Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

On 24 June last year I joined the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister for Defence to honour a fallen commando, Corporal Cameron Baird, then MG, now VC, MG, who was tragically killed two days earlier whilst fighting with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan. He was then the 20th member of the Special Operations Task Group to fall in combat, an example of the price paid by some of our elite soldiers, a disproportionate price—half of our combat deaths—being paid by our SF elements. Of those 20 souls that have fallen in special forces, 10 were patrol commanders. Half of our special forces killed in action were the men who commanded from the front. Such was Corporal Baird.

Two days before I gave that speech, on 22 June, Corporal Baird led his men into battle as a patrol commander. He would lose his life in extraordinary close combat with a highly trained and determined enemy. He repeatedly drew fire away from team members and charged enemy fire five times through a building. His actions enabled the enemy to be neutralised and his team survived—mission successful. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in recognition of exceptional and conspicuous act of valour, extreme devotion to duty and ultimately self-sacrifice. The Victoria Cross for valour is appropriate in this regard. To charge a door where you know there is a sustained enemy force behind that is resisting every element, to charge once is bloody gutsy; to charge it twice is a serious act of courage and leadership at a command level; to keep going back, in this case five times, until the enemy is done with is nothing short of extraordinary.

I used on 24 June 2013 an analogy from the Spartans. Heroditus tells us the Spartans never asked how many of the enemy there were, they simply asked where they were. I said it then and I reflect upon it now: Corporal Baird did not know how many enemy he faced that night. The fire was sustained, direct and accurate. The enemy was courageous and resilient and was not prepared to give in. He did not know how many, all he knew was where they were, and that is where he went. That is, frankly, the stuff of legend, highly deserving of the Victoria Cross. I pay tribute to this extraordinary man.

I acknowledge his father, Doug, his mother, Kaye, and his brother, Brendan Baird. They have lost a son, they have lost a brother. They have lost him in extraordinary circumstances but they have lost him still. We share their grief while at the same time acknowledging his heroism. The Baird family said they are extremely proud of Cameron. They were honoured to accept the VC on his behalf and were grateful to the Governor-General and the ADF for bestowing this honour upon Cameron—gracious words from a grieving family honouring a lost son.

Cameron joined the Army in January 2000. He served for 13 years. Oddly enough, he discharged in 2004 and rejoined in 2006, both periods assigned to the 4th Battalion, now the 2nd Commando Regiment. His operational service included Operations Tanager, Falconer and Bastille and five tours on Operation Slipper. He was previously awarded the Medal of Gallantry as a lance corporal for his actions during close combat in Afghanistan in November 2007, then leading his team forward under heavy fire to recover a wounded comrade. Many acts of bravery occur on battlefields. The interesting thing about Corporal Baird is that he knew what faced him. He had faced fire many times. He had led his team forward previously in extraordinary circumstances in November 2007. He knew what fire sounded like. He knew the crack-thump of incoming rounds. Yet on that fateful day, 22 June, he went forward again. It was an extraordinary act.

In acknowledging Corporal Baird's gallantry and his sacrifice of his life let me also acknowledge the men and women of the 2nd Commando Regiment. Their list of battle honours—the men and women who have won both individual honour and of course the Eastern Shah Wali Kot Battle Honour for the regiment—speaks volumes about their training, their tenacity and their courage. We are lucky to have had such fine men and women serve us in the ADF. I am especially pleased to see that Joel Fitzgibbon, the member for Hunter, a former defence minister in this place is here to speak on this. I welcome his comments and his commitment. He was a Minister for Defence while we were at war, which brings with it a special responsibility and is something that I know bears heavily on his shoulders and that he took seriously when he was defence minister at the time.

Corporal Baird's VC is the 100th that our nation has given out. It is an award given rarely, because rarely do we find such enormous acts of heroism that are worthy of such an honour. Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird VC, MG is deserving of that. He has paid an extraordinary price for an extraordinary act of gallantry for the nation, for mates and for units. It is a proud day on which I as Assistant Minister for Defence can speak in this place to acknowledge such a great Australian. I know the nation is proud of him. This parliament is proud of him. The government is proud of him.

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