Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to express my deepest condolences to the family of Private Matthew Lambert. Tragically, Private Lambert was the 29th Australian to die in Afghanistan and the eighth this year. He was only 26 and on his first tour of Afghanistan. A New South Welshman by birth, he enlisted in the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, in August 2005 and was later posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in Townsville. He had served with distinction in East Timor and together with the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal had also been awarded the Australian Active Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.

He will be sadly missed by his colleagues in uniform who had a great deal of respect for this very fine soldier. The Chief of the Defence Force, General Hurley, said, ‘His colleagues describe him as a man who excelled at any task he was assigned and a soldier who was proud to serve his country.’

Despite this tragic loss, Australia must continue with its important mission in Afghanistan. Having visited Oruzgan Province and Kandahar earlier this year, I saw firsthand the real progress that our military is making in Afghanistan. Training the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police is the first priority, for they will be the future protectors of their country from the insidious influence that is the Taliban. In addition to the military angle, local development projects are also critical to Afghanistan’s future. Australia’s involvement in building a school, a mosque, trade training facilities and other important initiatives are all making lives better for the ordinary Afghani.

Our deployment in Afghanistan is not getting any easier, but this should come as no surprise for the stakes are high. Stability on the Afghan-Pakistan border and progress in the global war on terrorism is what is in play. Were Australia to leave Afghanistan precipitantly, hard-fought gains would be compromised and the objective of our mission set back.

Today our nation mourns the loss of Private Matthew Lambert, a family man and a soldier of the highest order. Our country will never forget his sacrifice, and our thoughts and our prayers are with his family at this difficult time. Lest we forget.

See this speech in context