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

Firstly, I commend those responsible for bringing forward this motion. We know that 29 September was National Police Remembrance Day. Services were held in my own electorate and across the Northern Territory honouring the eight members of the Northern Territory police who have died on duty since 1933, when Constable Albert Stewart McColl was speared during a murder investigation on Woodah Island. I want to reflect on the death of a very brave young man—and this was a matter raised during the commemorations this year in the Northern Territory—the death of Sergeant Glen Huitson, a man I knew. He died in a very sad event in 1999. He was at that time part of the two-man Adelaide River Station, 114 kilometres south of Darwin. He lived with his wife, Lisa, and their young children, Joseph and Ruby.

According to Constable Jamie O'Brien, his fellow officer at Adelaide River:

As police officers in remote stations, Sergeant Huitson and Constable O'Brien were both mindful of being a long way from other police and support. On 3 August 1999 Sergeant Huitson and Constable O'Brien were already tired after attending a car crash the previous night when they were called to set up a road block on the Stuart Highway, in the early hours of the morning, north of Adelaide River. At around 10.30 am Sergeant Huitson and Constable O'Brien were shot at in an ambush. Constable O'Brien and Sergeant Huitson exchanged fire with the gunman from their position behind the police car at the roadblock. Sergeant Huitson was hit, causing grave internal injuries, and was killed. Constable O'Brien continued to fire at the gunman and as backup police arrived the gunman was ultimately killed himself. Constable O'Brien immediately ran to his dying colleague. Sergeant Huitson was pronounced dead soon after arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital. The memorial at Adelaide River for Sergeant Huitson says that he was 'an integral part of community life' and that his untimely death left a gap in the community 'which will never be filled'. Of course, that is a gap that will never be filled in the lives of his family—his wife and his two wonderful children.

It gives us cause to think, as the previous member who spoke said, about the importance of acknowledging the dangerous role police perform in our community. They do not know what is going to happen once they walk out of that door at home to go to work. Anything could happen. I have had a lot to do with police over the years, and more recently with young police officers who are doing what I think is a bit of a sad job, in a way—standing outside of liquor outlets in the Northern Territory, and Alice springs in particular, where they have made a dramatic difference in the incidence of alcohol fuelled violence around the town. I think there should be other ways to do that. Nevertheless, I always stop and talk to the young coppers, just to say, 'G'day, how are you; what are you doing?' And I am constantly amazed by their dedication to the job, however menial or boring it might be at that particular time, and their commitment to making a difference.

This is true across the police force, in all categories of policing. So I want to use this occasion to thank the Northern Territory police in particular, but also the Australian Federal Police, and the state police in the other jurisdictions, for the wonderful work they do. I know sometimes they get a bad rap, but let me say this: I could not imagine a more difficult job, particularly in the circumstances of remote parts of northern Australia, where it is particularly isolated and things are very rough. It is hard on families and it is hard on the police. But they really are a dedicated bunch and they deserve to be commended as we acknowledge those who have lost their lives in the course of duty over the many years since the police forces were established.

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