Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and all members who have spoken or will speak on this very important condolence motion. I rise, like all of them, to pay my respects to Sapper Rowan Robinson, another Australian hero who has given his life for his country at the tender age of 23. Sapper Robinson had been in the ADF for some five years, had two tours of duty to Afghanistan and had been awarded six decorations during that time.

We have now had 27 lives lost in Afghanistan; that is 27 too many. As a former Minister for Defence I have been very determined to ensure that I make a contribution on each of these condolence motions, and as I do so this evening I lament the fact that I find myself repeating myself, but I felt it necessary to do so, because the same things need to be said. Many of those things have been said in this chamber this evening. The first is that while I did not know Sapper Robinson—although I must say it is possible that I may have met him; if I did I just do not recall—I am sure that Sapper Robinson knew exactly what he was doing in committing himself to the ADF's operations in Afghanistan and that he fully understood the risks but was as keen as mustard to undertake the task. Likewise, having had the not-always-happy experience of meeting, mixing with and consoling families of fallen soldiers, I am very confident that Sapper Robinson's parents would also have been very supportive of his decision to serve his country in a very, very dangerous theatre of war. It is very tough for the families involved, but I always sense when I meet with them that they draw some comfort from the fact that the person they love so much and who is now no longer with them was doing what he loved and wanted to do and were supportive of that.

I will pick up on the theme of others. Afghanistan is very tough. The longer we are there and the more people we lose, the more difficult it will be for us to maintain support for our operations amongst the Australian people. Like many others, I appeal to people to hold their nerve. We are there for very important reasons. Afghanistan does go directly to the security and safety of Australians, both here on our mainland—on our continent—and as we travel around the globe.

As a former minister, I still have quite a deal of contact with many people who are heavily engaged in the mission—and indeed those on the ground in places like Tarin Kowt and Kandahar. They report to me that we are making very, very substantial progress there. In fact, one person said to me, 'If you come back to Tarin Kowt now you would be very, very pleased and very, very proud of what we have achieved.'

In addition to the excellent disruption work being done by our special forces, our infantry, engineers and others are helping to train the Afghan National Army, ANA, to a standard at which they will be capable of taking care of their own security. In addition to that, we are helping to train the Afghan National Police, and when they get to the required standard we will be able to come home safe in the knowledge that we have done our job. People often ask me: 'Can you win in Afghanistan?' My response always is: 'That depends on your definition of winning.' We will have won when we are satisfied that we leave Oruzgan province a better place, a safer place both within and as a consequence for Australians and, it goes without saying, when the Afghan National Security Forces are capable of taking care of their own security.

Of course, we are doing much more which is very important. We continue to build social and economic capacity and we continue to play a role in building governance in Oruzgan province. In coalition with others we still play a role in building governance across the country. We will not meet with success in Afghanistan by military means alone. It will be a combined effort between military effort, the efforts in governance, the efforts in capacity building and the efforts in training more broadly.

Afghanistan is a difficult place but it is a place where there is hope. It was interesting that this week US defence secretary Robert Gates confirmed that some negotiations had been taking place between coalition forces and the insurgents. I will say again what I have been saying for two years—and I say this for those who might be concerned about this: there is a big difference between negotiating with extremists and setting up dialogue with moderates. I think the latter can produce real results. Indeed, I think it is absolutely necessary. We cannot meet with ultimate success in Afghanistan without some form of political settlement. Afghanistan has to want to govern itself in a way we would expect them to, and the Afghan people have to have faith and trust in those who govern them. If we cannot achieve that, we will not meet with success. Again, I pay tribute to Sapper Rowan Robinson. He now will be recorded as a great Australian, a heroic Australian. The work of the sapper when out with special forces is of a kind we find difficult to fathom, wondering whether the next step will be your last. It is difficult for us to appreciate that. He was prepared to take those risks for those who were fighting alongside him, his mates. He was prepared to take those risks for the safety and security of his country and his fellow Australians. I extend my heartfelt sympathy to his family, his mum and dad, his mates, his friends and all who loved him.

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