Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

It is with a very and genuinely heavy heart that I speak to give the condolences of the people of Flinders to the family of Sapper Jordan Ronald Penpraze. Jordan was 22 years of age when he passed away on 11 October. It was after a vehicle accident on the Holsworthy range on 8 October. His family lives in not just the electorate of Flinders but my hometown. His mother, Kathleen, and his father, Daryl, and his grandmother, Shirley Blundell. I know from one of Jordan's close schoolfriends, Riley Gay, who works in my office, that the family has obviously been devastated and deeply affected by this loss. Riley himself was a close personal friend of Jordan's, and much of what I know about Jordan, who, as I say, grew up on the Mornington Peninsula, comes from Riley.

Sapper Penpraze enlisted in the regular Army on 3 April this year, and he completed his initial recruit training. He commenced his Royal Australian Engineer Initial Employment Training on 11 July. He was training to do some of the toughest things that Australian soldiers can do. Jordan had always dreamed of following in his grandfather's footsteps to join the Army and to become a combat engineer. He was due to graduate and, as I am advised, was living his dream. He was born at Mornington on 15 August 1990. He was a young man. Prior to enlisting in the Army, he lived with his family in Mount Martha and worked with his father. He was educated just down the road at Dromana Secondary College, where he made lifelong friendships and met his partner, Jacinta, with whom he remained until his death. Jacinta, we pass on our deep awareness of the sadness you must be facing.

Jordan enjoyed spending time with Jacinta, with whom he had been for four years. Jordan's partner, Jacinta, said that she and Jordan were planning to move to Townsville together after his graduation. He enjoyed his time in the outdoors. He was an outdoors man, with hobbies that included baseball, scuba diving and motorbike riding. He had a keen interest in technology and computers. His was the youth of a young man on the Mornington Peninsula who enjoyed life, who lived life and who was being his best self.

Most importantly, he looked out for his family and his friends. His quality as a person is exemplified by a very significant event in Sydney while on local leave in Liverpool. Sapper Penpraze and another soldier successfully resuscitated an elderly citizen. Jordan remained with the elderly citizen, maintaining CPR until the ambulance arrived. That was an act of great confidence and great generosity. He had a deep sense of purpose about his role. Although he knew of the dangers, he aspired to become a sapper and to defend Australia. As we know from the latest tragic events in Afghanistan reported just today in the House, this is the most dangerous of occupations; the most confronting of occupations. These are the people who keep our special forces troops safe; that is, they watch the watchers. They keep safe those who keep safe.

He had a deep respect for Australia, for the Australian flag and for Australia Day. He took enormous pride in his country. Jordan was a well-liked and well-respected member of No. 3 Troop. As in all other aspects of his life, he held this stoic determination to achieve what he had set out to do and was constantly involved in self-improvement. That is the story from Riley and from those who knew him.

He excelled at watermanship. He demonstrated the appreciation of watercraft he gained from years spent on the bay at Mount Martha with his family and in his training, he took on a leadership role in this element of his course. Jordan's motto was: 'Do what you want to do and be what you want to be.' He lived this motto as he overcame many obstacles to achieve his goal of becoming a sapper. He was a young man, but he was a wonderfully successful young man. He was training to be an even better young man, serving Australia in the most significant, important, dangerous and courageous of tasks.

Jordan spread his optimism to his partner and to his siblings. He gave them support when they needed it and he encouraged them never to give up. Today, as Kathleen, Daryl, his siblings, and his grandmother Shirley Blundell are all feeling his loss, there is nothing that can replace the gap—there is nothing that can fill that hole. We simply say to you, on behalf of everybody else in Australia, that Jordan was one of so many young soldiers who help to protect us and his story, sadly, has come to pass all too early. We grieve with you, we thank you and we offer you our deepest support.

See this speech in context