Mr McCORMACK (Riverina—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure,Transport and Regional Development and Leader of the Nationals) (12:45): I thank the Prime Minister and the opposition leader for their generous, eloquent words. Australians stand in solidarity today with those who have suffered damage to property, stress and in some tragic cases bereavement as a consequence of the devastating fires across eastern and southern Australia and parts of Western Australia. We acknowledge the deep economic, as well as social, consequences, the impact on the way of life of so many communities, so many families, and those personal impacts that will linger, in some cases, for lifetimes. Much has been written and spoken about these fires already, and I've noticed in particular one theme recurring time and again: we stand shoulder to shoulder. The Prime Minister has echoed it; the opposition leader said it as well. That's what Australians do. We have each other's backs. It means that together we will always overcome, we will always prevail. The toll has been immense and the fires aren't out yet. The funeral at Holbrook of southern New South Wales volunteer firefighter Sam McPaul was a time of deep emotion. The toll of these fires has simply been enormous. Sam is one of the brave volunteers who lost their lives. He studied animal science at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, where he met his wife-to-be, Megan. Their child is on the way; due in May. I spoke to Sam's mother, Christine. She's a remarkable person; so very brave. Such loss has she suffered. I have the service booklet here from his funeral . You see a face: so young; so full of life. I asked Christine: 'What sort of boy was he? Was he cheeky? Was he fun?' She said: 'Yes, all of that, but he was always there for others. He was always there to care. He was always there for someone else. That was my boy.' You could see it in his face. A beautiful life lost. Sam epitomised a selfless Aussie spirit where others come first. He will be forever in our memories. He is amongst so many more who've lost some or all of their cherished possessions, including their homes, and, in too many cases, have lost their lives. Late last week I represented the Australian government at a most moving repatriation ceremony at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond, led by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, for the three American pilots lost in southern New South Wales: First Officer Paul Hudson, Captain Ian McBeth and Flight Engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr. They came to Australia from the United States to protect our country. Our nation will forever owe them a debt of gratitude. Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons spoke magnificently at that service, as he did at Sam McPaul's, as he has done this entire summer. Commissioner, we pay tribute to you. You are an exemplar of what we all strive to be. Thank you for what you have done this summer. In all, more than 30 Australians have died, with 2,900 homes confirmed lost and more than 10 million hectares of beautiful, magnificent Australian country burnt out—beautiful Australian country like Sugar Pine Walk in the member for Eden-Monaro's electorate, in the Snowy Valleys local government area. Mike Kelly and I spoke way too much this summer—we don't normally do that, Mike!—but it was almost on an hourly basis. I know you weren't well, and I know your thoughts were with your people at Batlow, Tumbarumba, Adelong—which was saved, but in those other two towns many homes were lost; many businesses, many farms, apple orchards and pine plantations. I know you were feeling that loss, and I know Senator Jim Molan was out there supporting those people alongside myself and others as well. Had it not been for the huge effort of so many personnel, from volunteers to full-time firefighter leaders, the toll would have been so much higher. Standing shoulder to shoulder means so much more than just ensuring funds and practical assistance are available. I do want to commend Minister Littleproud for what he did and Minister Robert as well for responding so quickly. I know the opposition leader has already commended the minister for emergency management for responding every time. It means literally standing with communities, being there, understanding and sharing the raw emotion. That's what the Prime Minister and I, ministers, all of us, have done because that's what we have to do. We have to turn up and put our arms around our communities, being there at their time of need but being there also for the long haul, and we all will because that is what Australians do. Let me offer a sense of the bravery and determination I've been privileged to witness over the days from mid-November until now. Indeed, the fires began back in September. It was a very early start to the fire season. In Caloundra I met with many fire service volunteers who had been out on the ground for 18 hours straight, along with police and other emergency personnel who fought such a strong, such a well coordinated fight against the elements. In Noosa I met the team from Helitak, a local engineering firm designing large water-carrying and dispersing devices which attach to the undercarriage of choppers, before meeting displaced residents at the well organised local refuge centre. That refuge centre was replicated right across the nation. Australians dug so deep. The Yeppoon property of lychee producers Ray and Jack Cowie lost 1,000 trees. But the member for Capricornia and I marvelled at how we saw how that blaze had been fought back to save their home and the family were so, so grateful. I was privileged to address a meeting of at least 600 people in Tumut on 3 January as the community prepared to do whatever they could. They were worried. I looked out at that sea of faces and they were just racked with fear, racked with the unknown. But, whilst the fire was looming large up in the hills at Batlow and Tumbarumba, they dug deep. Among the hundreds were Rebecca Dean and Mia Hardwick from Adelong. Two girls—just young kids, teenagers—they were simply exhausted from placing themselves on the frontline, battling the fire front in their region. They looked so good in their uniforms. They were tired. They were exhausted. They were fatigued. But they were ready to go out again because that's what Australians do. In Cobargo I met with family and friends of father and son Robert and Patrick Salway, both lost in the effort to protect the area. The local councillor Tony Allen showed us how the flames had nearly taken his entire dairy herd but also took us to the local pub run by his son David. It was point of community interface where people could share their experiences and lift each other's spirits at a time of such tragedy. I spent time with my counterpart, New South Wales minister for transport, Andrew Constance, the member for Bega, right there in the midst of his community effort. Andrew took us through not just the low points of suffering of these people but also the high points of bravery, of courage, of selflessness and the never to be defeated Aussie optimism. This was the attitude I found time