Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Justice and Public Security) Share this | Hansard source

I join with my colleagues in this condolence motion. It is with great sadness that I rise to speak on Private Benjamin Ranaudo. On his first tour to Afghanistan, at the young age of 22, Private Ranaudo made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation on 18 July when he was killed by an antipersonnel explosive device. Private Ranaudo was a local Ferntree Gully boy in my electorate of La Trobe. He had been a student of both St Johns in Boronia and St Josephs College in Ferntree Gully. On the day of his funeral I spoke to his Principal, Vin Feeney, who remembers Private Ranaudo as a fantastic student and a young person who just wanted to serve his country and be a soldier.

At Private Ranaudo’s funeral, which I had the great honour and privilege to attend, he was described as a loving family man and a dedicated and professional Australian soldier. I found it rather compelling and daunting that there were so many young soldiers at the funeral. It fills one with great pride to see these young men and women serving our country with such honour and dignity but, at the same time, it kind of haunts you to realise how young our men and women are when they actually join the Army to serve our great country.

Private Ranaudo’s career was one of distinction. He was a member of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment based in Townsville. In Afghanistan, he was a member of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. His death is another very tragic reminder of the terrible dangers our troops face in Afghanistan. Our young men and women are doing a brilliant job, working under the toughest of conditions. I applaud them and thank them. They too will be feeling the immense loss of Private Ranaudo.

At this point, I would like to pass on my thoughts to Private Paul Warren, who was badly injured in the same incident. We should never forget the sacrifice that Paul Warren has made for his country.

Private Ranaudo demonstrated those finest of qualities that make our Australian soldiers so great—professionalism, bravery, mateship and sacrifice. It is clear from the statements made by Private Ranaudo’s family that he was a soldier who believed that what he was doing was the right thing to do. His family said, ‘Benjamin was a proud soldier. He believed in what he did.’ From what I heard that day, he was a soldier’s soldier.

We fight terrorism because we believe in our freedoms, we believe in democracy and we believe in our liberties. Private Ranaudo sacrificed his life for these ideals and we must not allow his sacrifice to be in vain. We will continue the fight with his great sacrifice in our hearts and minds. I express my deepest condolences to the Ranaudo family—father Angelo, mother Jennifer, stepfather Terry, big sister Amy and younger sister Hayley-Rose—and other close family members. Also, my condolences go to Private Ranaudo’s girlfriend, Haylee, to his friends and to all those who knew him. He sounded like an amazing mate to have and a great friend when you needed someone to support you.

I want to particularly say to Private Ranaudo’s parents, during this time of terrible loss, that I hope that it is of some comfort to you to know that your son has served this nation with courage and distinction and that he will never be forgotten. Indeed, he is in the hearts, minds and prayers of millions of Australians who are grateful for the sacrifice he has made. He has served this nation fighting terrorists in Afghanistan in order to ensure security in his home country and also around the globe and for that, as a nation, we will always be indebted to you. Rest in peace.

Debate (on motion by Mr Ripoll) adjourned.

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