Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:00): I move: That this House: (1) express its outrage and condemnation at the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine on 18th July 2014 AEST; (2) extend its deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the families, friends and loved ones of the 38 men, women and children aboard MH17 who called Australia home; (3) offer its condolences to the family and friends of all those lost on Flight MH17, which also included citizens from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa; (4) condemn the perpetrators of this terrible crime; (5) note the Australian government has committed to work with the international community in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 2166 to ensure a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the crash, to identify the cause of the crash and those responsible, and (6) support the Australian government’s cooperation with other countries in bringing the perpetrators of this barbaric crime to justice. When this parliament last met, news was just breaking that flight MH17 had been shot down by Russian backed rebels over eastern Ukraine. This was not just a tragedy; it was an atrocity. Two hundred and ninety-eight innocent people, including 38 Australians had been murdered. I now report to the House what we know, what we have done to help bring our people home, and what we are continuing to do to support the bereaved and to seek justice for the victims. It was a scheduled international passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, so basic humanity should have safeguarded its passage. Instead, it was shot out of the sky. Children lost parents, parents lost children, and an aching void opened in hundreds of lives, made worse by the wanton cruelty of shooting down a passenger jet. We could not bring them back but we here in this parliament promised to bring them home and to seek justice for their families. I believe that the Australian response has been both swift and compassionate. By nine o'clock on the morning of the atrocity, the government's crisis centre, working out of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was operational, giving information and support to the families of the lost. And throughout the families' long ordeal, our officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and in the Australian Federal Police have done tireless, efficient and compassionate work. At 10 o'clock on that fateful Friday, the National Security Committee of the cabinet met and decided that the Russian ambassador should be called in and an assurance demanded that Russia would fully cooperate in the investigation and recovery operations. Later that day I started calling overseas leaders to register Australia's shock and anger. In the course of the following fortnight I had many conversations with many leaders around the world. The next day, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, set off for the Security Council in New York, and our Special Envoy, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, set off for Kiev. Both Foreign Minister Bishop and Air Chief Marshal Houston have done extraordinary work over the last few weeks, and I thank them both. Our nation thanks them both. The Security Council resolution that Australia sponsored was adopted unanimously, thanks not just to the skill of the foreign minister, but to the skill and hard work of our diplomatic team in New York. I should also thank the Leader of the Opposition for his support throughout this whole issue, as I thank him for his ongoing support for the government's efforts to bring our people home and seek justice for the victims. It is important to acknowledge in all of this the leadership of Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands and also the help, support and leadership of Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia. No country lost more of its people than the Netherlands. After the chaos and pandemonium on the ground in eastern Ukraine, the way our dead—all the dead—were received in the Netherlands was so dignified and so gracious; it sent a message of reassurance and support to everyone affected by this tragedy. The airline, its crew, and many of its passengers were, of course, Malaysian. I also acknowledge the cooperation and support of President Poroshenko of Ukraine, who has demonstrated goodwill and decency during a difficult time for his country and for ours. He has Australia's enduring gratitude. Operation Bring Them Home eventually deployed over 500 Australian personnel, including about 250 military personnel to work with the Dutch and the Ukraine to recover, identify and repatriate the remains of the Australian victims. In extremely difficult conditions Australian, Dutch and, subsequently, Malaysian experts spent six days searching the crash site under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. They recovered further remains and a substantial amount of personal effects, but regrettably the war was sweeping over the area, and conditions were simply too dangerous for them to continue. But I do advise the House that when security conditions improve, and if we judge there are more remains to be recovered, recovery efforts will resume. I should also thank our Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, who travelled at very short notice to the Netherlands and performed a sad duty with grace and dignity. Disaster victim identification is a very, very slow process. Only this week the first Australian victims are coming home to their families. I say to all the families: you have the deepest sympathy of all of us in this parliament. Some families will want to share the difficulty of this grim time, others will want it to be entirely private but, either way, the families' wishes should be respected. Australians have rallied around the bereaved, sharing their shock and sorrow. The national memorial service in Melbourne a few weeks ago was a reminder of the ties that bind us as Australians and I thank all who participated and organised that service. I can announce today, Madam Speaker, that a memorial will be erected in the parliamentary gardens to all who perished, especially the 38 Australian victims. I thank you and the President of the Senate for your agreement to this. It will be established for the first anniversary and as a reminder that we will never, ever forget them. Two investigations are underway: an aircraft accident investigation under the Convention on International Civil Aviation led by the Dutch Safety Board and a multinational criminal investigation led by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service. These investigations will take some time. Australia has contributed experts to both of them. Our nation will continue to support all who lost loved ones on flight MH17. We will do everything in our power to ensure that this horrific act is investigated and its perpetrators brought to justice.