Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

As we have heard, Corporal Mathew Hopkins was only 21 years of age when he was tragically killed in an engagement with insurgents in Afghanistan on Monday, 16 March this year. He left behind his wife, Victoria; his mother, Bronwyn; and his father, Ricky, as well as his young son, Alexander, who was born only on 5 February this year. I did not know Corporal Hopkins personally but I have come to learn a lot about him since that tragic day. It was indeed a great honour to attend his funeral, where his life and accomplishments were celebrated by his many friends and family at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral.

After finishing school in Brisbane, Mathew enlisted in the Army in March 2005. In what was a relatively short career, he achieved a great deal, including a promotion to lance corporal in April 2008 and then a promotion to corporal in August 2008.

Mathew was first deployed to Afghanistan for six months in November 2006. As a member of the Darwin based 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Mathew was deployed for a second time to Afghanistan with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. He was killed, tragically, when his team was engaged by a large group of Taliban. He died serving our nation, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.

The loss of Corporal Hopkins, as with every loss, causes us to reflect on the dedication of and the sacrifices made by all of our deployed forces and to think of others who have lost their lives fighting for Australia. In particular, we think of those who have most recently lost their lives in Afghanistan—Sergeant Andrew Russell, Trooper David Pearce, Sergeant Matthew Locke, Private Luke Worsley, Lance Corporal Jason Marks, Lieutenant Michael Fussell, Private Gregory Sher and, most recently, Sergeant Brett Till. As the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, I had the enormous privilege of visiting Afghanistan early this year, along with the Chief of the Defence Force, to view at first hand the achievements of our Australian men and women working so hard so far from home.

As you may know the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force, of which Corporal Hopkins had been a part, is a relatively new role for our Army. Within the task force there are operational mentor liaison teams. These ‘omelette’ teams as they are colloquially known mentor and train the 2nd Battalion of the Afghan National Army, which is a challenging yet critical role for developing the capability and self-reliance of that army. It was on one such ‘omelettte’ patrol alongside the Afghan National Army that Corporal Hopkins lost his life. As such his death is a very sad reminder of the dangers our deployed soldiers are facing while serving their country.

I know a number of young men involved with 7 RAR and who knew Corporal Hopkins well. Each of them attests to his bravery and describes him, as others have said, as an outstanding soldier who made a significant personal contribution while serving in the Australian Army. This was brought home to me on Anzac Day in Dili where I was at the dawn service at Camp Phoenix. It was a time, of course, to remember all Defence men and women who have lost their lives in the service of our nation. A number of the troops who I met on that Anzac Day had served with Corporal Hopkins and knew him. Some had deployed with him previously. Each of them attested to his valour, his camaraderie and his good spirits.

Corporal Hopkins will be forever missed by his family, friends and by his Army mates who continue to serve in Australia and overseas. But they grieve knowing they have the gratitude of a nation.

See this speech in context