and again, not least in the story of a local leader, young Anthony Bellette in Malua Bay on the New South Wales South Coast, who stood firm on the scorching roof of the local surf lifesaving club. Imagine that—the fire whipping all around, smoke billowing into the air, hundreds of people needing direction and there was Anthony giving it, shouting directions to those below until he was hoarse, coordinating the effort against the fire as the threat escalated, getting people and marshalling them onto the beach. He saved countless lives. What a guy. We have stood, and will continue to stand, shoulder to shoulder with all who have been impacted, and, sadly, with those who may yet be impacted as the dangerous conditions continue, not least of which in and around our national capital. That is why the government has moved quickly to implement a comprehensive suite of relief actions. We will be there for our people. I know the opposition will join us in those efforts not just in the weeks ahead, not just in the months, but in the years. I would say to those people affected: don't keep the pain to yourself; be brave enough to seek friendly, helpful advice. There are specific local bushfire clean-up programs in action. Small businesses may be eligible for recovery grants, concessional loans and other backups. Small businesses are what makes this nation great, along with, of course, our fantastic volunteers. Tailored, personal advice to the Rural Financial Counselling Service, with such immense experience in rural and regional matters, is readily available. An extra 60 counsellors have been made available to support eligible bushfire-affected primary producers. They've gone through so much. First of all, they had the drought and then, of course, they had the fire. But they are strong and resilient. Emergency support for primary producers includes grants for everything from fodder and water to sheds, fencing—87,000 kilometres of fence has gone just in New South Wales, by the way; it's just incredible—and farm equipment replacement where their needs are not covered by existing insurance policies. The Australian Taxation Office may be able to help with specific actions, and I urge and encourage people to seek out assistance. Don't self-assess, please! Seek out that assistance; it is available. The government has responded to the fast-emerging needs of communities with a number of well-placed and new initiatives. The Prime Minister changed the Australian Defence Force posture from 'respond to request' to one of 'move forward and integrate', issuing a compulsory call-out to our talented Defence reservists in response to domestic natural disaster. Once those uniformed people—young and some not so young—were on the ground, what a difference that made! As the Prime Minister said recently, we thank the states for their cooperation with this decision, and stress, again, that it was not made because of any questioning of state efforts or preparedness. They have been magnificent too. The recovery effort for our vital tourism sector is there, with recovery packages to protect jobs, small businesses and local economies by bringing tourists—domestic and international—back into fire-impacted regions. Regional Australia has been through a lot, but it ain't broke. It never will be. Regional Australia is the backbone of this nation; it certainly is. When the regions are strong, so too is our nation, and we need to be there for them. I know we are and I know that we will be into the future—everyone. I will also mention work to protect and help the recovery efforts for our precious wildlife. Our wildlife, I know, was highlighted by the member for Grayndler. We need to protect our wildlife—our beautiful animals. And that, if anything, brought it home on the international scale—the effort that so many people went to to save our beautiful wildlife. I will also commend the efforts of charities. I know there has been some debate about the speed of assistance. I say: keep in contact with charities. Let them know your needs. They are there to help. I say to those who have donated: thank you. Thank you on behalf of every Australian who will experience real benefit and relief from your generosity, your efforts. Together, Australians—I say it again—are standing shoulder to shoulder. Much has been done and much will continue to be done. I encourage all to seek the resources available and to make sure that, if you need help, you reach out and get help. A good start is the website bushfirerecovery.gov.au. I look forward to this season of fire risk coming to an end, as I know we all do. As it does, of course we can consider what has been done well and what we can do better to protect even more lives and assets into the future. I strongly accept there are things we can and must do. This must be our focus in the weeks and months ahead. Yes, there is a legitimate policy debate to be continued. I fully accept that climate conditions and changes are an important part of this. No, there is no single cause for these fires. There is absolutely no justification for trying to turn these events into something that they're not. I certainly know that fuel loads and build-up must be part of our forward thinking. I stress again the actions of arsonists warrant strong discipline to discourage a repeat of such dangerous, antisocial and life-threatening behaviours. This current fire season is not without precedent; we know that we have had fires in this nation before. These have been dreadful, though. There is much to be done. Communication from fire authorities in the various states through communities and emergency services personnel has been consistently strong. We thank them for that. Of course there is always room for improvement, but I believe our forebears would be proud of just how much we've made the most of modern technology to keep people alert to trends and to help in preparation for the fire when it does arrive. I know that Anthony Albanese commended the ABC, and I join him in that—I do. Also, I would like to commend David Eisenhauer at Sounds of the Mountains, in Tumut. He worked 20 hours day after day—I see Mike Kelly nodding—until he was exhausted to put those alerts out. Thankfully, the signal held. Well done, David. Thank you. You saved lives. You saved properties. I'm pleased the Australian government has been able to do so much and to respond with the necessary speed. I thank the Prime Minister for his responsiveness and for his leadership throughout the summer. I'm pleased we've been able to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive outlay of funds because we've been managing the money carefully and have prepared for these sorts of contingencies. Australians can depend on their mates always. Australians can depend on the resources being made available as they are required and needed. I do pay strong tribute to the many, many Australians who were impacted by these fires but stood against the threat. We're standing together, shoulder to shoulder. Thank you, Australia. You are a magnificent country. It is the best country of all to live in, but the international efforts which have helped us are also acknowledged and recognised too. Thank you very much.