Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I address my remarks to the men and women of the Australian Defence Force, their families and our grateful nation in support of the member for Canning's motion to acknowledge the deployed Australian Defence Force men and women currently serving overseas.

Members of the three armed services—Navy, Army and Airforce—continue to be proud ambassadors for our country overseas. ADF members are currently serving in the Middle East, Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Afghanistan, the seas to our north, the Southern Indian Ocean and as part of multilateral actions elsewhere around the globe.

For my electorate of Solomon, we are the tip of the spear of the Australian Defence Force with all three arms of the Defence Force operating in the defence of Australia and our interests. We have major bases including naval bases 1st Brigade at Robertson Barracks, NORCOM, NORFORCE, Larrakeyah Barracks, and of course the Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Base Darwin. From these bases thousands of Australian service personnel have been deployed on operations and are currently deployed on operations, including 50 Darwin based soldiers currently serving in Iraq with Task Group Taji.

I want to associate myself with the words of the member for Canning in relation to the absolute professionalism of those members of Task Group Taji. That task group has been particularly well led. The training task unit, TTU, whose mission is to train the Iraqi army to defeat the Daesh terrorist threat is doing a sterling job. The Unit has adopted 'persevere' as its motto in honour of the legendary Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, AATTV, and, by all accounts, is living up to these exceedingly high standards. Darwin based soldiers are also deployed in other theatres of operation, and I want to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the families of these Defence Force members whilst they are overseas deployed in our name.

It is of course essential that our deployed Defence Force men and women are well supported in the execution of their jobs for our country, and I know the Australian Defence Force community ensures that that occurs. To everyone who is playing a role in supporting our ADF members overseas, thank you.

The ADF is extremely well led, as the member for Lingiari mentioned earlier, and I am very proud of my association and of my family's association with this marvellous cornerstone of our nation. Just as important as the support needed on operations is the support those service men and women receive on their return to Australia and to their homes, and, indeed, through the transition when they ultimately leave the Defence Force to rejoin civilian life.

Of course, the work of our Australian Defence Force is very dangerous. We have had members of our Australian Defence Force seriously injured and killed during training and on operations including those from the Top End who have been killed in Afghanistan such as Scott Palmer who served with the 2nd Commando Regiment.

Scott's parents, Ray and Pam Palmer, are working in the Top End to assist veterans. They recently attended a ceremony in Melbourne at the Shrine of Remembrance put on by the Commando Association. Pam, Ray and I want to acknowledge the master of ceremonies, an old commando friend of mine, Mark Preston, and the organisers of that event which was very much appreciated by Ray and Pam.

I wish to finish with a message from Ray and Pam Palmer to our Defence Force personnel currently serving overseas in our name:

We would like to let them know that they are doing an outstanding job and that they are certainly making us proud of them. It really doesn't matter what their jobs are; we can honestly say we are so proud of them. They are a true credit not only to their parents here at home but also to all Australians.

Over the past 6 years, we have certainly met many of our young defence personnel. They certainly have always shown us so much respect, and we would like to thank them for that indeed. We are not only talking about us, but we can certainly mention other families that have lost their sons over in Afghanistan, and they all say the same."

It is an honour to be able to read these words on behalf of ay and Pam Palmer. To our deployed troops, thank you for your service. Stay safe and God bless. (Time expired)

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