Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In this grievance debate I will allow the cowboys comment to go through, but there can be no grievance about the comments made by the member for Herbert in wishing well those ADF personnel who were deployed from Townsville, many of whom would be in his electorate. I do have a grievance that the government, through the Prime Minister, has not made a major statement about those deployments in this place for quite some time. This is a theme that I will return to until it is done, because I think that it is appropriate for there to be proper parliamentary scrutiny of government policy. But the main thing today, in supporting the comments of the honourable member for Herbert, is to indicate that those on this side who might have some differences about some aspects of the deployment have no differences in wishing well those who serve on behalf of our country. We know that they are professionals, we know that they are well trained, we hope that they are well kitted and equipped and we wish them all the best and a speedy return.

See this speech in context