Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition for their very appropriate and sincere comments. I did not know Trooper David Pearce, Sergeant Matthew Lockwood or Private Luke Worsley, but having attended their funerals, where I spoke with their loved ones—their partners, their families, their ADF colleagues and their friends—I feel like I knew all of them very, very well. That may sound a little strange, as strange as it was to me when I found myself crying for people I had just met and for soldiers I had never met. Such is the power of who they were, what they were and what they gave for their country.

When you have the privilege of becoming the Minister for Defence or, for that matter, the shadow minister for defence, you gain a clearer insight into the courage, skill, dedication and commitment of our Defence Force personnel. At the funerals of Poppy Pearce, Matty Locke and Luke Worsley, I met many people who have a better appreciation of those attributes than possibly any one of us here—mums, dads, wives, partners, sons, daughters and, of course, mates. It was those people who made me feel like I knew the three heroes the House is paying tribute to tonight. Through emotional conversation, eulogies and jokes, they painted a picture of their loved ones that left us in no doubt they were true Australians with wonderful caring and a tough outlook on life.

Trooper David Pearce was serving with the Reconstruction Task Force in Oruzgan province when he was fatally wounded on 8 October 2007. Trooper Pearce previously served in the Solomon Islands with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Queensland Regiment between 2005 and 2006. On the day we lost him, he was the driver for a patrol returning from reconnaissance when his ASLAV was attacked with an improvised explosive device. The security element to which he belonged was protecting our engineers undertaking important reconstruction work in Oruzgan province.

Sergeant Matthew Locke was serving with the Special Air Service Regiment in Oruzgan province in southern Afghanistan when he was fatally wounded on 25 October 2007. With complete disregard for his own safety, Sergeant Locke braved heavy enemy fire to neutralise the Taliban advancing on the Australian position. In doing so, he saved the lives of his mates. Matty Locke had extensive operational experience in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2006, his courage was recognised with a Medal for Gallantry—one of Australia’s highest military honours.

Private Luke Worsley was a commander. He was serving with the Special Operations Task Group, again in Oruzgan province in southern Afghanistan, when he was fatally wounded on 23 November 2007. It was his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He had also served with distinction in East Timor. Private Worsley was fatally wounded by small arms fire while participating in a planned attack by our forces against Taliban leaders and their supporters—again, in Oruzgan province. He was, I might add, the first man through the door.

I join the Prime Minister in expressing my deepest sympathy to the families and friends of Sergeant Locke, Trooper Pearce and Private Worsley. I also extend sympathy to the wider defence family, who feel these things very closely and over 3,000 of whom continue to serve their nation in operations around the world. Further, I take this opportunity to record the government’s sincere appreciation for the continuing professionalism and dedication demonstrated by the Australian Defence Force in the service of a grateful nation.

Tonight, we think of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of our nation. We also think of those who have suffered injury, including those who have been permanently incapacitated. The most recent of those was Sergeant Michael Lyddiard. Michael lost his right eye and his lower right arm while trying to protect his mate while dealing with an explosive device. I sincerely admire his courage, his strength of character and the good humour he has shown in his public appearances since that accident. We salute all those who serve and all those who have served. We thank all those who supported them, in particular those who paid a heavy price by giving up one whom they loved so much. As Australians, we love our sporting heroes. We admire them for their skill, their speed, their strength and, indeed, their courage. I think we could all find more time to think about all those in uniform who share those same attributes but for whom the stakes are much higher.

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