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

I rise to pay my respects to Sapper Jordan Ronald Penpraze in this condolence motion and follow the passionate speeches of my colleagues the member for Higgins and the member for Flinders. Sapper Penpraze was born in Mornington on 15 August 1990. He was educated at Dromana Secondary College. He enlisted in the Army only in April this year. He tragically died in a vehicle accident at the Holsworthy range. He was one of 18 members from the Army school of engineering who was injured in that terrible accident.

Sapper Penpraze was training to be a combat engineer. He was only 22 years old and he had completed the Army recruit course at Kapooka. In the statement issued by the Australian Defence Force about Sapper Penpraze they said he was well liked, he was well respected and he had a demonstrated commitment to helping others. In their words, they saw him complete his work with no reservations or complaints. He would rather take the hard job or the heavy load to spare a mate that was doing it tough. According to Chaplain Michael Pocklington, Jordan's motto was 'do what you want to do and be what you want to be'. Sapper Penpraze's life is a testament to this motto.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, particularly his mother, Kathleen, his father, Daryl and his partner of the last four years, Jacinta. He never had a chance to live his life to the fullest. But by enlisting in the Australian Army and giving his life in this way, we know that Sapper Penpraze displayed all the characteristics of what is good and great about Australia and our men and women in uniform. Lest we forget.

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