Page 6 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The Canberra Liberals extend our thanks for the services of Australian firefighters who lost their lives during the fires. To David Moresi, Geoffrey Keaton, Andrew O’Dwyer, Samuel McPaul, Bill Slade and Matt Kavanagh, thank you. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of these firefighters whose bravery and courage should be commended and remembered.
Our deepest sympathies are also with the families of Ian McBeth, Paul Hudson and Rick DeMorgan Jr, the three American firefighters who died in an airtanker crash just south of Canberra. These men, who shared decades of service to the US Marine Corps, the US Air Force and their respective state and national guards, had come to Australia to serve and protect our region. We honour them for their service and thank them and their families for their sacrifice.
Our thanks also go to the American firefighters and those from Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere who volunteered to serve this summer. During our time of need Australia received offers of assistance from 70 nations. Military assistance has been received from New Zealand, the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Papa New Guinea and Fiji.
Donations have poured in from across the world, including from many countries who are less affluent than our own. Our thanks to our international friends for their support and generosity in this time of tragedy.
While the bushfires have gripped the world, it is the individuals and communities at a local level who have made such an extraordinary impact. I extend our deep gratitude to members of the ACT Emergency Services Agency, including Commissioner Georgeina Wheelan. I also thank ACT Fire & Rescue, ACT Policing, the Australian Defence Force and of course the Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service. These agencies have been working tirelessly to ensure that the ACT is protected and prepared for future threats.
I acknowledge and thank members of the media, particularly the ABC, 2CC, FM106.3, FM104.7, the Canberra Times, the RiotAct and other outlets for their professional and compassionate communication in this time.
As devastating as the bushfires have been, they have also brought out the best of Canberra and the best of Canberrans. We now have a striking mural in Garema Place, painted by Geoff Filmer, to recognise and serve as a reminder of all the great work done by our firefighters involved here and of the wildlife which died as a result of these fires. The donations have been extraordinarily generous and I thank everyone who has contributed. There have been many businesses and individuals who have contributed greatly disproportionate amounts to make sure that our community is rebuilt.
On the occasions when I visited the Dickson recovery centre I was inspired by the dedication of the staff and volunteers who had been working around the clock to ensure that people received the support that they needed. I was pleased to lend a hand to the volunteers from St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Kaleen, which was just
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video