Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I am very pleased to support this motion moved by my neighbour the member for Fowler. I acknowledge his longstanding commitment to, and support for, our police forces not only in New South Wales but throughout the nation.

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Proceedings suspended from 17:01 to 17:13

I would like to go through the words of the motion of the member for Fowler, because I commend him on the words that he used in it:

That this House:

(1) notes that National Police Remembrance Day will be observed on 28 September;

(2) acknowledges the significant role police officers across Australia play in our local communities and the great deal of risk and sacrifice that comes with their duty;

(3) honours the lives and memories of those police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their duty, and tragically this year we specifically honour Constable Dennis Green of the Western Australian Police Force, who was killed during pursuit training in West Toodyay;

(4) pays tribute to the families and friends of police officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout our nation's history;

(5) commends the good work of Police Legacy, who look after the loved ones of police officers that have fallen; and

(6) reaffirms its support for the nation's police officers and honours their courage, commitment and dedication to ensuring the peace and safety of our communities.

Of all the occupations in our society today, the occupation of police officer is one where, when people sign on to start their shift, they do not know what will happen or the personal risks that they will face. They may have to go to a car accident where there has been a fatality. They may have to make an arrest of someone who has committed an assault. They may have to turn up to a violent domestic dispute. They may have to apprehend armed robbers. Most concerning of all is the trend that we have seen over recent years: the blue uniform that our police officers wear puts them at risk because we have segments of the Australian community who, unfortunately, see that blue uniform as a target. That is what every police officer around the nation faces today.

We need in our society, I believe, to have a greater respect for police officers. Too often we see people using the word 'cops' to refer to police officers. Often those who denigrate police officers are the very first ones to call for their help when they are in trouble. So I commend the member for Fowler for moving this motion today. We thank every police officer in our nation. We thank them for their bravery. We thank them for their determination. We thank them for their honourable conduct. We send, from this parliament, our love, our support and our encouragement.

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