By Latika Bourke
- Bishop's plan to save Bali nine death row pair
- Executions 'will not happen this week'
- Transferred to execution island
- Duo 'stoic' during last moments in Kerobokan
It was a stunning, if not slightly angry backdrop for the solemn, sombre start to the day. As MPs gathered on Parliament House's terracotta forecourt in a final attempt to save the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the eastern sky burnt yellow, red and orange.
Regular foes Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten, Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek, stood side by side and shared candlelight as they pleaded for a common cause – mercy.
Emotions ran high and the speeches were heartfelt. The father of the house, Philip Ruddock, and the veteran Labor MP Chris Hayes, recently revived the parliamentary friendship group for MPs against the death penalty.
"It's about campaigning for change," Mr Ruddock said.
Unity: Bill Shorten looks on as Tony Abbott kisses Julie Bishop.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Hayes met the Bali nine pair with his wife in Indonesia recently. The early and emotion-charged morning clearly took a toll on his health and was later seen being supported by colleagues and friends - but not before he issued a personal plea for Chan and and Sukumaran.
"I thought their rehabilitation, quite frankly, is something that was pretty special. They had turned themselves around and I thought their rehabilitation is a credit to the correctional system that they were in," he said.
"The most disheartening part about all of this is none of that appears to be taken into account."
Ms Bishop told the audience she had recently spoken to the pair's families.
Andrew Stojanovski during the candlelight vigil .Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
"They are going through an unimaginably difficult time and I ask that you think of the families who are praying that their son, brother, grandson can have their lives spared," the Foreign Minister said.
Ms Plibersek, Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman, said a sense of "helplessness" had brought the MPs together.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten during the service.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
"As Andrew and Myuran are moved from Kerobokan to the place where their final sentence is due to be taken out…I guess one of the reasons we've come together this morning is to turn that feeling of helplessness into something different," she said.
"And also to send a strong message to the government of Indonesia, the people of Indonesia, and the people of the world that Australia feels differently about the death penalty, that we don't accept it as part of any system anywhere."
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop speaks during the candlelight vigil.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
But it was Greens leader Christine Milne who became the most emotional as she quoted former High Court justice Michael Kirby.
"He asked people to reflect on what is the essence of human rights and the essence of human rights, he said, is love," Senator Milne told the crowd.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Prime Minister Tony Abbott during the candlelight vigil.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
"That you can find it in your heart to love someone or people who may have done very wrong things. It would ennoble Indonesia to abandon the death penalty, it would ennoble Indonesia to show clemency to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran."
Mr Abbott and Mr Shorten did not address the vigil but attended, standing side by side.
On his way back into Parliament House, Mr Abbott cited Senator Milne's comments.
"As people have been pointing out over the last little while here at this vigil, it would ennoble Indonesia if they were to extend mercy."
More than a few parliamentarians who attended, including the Liberals' Lucy Wicks, Fiona Scott, Steve Ciobo, Sarah Henderson, Tony Smith, Labor's Maria Vamvakinou, Jill Hall, Anna Burke Alan Griffith, Sue Lines, Gai Brodtmann, Richard Marles, Sharon Bird, Melissa Parke, Penny Wong, Tony Zappia, Julie Collins, Andrew Giles, Mark Dreyfus, Tony Burke, Catherine King, Graham Perrett, Jenny Macklin, Laurie Ferguson, the Greens' Janet Rice, Adam Bandt, Penny Wright, Lee Rhiannon, and Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer, were seen with red eyes.