Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is an honour to stand and support this motion about the National Police Remembrance Day. I also thank the member for Fowler for the motions he brings before this House, but importantly the work he continues to do advocating on behalf of our men and women who serve as police officers across this country. We all need to remember the sacrifice that these men and women make and the risks that they take. It was only last week that my 12-year-old daughter said to me, 'Mummy, do you ever worry about dad not coming home?' He is a police officer. It is the first time she has ever asked this question. I responded: 'No, because I know he is well trained and daddy knows what he is doing. He is also supported by his fellow police men and women who work with him, and he is doing a very, very important job for our community.'

I just want to acknowledge, as we lead up to the National Police Remembrance Day on 29 September, all those men and women who serve. I know personally, whether it is simply pulling over a car on the highway or whether it is knocking on someone's door, the police are well aware of the risks that they face on what might seem like a pretty simple task to the broader community. What we saw on the weekend was that our police service is there to serve in so many ways, including where protests get out of hand and are violent.

The violent riots and protests that we saw on the weekend are just inexcusable in a free democratic society like ours. Of course we should have free speech. Of course we should have the right to protest. But that should be done in a respectful way and never, ever should we condone violence. Eight police officers were injured on the weekend because of those protests and that should never be condoned by any community, any religion. I know that the broader Islamic community do not support that action either.

In the short time I have today, I want to acknowledge the most recent tragic losses of life: Senior Constable David James Rixon from Tamworth in March this year and Senior Constable Damian Leeding, who we lost just over a year ago in Queensland. I know it has been over a year since his passing, but I want to assure his family, his wife and his children, that they remain in our thoughts always. I thank Police Legacy for the work they do in supporting families when there is a tragic loss. I know they do a lot of work to support those families. On 28 September this year, the National Police Remembrance Day will be recognised at the Canberra National Police Memorial. On that day there will be 754 names on that memorial. We need to stop and remember our fallen colleagues on that day.

I want to thank the 1,200 police officers who participated in the wall-to-wall ride last weekend. It is fantastic that so many people went out and supported them. I know it was not just police officers; the member for Fowler has commented that he participated. That is fantastic that so many people came out to recognise not just our fallen police officers but, of course, the great work that our serving police officers do every single day in our community.

On 29 September the Queensland Police Service will be holding services. There will be a Brisbane National Police Remembrance Day candlelight vigil. This will be held at the Police Memorial in George Street, Brisbane, on Thursday, 27 September, commencing at 7 pm and also the Brisbane National Police Remembrance Day Memorial Service will be held at Albert Street Uniting Church in Anne Street, Brisbane, on Friday, 28 September, commencing at 10 am. The church service will be preceded by a march from police headquarters to Albert Street Uniting Church at 9.15 am and I encourage Queenslanders to go out and support that march and that service and to recognise the great service of the men and women.

On behalf of all the families—I know it is not just the serving police officers; it is their wives, their husbands, their family members and their children—we do recognise the great work they do. Our broader community recognises the great work they do. We need to recognise that they are our protectors, they are our heroes in our local communities and they do an amazing job. On 29 September we should all stop and remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in protecting our communities.

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