"Victorian Bushfires" a speech by Kerry Cue

Victorian Bushfires by Kerry Cue

'Today we Australians put aside those matters that divide us and come together as one country, one people bound by our shared humanity, touched by the devastating scale of the Victorian Bushfire disaster and united in our grief.

Today we come together as a community, as neighbours, workmates, friends and family, to mourn for those Australians lost in bushfires of such unspeakable horror that children could die in places where they once used to play. We stand in silent contemplation of the reality that towns nestled in the Victorian bushland that were once busy with the bustle of everyday life could be no more. Marysville. King Lake. Many more. We all know their names now.

Today we come together to share the sorrow of ordinary Australians caught up in the path of random, pitiless destruction and to acknowledge the bone-aching hardship they face. We pay tribute to the self-less and unflinching dedication of the fire fighters and rescue workers and we reflect on the enormity of the job ahead of rebuilding lives and communities.

Our will to rebuild is forged from an unspoken love for this often harsh and unforgiving land. We Australians harbour a soul-deep sense of belonging to this our homeland, we just don't talk about it, but it is there. It sustains us in hard times. We are known around the world as a friendly and easy going people. We are recognised for our generosity. Aussies have big hearts. We may not always get it right. But we try and we keep trying.

Previous generations built this nation with callused hands, laboured sweat and sheer
determination. They experienced droughts and depressions, fires and wars, floods and epidemics. They endured. They did what they could. They helped one another. This is the essence of the Aussie spirit. No matter what the hardship, no matter what burden we have to bare, we shall endure. Sons and daughters of Australia have given their lives for their country, their community and even for strangers. Coming to the aide of others in need embodies the Aussie spirit.

The generations born in Australia after World War II have grown into adulthood in times of unparalleled prosperity. Sometimes we of the later generations, distracted by the electronic noise of MP3 players, mobile phones, car radios and text messages, rush passed one another. We have become, at times, a people disconnected. And it is easy to forget that this nation was founded on a commitment to the common good, the common wealth.

I want to say to the bushfire victims that we take you into our hearts. We are saddened and horrified and appalled by the mindless loss and relentless suffering inflicted on you. We will see you through the numb, black hours of your grief. We will provide shoulders for you to cry on. We will mourn with you, listen to your stories and lend you a hand to help you back on your feet.

To the rest of Australia, I say look at the faces in the family snaps of those lost in this tragedy. Grinning, shining youthful faces or stubbly-chinned and gruff, they represent all ages, all creeds, all backgrounds, all the colour and contrast that make up the people of Australia. They are us. And when you see a fire victim standing in the ash and rubble of their home with only a charred chimney remaining, you will know what it means to be an Australian. For that grim-faced Aussie has had everything they possess stripped from them. They have lost their home, their car, their clothes, their memories, their identity. They may have lost their family and their livelihood too.

When everything is lost, everything taken from you then you will realise all we have left is each other. That fire victim does not stand alone. We, the people, of Australia stand with them. And with the others. We are Australians. We don't wait to be asked. We get on with the job. We help one another other.

Kerry Cue: Canberra Times 18th February 2009 www.kerrycue.net