STATEMENTS ON INDULGENCE

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Prime Minister) (14:01): I rise to speak about the disaster that occurred in Nepal and in Tibet, China on 26 August. The flash flood, precipitated by a glacier collapse, wrought devastation on both sides of the border, but it was Nepal that bore the brunt. The shock of what happened has not abated.

What we saw from afar was breathtaking in its horror. How it must have been to have actually been there, suddenly tiny in the face of cataclysmic forces, is barely imaginable. Consider for just a moment the noise, the fury and the terror.

While the scale was vast, the impact has been all too recognisably human. Many hundreds are dead. Thousands are still missing—locals, travellers, workers and pilgrims alike.

While our hearts are being lifted by the wonder of individuals being rescued alive many days later, the burden upon our sense of hope is growing exponentially. So many are dealing with the devastation of loss—the loss of loved ones, the loss of homes, the loss of entire villages and livelihoods and everything that gives daily life its rhythm and meaning. So many are living with the agony of not knowing, clinging to the hope for what with each passing day is taking on the proportions of a miracle.

At present, 36 Australians remain unaccounted for. The hearts of all Australians are with their families and with their friends. Right now, we have specialist drone teams providing rapid mapping and imaging to support Nepali authority search operations.

There are also seven Australian Federal Police disaster victim identification specialists on the ground in Kathmandu to provide technical assistance to local authorities. Two Services Australia social workers arrived last night, and a dedicated family support hub is being set up by our embassy. This brings the total number of Australians deployed to support the disaster response to 49.

As of 6 September, the Nepali government has reported 1,342 confirmed deaths and 4,996 missing, including 589 foreign nationals. At the same time, the Chinese government has reported 43 confirmed deaths and 519 missing. The Australian government has committed $11 million to support the disaster response.

On Friday, I spoke on the phone with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Balendra Shah. On behalf of Australia, I expressed my deepest condolences to all Nepali people affected by this disaster. I also acknowledged the tireless efforts of emergency personnel working on the rescue and recovery in extremely difficult circumstances.

I particularly wanted to express my deep gratitude to his authorities for all their work in searching the last known locations of Australians who remain unaccounted for. Today, as Nepal marks a national day of mourning, I want our Nepalese friends to know that they do not carry this burden alone. Prime Minister Shah and I spoke of the close connections between our countries.

This is a connection given its greatest warmth and strength by the fact that our nation is so proudly home to a large Nepali community, including in my own electorate and, I'm sure, in electorates right around Australia. Right now, they are hurting deeply, and we will have an opportunity for a broader condolence motion once this emergency situation has been got through.

Prime Minister Shah and I discussed the assistance Australia is providing for essential supplies, including hygiene kits, solar light towers and shelters, as well as the deployment of the specialist drone operators and personnel from the AFP. What I make clear is that Australia stands ready to provide additional support, acknowledging the scale of what Nepal faces.

We acknowledge too the extraordinary, difficult work that the Chinese authorities are undertaking. This is now very much a race against time, and at this challenging time our government is engaged with Australia's Nepali, Tibetan and Indian communities. Our thoughts are with them and all those affected by this disaster.

I ask all Australians to hold on to hope and to pray. I say to Australians: thank you for your compassion, your empathy and the characteristic generosity with which you have dug deep and donated to the emergency action appeal. That spirit stands as a powerful reminder that no matter the scale of what we face, we face it together and we face it with our shared spirit of humanity.