‘It belongs to the world’: Bill Shorten calls on Australians to make donations to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral after it was destroyed in a huge blaze
- Labor leader Bill Shorten says Australians should help rebuild Notre Dame ruins
- He flagged tax deductions for those who donated to restoration of cathedral
- Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull suggested Australia give direct aid
Australians could soon be able to make charitable donations to rebuild the burnt remains of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Australians should be encouraged to ‘contribute to a restoration fund’ to revive the world-famous 12th century Gothic structure in Paris.
‘Notre Dame doesn’t just belong to Paris and France. It belongs to the world,’ he told reporters on Tuesday.
Australians could soon make a charitable donation to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral after it was gutted by fire
‘We, who all of us, who’ve enjoyed that architecture, the history, we too should perhaps rally around helping Paris and Notre Dame.’
The Labor leader advocated the idea of allowing Australians to make a tax-deductible donation following a suggestion from former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
‘If the Australian Government wished to make a direct contribution it could do so as well. Many precedents,’ Mr Turnbull tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he had no doubt many Australians would want to contribute.
Mr Shorten advocated the idea of allowing Australians to make a tax-deductible donation to rebuild Notre Dame (pictured) following a suggestion from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull
‘Absolutely, if money is going towards the restoration and Australians who want to contribute, can, that is to be supported,’ he told ABC TV.
‘Every Parisian will dig deep as well, no doubt. I don’t think there will be a shortage of funds for this to happen.’
The massive fire gutted and destroyed the roof of Notre Dame, but firefighters managed to save the shell of the stone structure from collapse.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured in Melbourne) recalled visiting Notre Dame with his wife Jenny almost 30 years ago
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said some artworks in the cathedral had been taken out and were being put in safe storage.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison recalled visiting Notre Dame with his wife Jenny almost 30 years ago.
‘It’s a pretty special place and to see it in flames today was just really sad,’ he told Adelaide’s 5AA radio on Tuesday.
‘Paris is an eternal city and it will rebuild and it will restore.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk