Notice of Motion: Australian fires

The Maori Party rises to join with the House, to express our deepest sympathies to the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and the families and communities throughout Australia that have suffered the catastrophe of the wildfires that have ravaged Victoria.

A crisis of such proportion for our neighbour is a crisis that all New Zealanders will connect to.

We make that connection knowing full well that so many of our whanau have loved ones living in Melbourne, children and mokopuna who may well have been placed at great risk of the tragic loss of lives and homes as the merciless fire has raged on.

We can only express our profound and heartfelt grief for all those families who are forever scarred by this bushfire disaster.

We rise to support the role that this Government and this Parliament will play in supporting Australia.