Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to express the gratitude of the Ryan electorate to Corporal Daniel Keighran and to congratulate him on receiving the high honour of the Victoria Cross for Australia. While this honour has been bestowed on him for a number of acts of bravery in the Battle of Derapet, there is one act in particular which resonates in the hearts of the residents of Ryan. Many speakers before me have highlighted the details of the battle and Corporal Keighran's bravery, but today I wish to focus on the corporal's efforts to save a soldier from our own Ryan military family: Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney. Corporal Keighran chose to risk his life to draw insurgent fire away from soldiers treating the wounded lance corporal. Although, tragically, Lance Corporal MacKinney did not make it, we are grateful for Corporal Keighran's brave efforts to help his fellow soldier, who was a husband, father, son and brother and a member of the Gallipoli Barracks community.

Since 1856, the Victoria Cross has been awarded to servicemen who have shown gallantry in action, through self-sacrifice and extreme devotion to duty in the face of the enemy. Australia has a deep respect for and pride in the Victoria Cross, with 99 Australian recipients in the award's history. Our Australian War Memorial has 61 of these medals on display, in what is the largest publicly held collection in the world. This award has deep meaning and significance for our nation. It is fitting that Corporal Keighran, who has exemplified the qualities recognised by the Victoria Cross, be the 99th Australian recipient. The corporal follows in the footsteps of a fellow Queenslander, Keith Payne VC, OAM, who is the last living Australia recipient of the original Victoria Cross before the change to the Victoria Cross for Australia in 1991.

With the Gallipoli Barracks in my electorate and also being a military mother, I am proud of the achievements of all of our soldiers who consistently show honour and dedication to the service of our nation. During this parliamentary term, we have mourned the loss of many Australian heroes. Today we are able to celebrate the courage of a young man who fought alongside some of those we have lost and who, despite the grief and trauma of losing his colleagues, was able to persevere with the vital work being done in Afghanistan. Corporal Keighran has continued to serve Australia with pride and dedication. He will remain a strong role model for young Australians. His qualities of comradeship, duty and honour in extraordinary circumstances have been recognised with this prestigious award.

Our mission in Afghanistan has at times been controversial in its purpose and its duration. However, the work of Australian forces is unquestionably of vital importance to ensuring freedom and security for the Afghan people. Corporal Keighran fought for this liberty and peace against the insurgents, and he has made a significant contribution to the Australian mission and to the lives of many people in Afghanistan. It is with great respect and admiration for the acts of bravery of Corporal Keighran in assisting Lance Corporal MacKinney, and for the corporal's contribution to the overall effort in Afghanistan, that I congratulate Corporal Keighran on his high honour.

I am sure that Lance Corporal MacKinney's family—including his wife, Beckie, daughter, Annabell and son, Noah—and the Gallipoli Barracks community are grateful for the efforts of Corporal Keighran. He has shown tremendous strength of character through his unwavering mateship in protecting his fellow Australians and furthering the mission for peace in Afghanistan. The Victoria Cross for Australia, our nation's highest military honour, is well deserved. I congratulate him and I thank him and his family for their sacrifice and service to our nation.

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