E&OE...
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The outrage in Bali on the 12th of October has touched and resonated through and shocked our nation like no other event in the lifetime of all us in this gathering. Not only are we consumed with a national sense of grief and sadness and justifiable anger that in such a brutal way so many lives, especially young ones, should have been cut short.
But this event has told us something of our nation. It has reminded us of things that we knew and understood about our nature and our character as a people. It has reminded us of the great verity of Australian life that in crisis we are all mates together. And the sense of mateship that ensured that within 48 hours the injured were evacuated back to Australia and the support mechanisms that have been delivered to people in the days that have followed the tragedy have reminded us of that great trait of the Australian character.
The other great characteristic of which we have been reminded is our sense of defiance. We will not be deterred from living our lives. The young of Australia will not be deterred from travelling in the years ahead. We will not forsake the values of this nation which mark it with great respect around the world. We will continue to live the kind of lives that we regard as the birthright of all Australians. And we've also been reminded of the great tolerance of the Australian people. The Australian people deeply angered and grieved as they are are not about to abandon the spirit of openness and tolerance which is also one of our great hallmarks.
I also think my fellow Australians that this terrible tragedy has perhaps revealed another side of our nature - the uninhibited outpouring of compassion towards those, and many are gathered here today, who have lost so much and grieved so much and will continue to grieve for so long into the future, and national outpouring in an uninhibited way of a sense not only of sadness but also of deep compassion.
The nation has literally been moved in unison and in grief in response to these terrible deeds. And they have taught us something perhaps that we didn't quite appreciate before. We may in times of stress and challenge and crisis be as tough as tungsten, but we're also a soft and loving people who will wrap our arms around those who have lost so much and will reach out to those who have suffered so much.
This terrible event has also taught us something of the world in which we live. It has told us in a brutal and in cruel fashion that terror's reach is potentially everywhere. We cannot imagine avoiding it but we are in the response to terror with all the other nations of the world and only the united resolution of the Australian people and the united resolution of the nations of the world can adequately respond. But it must be a many faceted response. It must be strong and determined and defiant where necessary. It must also be a response that reaches out to unite in tolerance in the nations of the world.
It has also reminded us that although we are in the fight against terror with all the other nations of the world ultimately the measure of the security of this nation will be the contribution that we as Australians together are willing to make towards our own security.
Can I say to those who are here today who have lost their children, their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their husbands, their wives, their lovers, or their mates - there are no words that can adequately salve the sense of grief and hurt you feel. I hope that this gathering is more representative of the strands of Australian life and the responsibilities held in Australian life than I think any gathering held in this building since it was opened in 1988. I hope it is a united mark of a loving and caring nation and I hope you go from this gathering thinking that in every corner of nineteen-and-a-half million Australian hearts there is a place for you and for the person you have lost. And however inadequately we are endeavouring to give you all the love and compassion that you deserve, you need, and we can deliver.
[ends]
Listen to this speech (MP3 - 3.1Mb - 350secs)
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