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

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When you look at what we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan, it is often open to criticism that we should not be there, that it cannot be won or that we are there for the wrong reasons. There are myriad excuses why this is not the right thing to do. However, when you look at the sort of place Afghanistan was before the war began, when you look at the evil that the Taliban and their allies represent, when you look at the very negative outcomes that the Taliban had imposed upon that country, something had to be done. As is usual in these cases, somebody needs to make a decision to do something about these problems in the world, these evils in the world. I pay tribute to those prepared to do what needed to be done. But of course the political determination is at one level. Ultimately to back up that political determination people need to be there on the ground. People need to pick up a rifle and they need to go to these places and take the action that needs to be taken. Evil needs to be opposed, bad people need to be stopped, and the women and children of Afghanistan need to be protected.

We cannot look at these people like the Taliban or al-Qaeda and say that they are representatives of the mainstream within Afghanistan, because they are not. As usual with these sorts of elites, oligarchies or dominant forces, they rule for themselves with no regard for the people. The keeping of children, particularly girls, out of education is not an element of a progressive society. It is not an element of an organisation, a government, that has any legitimacy in the world anywhere. It fell to certain countries in the past to stand up and be counted and be prepared to send in the troops to deal with these people. So many of our soldiers have served with honour and great distinction in Afghanistan. As we know, 29 have now died for the cause. It has been a cause of honour, for good in the world, and we should never walk away from that. We should never count so much the cost that our determination should ever waiver. For those who have died, it is a great tragedy and it is a tragedy that their families will always have to live with, but if we were to walk away at any point before this job is done, then so much of what they have died for would be in vain.

The trouble is that there are still evil people out there—the Taliban. As I said before, they do not rule for the people; they rule for themselves. They rule with a view of the world in a very skewed and negative manner that will never be in the best interests of the people in Afghanistan. In the future it may well be that more Australians may die, and that will never be acceptable. We should always strive to make sure that the chance of that is as limited as possible, but in the end the decisions that we make in this place and that the government makes in this place can have the ultimate impact on a family. Australians may die for a cause, and that tragedy may be repeated on many occasions yet. However, as I said before, we should never waiver from the commitment we have to doing the right thing in the world and to making the world a better place for not only people in this country but people in other countries around the world. The cause of democracy sometimes has to be fought for and sometimes Australians will have to pick up weapons and do what needs to be done.

I pay tribute to the Australians who serve today and who have served the national interest and the cause of decency, good and democracy in the world. Many have done so. They have all done so with distinction. It is certainly my view that Private Matthew Lambert, a distinguished soldier from the 2nd Battalion, did not die in vain. He died for this good cause. I pay tribute to him, a great soldier, a great Australia, and I offer my sincerest condolences to his family and his spouse. I wish her all the best and I know that this parliament, with bipartisan support, will always see these soldiers and their families are looked after.

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