Mr McCORMACK (5:42 PM) —At 12.51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck Christchurch. It was one of New Zealand’s darkest days. I express the deepest sympathy for the people of Canterbury and the people of New Zealand on behalf of the electorate of Riverina. Everyone in Christchurch that day experienced possibly the most frightening event of their lives. Many saw their home, their workplace and their livelihood crumple before their eyes and, for many, their loved ones were trapped in the wreckage. Some were rescued, some have been recovered and some have been lost forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost friends and family. The final death toll is expected to be more than 180 people: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters—friends all.

Australians have played a role in assisting with the search, rescue and recovery in Christchurch, and I pay particular tribute to those people. I know that Cantabrians and New Zealanders are extremely grateful for the services provided to them to help with this stage of the disaster. New Zealand’s Prime Minister, John Key, stated that his government will ‘stand shoulder to shoulder’ with the people of Christchurch and their loved ones. I know Australians stand shoulder to shoulder with New Zealanders as they recover from this disaster.

Australians and New Zealanders have a long history of helping each other. We can date the plans for the formation of a contingent of Australian and New Zealand troops to go to battle in the Great War to November 1914, although the term ANZAC did not become commonly used until the Gallipoli landing in 1915. Both countries suffered major casualties at Gallipoli and this is often seen as the moment in history when both countries came of age—an important step in our histories taken together. We also fought together earlier, in the Boer War, and joined forces again for World War II as well as for several subsequent conflicts. We have also worked together in peacekeeping efforts in the Pacific and served alongside each other in Afghanistan.

In addition to our strong bonds formed on the battlefield we also have a strong rivalry on the sports field. New Zealand’s national sport is Rugby, and a New Zealand Rugby team played New South Wales in 1894 and lost. But, just like the All Blacks of today, they came back to play an Australian team in 1903 and won, 22-3. Christchurch has a strong allegiance to Rugby; it is home to the Crusaders super Rugby team and to many All Blacks, including the captain, Richie McCaw. They were not excused by fame to get through this earthquake unscathed. Sadly, Phillip McDonald, a Crusaders board member, died in the Pyne Gould Building.

Australians and New Zealanders have fought together and played together, and now we mourn together. The latest addition to my electorate staff, Anna Duggan, came from New Zealand—indeed from the Prime Minister’s Office—and I know she particularly felt the awful tragedy. She knows people directly involved and affected by this awful tragedy. Many New Zealand people do. It is a particularly close-knit nation.

Just as Australia is home to about half a million New Zealanders, so too is New Zealand home for many Australians. I would particularly like to make note of those Australians who died in the earthquake. Our thoughts are with their families.

New Zealand is our cousin. It is family to Australia, close family, and we will always stand by and help the land of the long white cloud. We are Aussie battlers; the Kiwis are battlers too. The Ode of Remembrance, which is often read at Anzac ceremonies both here and across the Tasman, is written on a plaque in the Christchurch Cathedral, which also suffered severe damage. It has a sentence which I think is particularly poignant in how this earthquake will go down in history: ‘At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.’