Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: I join with the Prime Minister in offering the condolences of the opposition and the nation for the loss yesterday of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. The thoughts and prayers of all Australians are with the loved ones of this brave man. As a nation we are reminded frequently of the dangers our forces face in Afghanistan every day. The loss of this soldier in an intense and prolonged exchange of gunfire just north of Tarin Kowt brings the total of Australian casualties in Afghanistan to nine since 2002. As a nation we are immensely proud of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force for their service and their sacrifice. In Afghanistan they are fighting in defence of our values of liberty and democracy, wearing our uniform and serving under our flag against the world’s most dangerous and treacherous enemy.

One of the critical long-term challenges we face is to help provide Afghanistan’s security forces with the training and support they need to be capable, ultimately, of securing and defending their society against the extremist threat. This is a key mission for our Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. It was to that end that our troops were on patrol with their Afghanistan colleagues near a village north of Tarin Kowt. They came under fire from a group of Taliban insurgents and the patrol returned that fire. One of our own was shot and fatally wounded during the battle. Earlier today the Chief of the Defence Force paid tribute to this brave man as a professional and courageous soldier. All Australians are indebted for this, the greatest of sacrifices in our name. Again, we extend our love, our gratitude and our most profound sympathy to his family, his friends and his comrades in arms.

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