Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on St Michael’s Day, St Michael being the patron saint of law enforcement. It is a day that all police recognise as Police Remembrance Day. It is a time for police across the nation and the community to pause to honour the lives and memories of the many very fine men and women who have given their lives in the protection of our community.

Tragically, on 9 September we were only too well reminded of the inherent dangers faced by police following the death of Detective Constable William ‘Bill’ Crews, who was accidentally shot while on a drug raid in Sydney’s south-west with the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad. I take this opportunity to again offer my deepest sympathies and condolences to both his family and his colleagues.

Earlier this morning, along with 100 serving and former police officers from the New South Wales Police Force and the Australian Federal Police, I took part in a special ceremony held in Queanbeyan. It was a moving service which was also attended by the Monaro Local Area Commander, Gary Merryweather, and Commander Bruce Hill, Deputy Chief Police Officer with the AFP, together with the CEO of the Police Federation of Australia, Mark Burgess.

The National Police Memorial here in Canberra, which I know the minister at the table, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Brendan O’Connor, visited this afternoon to lay a wreath, has personal significance for me, having had some involvement in the establishment of that memorial, along with my colleagues in the PFA. I would like to personally congratulate the PFA for their foresight and remarkable efforts in preserving the memory of more than 700 police officers around Australia who have been killed on duty or have died as a result of their duties since the advent of policing in this country. Besides the services I just spoke of, I also was very proud to join with 800 police officers and their supporters two weekends ago in the inaugural Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance in order to pay tribute to the brave police officers who have lost their lives. The police commissioners of New South Wales, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and the Australian Federal Police also participated in that ride and I commend them for taking time out of their busy schedules to show their respect to colleagues.

Importantly, funds raised from the ride will go to Police Legacy to support the partners and children of officers who have been killed. I know that policing comes with a degree of risk, which, thankfully, most members of the community will never have to face. With the recent death of the 26-year-old Detective Constable Crews, the timing of this ride could not have been more poignant as a reminder of the dangers involved in police work. Through my close involvement with police over many years I have come to understand that it takes a special type of person with a special type of courage to commit to wear the police uniform. We are truly indebted to the men and women who choose to do so.

Today is the day when we remember the loved ones of those police officers who have been killed, people whose lives have been affected forever with the passing of a partner, father, mother, sibling, workmate, friend or colleague. We should never forget the families of those who have given their lives in the protection of our community. I commend the work of Police Legacy. Finally, to all serving members of police forces across Australia, I assure them that they are making a genuine difference in our community. On behalf of a very grateful community, I say thank you.

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