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

The opposition joins with the Prime Minister in expressing our profound sadness over the death of Private Benjamin Ranaudo on July 18. A loving family in Ferntree Gully has lost their boy in tragic circumstances in a faraway place and is the 11th defence family to endure this great sorrow since the deployment of Australian forces to Afghanistan. Private Ranaudo was a professional soldier who served with dedication and distinction. He died in the campaign to ensure terrorist groups can no longer use Afghanistan as a base from which to mount attacks.

There is no greater sacrifice an Australian can make than to give his life in the service of his country. Our hearts go out to his parents and the entire Ranaudo family and the nation shares in their mourning. We were deeply touched to read the tribute to Private Ranaudo from his girlfriend, Haylee McCarthy:

There isn’t second that goes by that you aren’t on my mind bub.

She wrote:

Hasn’t been a day I haven’t cried …

Private Ranaudo was a member of the Townsville based 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. He was on operations in southern Afghanistan with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force when an improvised antipersonnel explosive device detonated. The blast left another of our brave soldiers fighting for his life and injured three civilians, including an eight-year-old boy. This tragedy reminds us all of the enormous dangers our forces are facing in Afghanistan every day.

Last month I had the privilege of visiting our Australian troops on the front line in Afghanistan together with our deputy leader, the member for Curtin, and our defence spokesman, Senator David Johnston. We had the chance to meet our troops and thank them personally on behalf of the opposition and all Australians for the wonderful work they are doing in difficult and dangerous conditions. We saw examples of these improvised explosive devices that are taking such a heavy toll on all the allied forces fighting in Afghanistan—one of which, of course, claimed Private Ranaudo’s life.

We were hugely impressed by the professionalism, the bravery and the dedication of the young men and women serving us there. They are doing a magnificent job in our name, under our flag, in the toughest of conditions. As Australians we should be and are immensely proud of the men and women of the ADF—of their service and their sacrifice. They are fighting in defence of liberty, of democracy and of freedom—the values on which our nation was founded and the values on which the new, free nation of Afghanistan is seeking to establish itself. Again, on behalf of the opposition, we extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to Private Ranaudo’s family and his loved ones at this extremely difficult time.

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