, bringing together 13 nations and more than 30,000 personnel, an unprecedented display of strategic cooperation and coordination, driven by a common determination to preserve peace and security in the Indo-Pacific but also the wider world. This was the noble ideal that these four Australians volunteered to serve, uphold and defend.

All Australians owe a debt to the brave men and women who wear our uniform, citizens who risk their lives in order to protect our way of life. On behalf of our nation, we offer our sympathies and condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who Australia has lost. We mourn them. We will remember them. Lest we forget.

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

On indulgence—I want to thank the Prime Minister for the update to the House and, as the Prime Minister points out, there will be a more formal opportunity for remarks in relation to the condolence motion. But it is important that the country hears a very unified message from the government and from the opposition on dark days for our country.

I want to say thank you to the Defence minister and to the Defence officials who briefed us earlier today in relation to this tragedy. The work, as the Prime Minister points out, of the search and rescue effort of those diggers who were onboard the MRH-90 that followed this helicopter that abruptly, violently, hit the water, the tragedy that they experienced at that time and what they will be going through now, is something that we acknowledge as a parliament. Our country comes together during these dark hours to make sure that we can provide support to those in need of it. The Australian Defence Force today, particularly those who are serving in the 6th Aviation Regiment, are worthy of our support, and they should know that this parliament will come together to provide support in this next phase.

To the families of Danniel Lyon, of Max Nugent, of Joseph Laycock and of Alexander Naggs, our thoughts and prayers are with them and with the diggers.

I want to acknowledge the work of the member for Herbert, who I know has been in contact with a number of his former colleagues and has served at one point with Corporal Naggs. Many people will have similar stories.

It is a tragic day for our nation, and I know we will continue to work to provide the recovery effort so that the answers can be provided to the loved ones and to their colleagues. We come together today on an incredibly sad occasion, a tragic occasion for our nation. We stand as one in support of those men and women who bravely wear the uniform of the Australian Defence Force.