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

I rise today to pay my respects on the condolence motion on the deaths of Lance Corporal Stjepan (Rick) Milosevic, Sapper James Thomas Martin and Private Robert Hugh Frederick Poate. All three men were tragically killed by an insider attack at Patrol Base Wahab in Uruzgan province on 29 August this year. This was a tragedy for their families and is a tragedy for our nation.

Private Robert Poate was a member of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Task Force Group, and was from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment—6RAR—based in Brisbane, Queensland. Private Poate enlisted in the Army in 2009 and was posted as a rifleman. He had a reputation for 'creating mischief without getting caught'. He was very proud of his service and he won numerous awards, including the Australian Active Service Medal with clasp ICAT, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Australian Defence Medal, the NATO Non-Article 5 Medal with clasp ISAF, and the Infantry Combat Badge. He participated in Operation Slipper in Afghanistan from June to August 2012 and is survived by his parents, Hugh and Janny, and his sister, Nicola.

Lance Corporal Milosevic, known as Rick to his family and Milo to his mates, was deployed to Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Task Group and was from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment, also based in Brisbane, Queensland. He enlisted in the Army in 2008. He was quickly identified for his talents and became a light armoured vehicle crew commander for the ASLAVs. He won the following awards and honours: Australian Active Service Medal with clasps Iraq 2003 and ICAT, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Australian Defence Medal, the NATO Non-Article 5 Medal with clasp ISAF, the Army Combat Badge and the Returned from Active Service Badge. He served in Operation Slipper in Afghanistan in 2012, as well as Operation Kruger in Iraq in 2010.

As is often the case when an Australian diggers loses his life, the family issues a statement which Defence releases. The statement on behalf of Lance Corporal Milosevic's family includes these lines:

At Kapooka, Rick was awarded Most Outstanding Soldier, and during his Junior Leaders Course, he was presented with the award for the Trainee of Merit.

…   …   …

Our family is now united by grief as we try to come to terms with the loss of Rick … this is our private time to grieve and we would like our privacy, especially that of Rick's children, to be respected.

The family deserve their privacy. They also need to know that Lance Corporal Milosevic served his country bravely and we are all very proud of his service and his sacrifice.

Sapper James Thomas Martin was on his first operational deployment as a member of the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Task Group. He enlisted in the Australian Army on 24 January 2011 and was later allocated to the Corps of the Royal Australian Engineers. He completed a number of additional courses, including Combat Engineer High Threat Search, Communications and Weapon courses, and was highly decorated with honours, including the Australian Active Service Medal with clasp ICAT, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Australian Defence Medal, the NATO Non-Article 5 Medal with clasp ISAF and the Army Combat Badge.

The statement released by the family on behalf of Sapper James Martin reads:

He was very thoughtful, caring and considerate of others. This really showed when selecting gifts for family members on special occasions. James always seemed to be able to choose something perfect, even if it was something totally unexpected by the recipient at the time. The family's bookshelves are peppered with books gifted by James; and Holly's iPod filled with music selected by him.

…   …   …

James was a wonderful person and he will be sorely missed by his family and anyone who knew him.

I visited Afghanistan with the Australian Defence Force last year. I saw firsthand the enormous sacrifice and contribution being made by the more than 1,500 Australian defence personnel, men and women in uniform. In this place as elected representatives of the Australian people we have a huge responsibility to ensure that our men and women in uniform get the best protection possible but also to ensure that they are participating in a just cause. I believe that, despite the difficulties and the challenges we are facing, and despite the tragic loss of 38 Australian lives, we need to remain the course in Afghanistan. By being in Afghanistan we are taking the fight right up to the terrorists who have taken the lives of more than 100 Australians since 9-11. In each case the perpetrators of those attacks, whether in New York, Bali or Jakarta, had links back to Afghanistan. This is why we are there. But there needs to be an exit date, and there is—in 2014. As parliamentarians we have enormous responsibilities, and I say to the families of each of these three men: your country is extremely grateful for the service and sacrifice of your fathers, your brothers and your sons.

So I say of Private Robert Hugh Frederick Poate, Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic and Sapper James Thomas Martin: your lives were not lost in vain; we are proud of your sacrifice and, on behalf of a grateful nation, we say lest we forget.

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