Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, it is a great honour to be supporting this motion—as I was honoured recently to join the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, in welcoming home troops to Darwin. In doing so, we were also acknowledging the service of the more than 30,000 Defence Force personnel deployed in the Middle East since October 2001 under Operation SLIPPER. We were also acknowledging the 40 brave Australian soldiers whose lives were lost over that period, and the 260 personnel who have come home injured with visible injuries, and the many who have come home with disguised, or as yet undiagnosed, mental health issues. To them, we owe our great debt. It is a great honour for me to stand in this place and say that these men and women—those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and those men and women who have served in this theatre of operations over this very long period of time—are revered by our nation. The welcome home of more than 250 Darwin based soldiers marked the end of the deployment to Uruzgan province in Afghanistan during 2013.

It is worth making sure that we acknowledge that over the long run since 2001 we have deployed Navy assets and Air Force assets, as well as Army assets, right across the region. We need to acknowledge their enormous contributions—the previous speaker has mentioned our P3s, but there are also other Air Force assets and Navy assets which were deployed in the Gulf and the surrounding area—and the work they have been doing and continue to do in countering piracy on sea, and in intercepting drug shipments across that region. We still have troops in Afghanistan, and Australian logistic personnel also based in the Middle East in support of Operation SLIPPER who are located outside of Afghanistan, and we have detachments of patrol and transport aircraft whose personnel continue to support operations in Afghanistan, based out of Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. It is very important that we understand the sacrifice which has been made by so many on our behalf.

I also acknowledge those who have been recognised for their conspicuous courage by being awarded the Victoria Cross: Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith and Daniel Keighran. Cameron Baird was awarded his posthumously only this year. In acknowledging this, we should accept there are many unsung heroes who were never recognised in the way these brave men have been. There are so many who have sacrificed so much. They work on our behalf and continue to work on our behalf. To them we owe our eternal gratitude.

The member for Solomon spoke about the work of Ray Palmer and his wife, Pam. We have lost six Darwin based soldiers in Afghanistan in the time that we have been there. One of the Territory lads was Scott Palmer, the son of Ray and Pam. He was operating with 2nd Commando Regiment and was lost, as we heard, in a helicopter crash. Ray was the inspiration behind Families of the Fallen recently walking 400 kilometres through my electorate, from Mataranka to Robertson Barracks, to commemorate the 40 lost in Afghanistan but also to raise funds for Kokoda walks, a very important source of focus and reconnection for veterans as they face life after service.

I also want to acknowledge a wonderful mother who is in the chamber today and who will speak next, I think. Her son I proudly met in Afghanistan as a serving soldier. I congratulate him for his service to our great country. One of my staff, Luke Gosling, himself a former soldier, spent time working with Ray and his wife, Pam, and with the families and comrades.

I want to finish by talking about the important role of the Department of Veterans' Affairs in looking after our men and women after they have returned from service. The Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Defence are joined at the hip, as they should be, because it is extremely important that we understand that these veterans remain the clients of the Department of Veterans' Affairs for the remainder of their lives. Whatever state they are in, whatever help they require, we need to make sure that this government and this country stand beside them and make sure that the Department of Veterans' Affairs is appropriately resourced to look after their short-term and long-term interests and those of their families. I wish to salute all those serving men and women who have done this nation proud in their service.

See this speech in context