Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

My electorate of Solomon was Australia's front line in World War II, and even to this day Solomon has five military bases and nearly 5,000 uniformed personnel from all three armed forces. As I stand here today there are nearly 2,000 personnel from the Australian Defence Force protecting Australia's security and national interests around the globe. I put the motion to the House today to acknowledge their outstanding service and their contribution to our country.

Australian sailors, soldiers and airmen are deployed across the Middle East degrading and disrupting the so-called Islamic State in Iraq as part of Operation Okra, defending the region's shipping lanes as part of Operation Manitou, training, advising and assisting the Afghan defence forces as part of Operation Highroad, and providing support to the Middle East operations in Operation Accordion. Closer to home, Australian forces are deployed to our north as part of Operation Resolute, protecting Australia's maritime borders and keeping peace on the high seas.

Decisions are made in this building that result in the men and women of our Australian Defence Force leaving family, friends and safety in Australia to go overseas to do what needs to be done to defend Australia and our national interests. In debating this motion today we remind ourselves of every one of the 2,000 men and women who are deployed overseas. There are thousands of people left behind who will miss them. There are children who will go months without seeing one of their parents, and partners who will shoulder the responsibility of looking after kids and managing households without their significant other. There are parents who will never stop worrying about their grown sons and daughters. There are friends and colleagues who will go without the company of their mates.

Of course, there are the risks that the men and women who are deployed take so that we do not have to take them. They face threats abroad so that we do not have to face them here. As we sit in the chamber and debate this motion the crew of HMAS Newcastle will be going about their duties on Operation Manitou. This US-led combined maritime forces operation disrupts terrorism, disrupts the international drug trade, prevents piracy and encourages regional cooperation. HMAS Newcastle will soon be replaced by HMAS Melbourne and that will mark the 61st rotation of a Royal Australian Navy warship to the Middle East region since 1990.

Over Iraq the pilots and crew of the FA18 Hornets, the E7 Wedgetails and the KC30 air-to-air refuelling aircraft will be flying endless patrols, scanning the landscapes below for the thugs and criminals of the so-called Islamic State. In Kabul, in Afghanistan, it will be 34 degrees today, yet the soldiers of Operation Highroad will be donning body armour and battle fatigues and going to work training the Afghan Army. Personnel of Operation Accordion will be working in various locations around the Middle East making sure that everything and everyone is in the right place at the right time. The crews of Operation Resolute will be patrolling the tropical waters to our nation's north, working alongside Border Force to shut down the evil and reckless people-smuggling trade, which has cost many lives. Each of these men and women is sacrificing something—safety, comfort, time at home, time with their family—so that we do not have to. We as a government and as people owe a huge debt to each of these men and women of the Defence Force. I ask my colleagues as representatives of the government and the people of Australia to join with me in thanking these and men and women of the Australian Defence Force for their outstanding service and also their families who are making an enormous sacrifice for our country.

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