Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Trooper Donaldson was not personally known to me; however, his story is certainly one that has captured many of us, including me. In particular, I acknowledge the connection with the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, with his growing up in the town of Dorrigo in the electorate of Cowper. His award of the Victoria Cross has been followed very closely by many residents on the mid-North Coast. I just want to put on the record how incredibly respectful of him and his actions we all are, and I do that on a number of fronts. Firstly, I address his achievement as an individual trooper. We have heard, from the Prime Minister down, the commendation he received with the Victoria Cross, so I will not repeat that for the record. But it is hard to read the account and not put yourself in that situation and ask yourself the ethical question: ‘Would you do the same?’ It is very hard to say yes, which makes it an extraordinary act which has been performed. Trooper Donaldson’s commendation is certainly well deserved.

Secondly, it is hard not to mention his team and his fellow troopers. This is an opportunity for the parliament to send a very strong message of thanks to his colleagues. I know that Trooper Donaldson would certainly want his colleagues recognised also—those who served alongside him and continue to do so. We are incredibly thankful for the ongoing work that you do.

Thirdly, as a young man from the mid-North Coast, he is, without doubt, an example to others—so much so that, when I was doing the rounds of the electorate, as we all do on Australia Day, he was one of my two examples in the Australia Day speeches to the young people in the audience. The other was Nancy Bird Walton, who died in the week before Australia Day and who was also from the mid-North Coast of New South Wales. They are two examples of people who grew up in small towns in a regional area and yet went on to do extraordinary things for their country.

Dorrigo has an old dairy farming connection. The dairy farming term is, ‘He is a lead cow’—he is an example for others. Trooper Donaldson’s story is a leadership one, and hopefully it is an example to others from the region. In their teenage years everyone goes through a time when they wonder what it is all about—whether there are opportunities and whether there will be a future. The example that the Trooper Donaldsons of the world provide to the young people of the mid-North Coast is that, yes, there is a future. If you work hard and pursue whatever interests you have you will be successful. I thank him for being such a fine example and such a fine lead cow.

Fourthly and finally, I want to acknowledge, as a young father myself, that it was very noticeable in the media reports of the award presentation and, a week later, of the subsequent return of the medal to the national estate, that Trooper Donaldson has a young child and a very obviously loving wife. Whilst the Victoria Cross and commendation stand alone, regardless of personal circumstances, it was certainly very hard for me not to recognise and acknowledge his wife and child in the media images and then to reflect on his decision making process in the line of fire, and the increased decision making with regard to family that goes with that. It would be very hard for those issues of family and the love of family not to come up in what were extraordinary circumstances in the line of fire. Because I have three young children at home it particularly struck home to me that here was a man doing incredible things while he had a family at home whom he must have been thinking about and whom he certainly would love dearly.

In short, I have a direct message to Trooper Donaldson, if he takes the time to read Hansard. It is very much a thank you on behalf of the parliament of Australia. He has certainly done himself proud. He has done his fellow troops proud. He has done his region—the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, where he grew up—proud. He has done his nation proud. The final point, which I think is important to most of us here, is that he has certainly done his family proud. So, Trooper Donaldson, in short: thank you.

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