Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to join with previous speakers, former defence minister, and other speakers that have made a contribution on the condolence motions for Lance Corporal Andrew Jones and Lieutenant Marcus Case. When you look at photographs of these two soldiers, there is a temptation that you could view them with the detachment of not having personally known those two men. But as a former member of the Australian Regular Army, I can quite easily imagine the moment when these photographs were taken, and how proud they were of the recent medal presentation I suspect in the case of Lance Corporal Jones, and of recently having received his wings in the case of Lieutenant Case. You can also imagine how proud their families were for the achievements that these two fine young soldiers and for what they had done.

When you look at the circumstances again, we think of Afghanistan and we think of the circumstances where most of our soldiers have died, under tragic circumstance of course, of improvised explosive devices, or the fire fights that are all part and parcel of armed conflict. When you think of that it is then hard to reconcile the fates of these two soldiers. I know that it was not that long ago, certainly in terms of the SAS's collective memory, that we have lost so many in the tragic Black Hawk crash. When we look at the case of Lieutenant Case losing his life in the crash of a Chinook helicopter, and the Afghan National Army soldier that killed Lance Corporal Jones, these are different circumstances then when you are not actually faced with that two-way fire fight, the improvised explosive device threat. To have lost two soldiers in these circumstances seems even more tragic than in the normal cases. But what I would say is that what we learn from this is that the profession of arms, the wearing of the uniform of the Australian Army, and in the case of the Air Force and Navy as well, it is a life of risk. It is a life where you open yourself to the possibilities of death and serious injury, and not just through the fire fights. The training, the activities that are undertaken and the way in which combat and military service is prosecuted open people to the risk of the worst case, the supreme sacrifice. So it is the case here. The death of Lance Corporal Jones, brutally and clearly without remorse, being shot down by a person that he thought he could trust, makes that betrayal even worse. And, whilst there might be some comfort for family that it would appear his killer has been brought to ultimate justice with his recent shooting, it is nevertheless a reminder to us of the threats that will always face our people.

The Taliban are a brutal opposition. They are a people that have never added any value to the world. They have only ever been a negative influence for the people of Afghanistan—for the children, for the women and for the girls of Afghanistan. They have only ever been negative. As I have said, they have never added value. I suspect that, in the case of the insurgent that killed Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, he was dealt with in the only way that he could have been dealt with in the end, so I certainly thank the Special Forces soldiers that were able to deal with him in the appropriate manner.

As for Lieutenant Case, Australia is no stranger to our soldiers losing their lives in aviation accidents. We have had the Black Hawk crash in the past that killed so many of our finest SAS soldiers, and we have had other military aviation accidents as well. It is an unfortunate part of operations, and in operating these sorts of aircraft there is a greater level of risk.

I guess in many ways it is cold comfort to the families that their loved ones were taken in these circumstances. But we must never forget that they were there in Afghanistan doing what had to be done, and that is what we should be concentrating on. That is what the families should be concentrating on. Regardless of the circumstances, these guys, these soldiers believed in the mission they were a part of and they believed that there will be a better world and a better Afghanistan for the fact that they were there. Despite what happened and despite the way in which they lost their lives, they have done great service for the people of Afghanistan and of course for the national interest of our great country.

So I pay tribute to Lance Corporal Andrew Jones and I have paid tribute to Lieutenant Marcus Case. Their lives were not in vain. There will be a better future for the sacrifice they have provided, and I hope that their families have some comfort in the fact that they lost their lives and paid the ultimate sacrifice for a very good cause. I wish their families all the best in the future and I express my condolences.

See this speech in context