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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (29 March) . . Page.. 1025 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

and Victoria are proposing a coordinated approach and the setting up of a group to coordinate any aid that is given and to ensure that appropriate aid is given. I am delighted to see that. That is certainly something I would be insisting upon and very happy to support when MCEETYA meets later this week.

I also look forward to meeting Father Filomeno Jacob, who I understand has already spoken to a number of people in Australia, including the head of my department, Fran Hinton. I note that the education people suggested for a coordinating group include not only government school representatives but, very properly, members of the Catholic school community and the independent school community. This is especially important, given the nature of schooling in East Timor and the very significant role the Catholic Church plays in that country.

I look forward to a very productive MCEETYA meeting. Both the Commonwealth and Victoria seem to be very much on the right track. I do not think anyone in this Assembly would begrudge the intent of Mr Berry's motion. I would urge them to support my amendments, because as well as telling everyone of our desire to provide all practical aid to re-establish the education infrastructure in East Timor they express our concern about the way all infrastructure was completely gutted during the troubles last year and give us the chance to congratulate the AFP and the Australian Defence Forces on their fantastic efforts in that troubled territory. Many of their members are Canberrans. We have not had a chance to do that before, and my amendments give us a chance to say to them, "Thanks for what you have done. Australia can stand proud because of your actions. We are proud of you. Congratulations on a job well done".

MR STANHOPE (Leader of the Opposition) (12.19): I will not speak at length on this issue. Every member who has spoken has spoken about the recent and perhaps the not so recent history of East Timor. We are all acutely aware of the devastation and trauma that have been suffered in East Timor, both in a material sense and in a human sense; the enormous losses that individuals have suffered in terms of the death and the dislocation of family members and friends; and the extent to which families have been broken up and destroyed. Significant numbers of East Timorese have lost their lives in the struggle that they have endured for so long.

Members have spoken of that and we are all acutely aware of that. It is something that has assailed us all on our televisions and in news broadcasts for a significant period now. Members have spoken about the eventual international response. Mr Stefaniak has commented on the significant role played by Australian police and Australian forces in efforts at restoring order and peace to East Timor. A degree of peace has returned to East Timor. The wounds that have been suffered by individuals will take significant time to heal and for some people will never truly heal.

Mr Berry's motion talks of the devastation to the education infrastructure. As Mr Berry and other speakers have mentioned, there has been devastation to the built environment, the physical environment, in East Timor generally. It is not just restricted to the

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