Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the gracious words of the Prime Minister because Australia is today—and has been for the past week—mourning the death of another brave soldier, Corporal Richard Atkinson, who has been killed in action by a roadside bomb. Our hearts go out to his family and to his friends and especially to his grieving fiancée, as our hearts go out also to his comrade wounded in the same incident and to his comrade’s family and friends.

Yes, we know nothing we can say here today will dull their grief, but we hope what we say here today is of some comfort to them, as we hope what we have said in this parliament on earlier occasions is of some comfort to the families and friends of the 22 Australians killed in action and the 168 wounded in action. Yes, this is a dangerous task—a very dangerous task indeed. We are trying to build a more humane Afghanistan. Our soldiers are trying to make the world safer from terrorism. It is very dangerous, but it is absolutely necessary. This work cannot be abandoned, and it does have the full support of the coalition.

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