Page 205 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 April 1992
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I am sure that I do not need to list the world's trouble spots or the unarmed or untrained reporters who have laid down their lives to ensure that the Australian people are kept abreast of the world's news. Madam Speaker, many of us in this chamber remember 1975 for various reasons. I recall the death that year of several members of the Australian film crew who were covering a story in East Timor. To this day, we are still not sure what really happened. I am very sorry that their families are not sure what the truth is. What a brave act those people performed in covering a story. We will never know what really happened.
Madam Speaker, the news coverage of SBS is second to none in Australia, and we should encourage this high standard of journalism. I must also say that the coverage SBS has given will make the identification of the parties involved easier for the police and the courts. Without it, the offenders may have got away and we may not have known who they really were.
I do not wish to see Australians become targets for international terrorism. However, if we have to face these problems I would like to see professionals who have been trained to deal with these situations handle them. Rather than condemn the news crew involved, I praise them for their bravery and their sense of public service. I think SBS do a wonderful job, and we are all very lucky to have such a wonderful service coming to Canberra. We would also like to have an ethnic radio station. On this side of the house and the other side of the house we gave full cooperation on pushing the Federal Government to do this.
I wonder what fell down in the security of the Iranian Embassy so that people were harmed in the way they were. I do not know whether it was the Federal Government's fault or what it was, but I think that SBS should be commended on the wonderful work they do.
MADAM SPEAKER: It being 5.00 pm, in accordance with amended standing order 34, the Assembly stands adjourned until Tuesday, 12 May 1992, at 2.30 pm.
Assembly adjourned at 5.00 pm until Tuesday, 12 May 1992,
at 2.30 pm
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