Ms PLIBERSEK (Sydney) (19:20): One of the first things that visitors to our country notice is the quality of the light—so distinctive to this country. When British novelist DH Lawrence travelled here in the 1920s, he wrote of a land where: The sky was pure, crystal pure and blue, of a lovely pale blue colour: the air was wonderful, new and unbreathed … Certainly that has not been our experience this summer. This terrible season of fire, burning at a scale that we've never seen before, has replaced that familiar blue with a hellish orange haze which has lasted for months. Few of us have been untouched by the crisis. Whole communities have been driven from their homes. Businesses and properties have been destroyed. Worst of all, 33 people have lost their lives tragically and before their time. Each left behind a grieving family. Children have lost parents. Parents have lost children. Partners have had their worst fears realised. Many communities are grieving and our nation is mourning. Many of those lives lost belonged to people who could have avoided danger but instead felt it was their duty to help where help was needed. We are eternally grateful to them and their families. That's what today is about, and I hope that those who have lost so much take some comfort from today and, most importantly, from the tenderness and the love that we continue to show them as a community. I'm also thinking about the thousands of anxious hours for people who were caught in the fires, not knowing whether they would make it out, or who lost touch with a loved one who was caught in the fires. That fear doesn't heal overnight. We have to make sure that we support people until it does. Over 3,000 homes across Australia have now been destroyed. That's 3,000 families who have been thrown into chaos. This week we had kids starting school—some for the first time—and going home at the end of the day without a home to go to. Losing a home is devastating; again, that loss doesn't heal overnight. I still remember when bushfires ripped through Como, Jannali and Bonnet Bay, where I grew up, in 1994. One woman died tragically while trying to take shelter in her swimming pool. Years later I ran into one of my friends from school, whose family home had burned down. She said to me that it would still strike her, just out of the blue, years later. She'd be thinking, 'Oh, that pair of socks would go with that outfit,' and suddenly realise that that pair of socks had disappeared years before; they were gone. She'd just forget for a second, and then she would remember all over again that she'd lost everything from her teens and from her childhood. We have to stay with people during this long process of rebuilding after losing their homes. We have to make sure the insurers do their bit—I think the history has been a little mixed when it comes to the response of insurers after natural disasters. And we have to make sure that every level of government does its bit. We have to make sure that we are addressing issues—for example, the tradie shortage that is likely to emerge and the shortage of supplies that we see during some large rebuilding tasks. Many, of course, have lost their livelihoods: businesses are closing and going bankrupt as tourism dries up even in the height of the tourist season. Orchards have burnt down. Vineyards are experiencing smoke taint. Livestock has been lost on farms. Many of the members on both sides who have spoken today will tell you firsthand what their communities need. It is up to us as a parliament to make sure that those communities are listened to, and that things that can make a practical difference are done immediately. Beyond the parliament, we can all help in this economic rebuilding task: take a weekend away and take an esky with you, as many have suggested, do a bit of shopping in a local community that has been affected. Estimates vary, but at least 11 million hectares of land have been burned so far—an area larger than the whole of Portugal. Thousands of firefighters, including full-time professionals, volunteers and international firefighters, have been at it for months. They have been supported by countless people, paid and unpaid: volunteers offering logistical support, community organisations, charities and ordinary citizens. Without pause or hesitation, people have accepted their duty to each other as neighbours, as Australians and as fellow human beings. It has been genuinely inspiring to watch; our thanks go to all of them. And we should not imagine that when the fires pass, the trauma for these people is done with. We shouldn't let this be a passing moment. It can't be something that we worry about in summer and forget by winter. When the ash settles and the news reporters—as a few have said—have moved on, bushfire communities will still be rebuilding for years. As the member for Macquarie has pointed out, she has only just moved into her house six years after she lost her home in the bushfires. As a federal parliament, we have a very important role. Over the coming weeks, months and years, we need to ensure that no-one is left behind and no-one is forgotten. We also have to accept that the world is looking to Australia now—they're looking with devastation and sympathy at the terrible losses we've experienced. We've had extraordinarily generous support from around the world and we are so grateful for that solidarity. As we see the real cost of climate change, economically and environmentally, we have to renew our own commitment to real action on climate change. Instead of being an embarrassing laggard in this area, we have to take a leadership role in ensuring that, globally, all of our efforts are focusing on making sure that global temperature increases stay well below two degrees. We can't afford continued inaction—our people can't, our animals can't and our landscape can't. I join the parliament in extending my deepest condolences to everybody who has been caught up with these terrible bushfires and to all who are still worried about their homes or their family members. This crisis is not over yet—there are still fires burning 30 kilometres south of where we are right now. To those still facing these dangers, listen to your emergency services, plan ahead, look after each other and stay safe. To those who have already lost so much, we'll be with you.