Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I commend the motion before the House moved by the member for Solomon and use this as an opportunity to highlight the excellent work that is being done by the Australian Defence Force at a range of relief operations all across the region at various times over the last decades. The fact is we live in an area where natural disasters are not unusual. When those disasters occur, the actual results for communities and countries are often quite devastating. The earthquake in Nepal and the circumstances of the cyclone at Vanuatu were mentioned but, frankly, every year, we see these sorts of natural events, whether it be tsunamis, whether it be earthquakes, whether it be hurricanes. It is pretty much pick a country. In the Philippines and various islands in the Pacific the fact is that it is a regular event and a regular event where the international community needs to pitch in and give people in very dangerous and difficult circumstances the opportunity to try to survive.

Australia has a proud record with regard to providing support for natural disasters in this area. Certainly the Globemaster has been a very important tool in recent years which has allowed large-scale amounts of aid to be taken where they are needed to support those on the ground who are providing relief support to communities that have been devastated. I have had the honour and privilege to be on a Globemaster on a number of occasions—once in the Middle East—and last Friday at Amberley air base I had the chance to walk through. They are a very impressive piece of kit that give a real capacity to move significant assets where they are needed. I congratulate the government on their decision to expand the fleet up to eight. It is a capacity and a capability that can be used throughout this region and also throughout the world.

I also mention that I had the opportunity the other week to visit the HMAS Canberra, the newest of the LHDs, as it is going through its sea trials. That is another example of a piece of equipment that will have enormous potential when it comes to providing support in relief efforts. I was joined by the member for Tangney, who is in the chamber today. The fact is that the Canberra and its sister ship, the Adelaide, will provide the opportunity when facing natural disasters to provide large-scale support in terms of medical support, evacuating large numbers of people should that be required and getting equipment to where it is needed in a manner which will ensure it is able to be used for communities that are in a devastated state. That is a very important part of what the Defence Force is doing now and will be a very important part of what the Defence Force will be doing in the years ahead.

Although obviously the war-fighting capacity is a key component from a defence perspective, the bottom line is that, as the front line for provision of urgent aid in communities that are facing the results of natural disasters, our Defence Forces play a central role. We should not forget that, as we know from the past, that at times has come at great risk to Defence personnel and at times comes with the result of great tragedy for Australian Defence Force members when they have been serving their country and helping communities. I think we all know of examples where that has occurred.

With regard to the motion before the chamber, the C17 is an excellent aircraft that provides capacity that is very much needed in terms of ensuring that we pull our weight as a member of the international community to provide the support that is needed for nations that have been devastated as a result of natural disasters. We do not know where those natural disasters will be next. We do not know how bad they will be. What we can say with depressing certainty is that they will happen again and again and again. The role that our Defence Force plays in providing support to people, whether it be medical, supplies or other life-giving materials, is very important. It is a role that is performed with great professionalism and skill and it is a role for which this House should always congratulate the men and women of our Defence Forces serving their country in a very practical manner to help the communities that are in real need.

Debate adjourned.

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