Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the outstanding contribution of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force to ensure the safety of our nation;

(2) recognises the support of their families and friends during their service; and

(3) acknowledges the positive social and economic impact the men and women of our defence force have on communities throughout Australia.

Last weekend I again took part—with the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the member for Lyne—in the Pollie Pedal bike ride for Soldier On. I rode from Kin Kin to Brisbane and stopped overnight at the Caloundra RSL in my electorate of Fisher, where we met with veterans at a special reception where we heard Daniel Keighran VC talk about his experiences in Afghanistan and how he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The ride, as I said, what was in support of Soldier On, which is a fantastic charity that is working to support service men and women both past and present.

In Fisher, I also have also instigated, with the support of Australia Zoo and our local RSLs, a Sunshine Coast veterans' day to add to the traditional ways that we recognise our veterans' service. On this day, during Veterans' Health Week, past and present ADF personnel and their partners receive free entry into the zoo. They enjoy their world-class animal experiences and spend some time with other former service men and women at events throughout the day organised by Mates4Mates, among others. It is just another of the many ways that my community pay their respects to the service men and women of the Australian Defence Force.

Why is it so important that we as a nation do as much as we can to support and honour our service men and women both past and present? It is because those men and women make such a huge contribution to our nation, often at a high cost to themselves and to their families that they leave behind. I pay tribute to those members of this parliament who have served our ADF in uniform. They give us so much, and they deserve our gratitude and support in return.

Through the ADF Parliamentary Program I've been fortunate to see the men and women of our armed forces at work. I strongly encourage new members to avail themselves of that fantastic program. I visited the Middle East region and spent time with troops who've been deployed on Operation Okra and Operation Highroad. I've travelled with HMAS Canberra and visited HMAS Cerberus. Recently I spent time on HMAS Melville off Fitzroy Island, where I met with two young Navy personnel: Executive Officer Sara Barnett and Midshipman Darby Langton. I was pleased to learn that Sara went to Maleny State High School, which is in my electorate, and Darby attended Beerwah State High School.

What I have seen has left me with absolutely no doubt of the massive contribution that the men and women of the ADF make to our nation. I've seen unmatched dedication, professionalism and commitment to our country. In the words and deeds of hundreds, if not thousands, of Australian men and women as they quietly went about their work I've seen a willingness to sacrifice and an eagerness to serve. We all know that the ADF keep us safe. With their professionalism and their skill they deter those who would seek to do us harm. They stand ready to defend us if the worst were to happen and our nation were put under direct threat. Across the world they work tirelessly to protect us from terrorism and they patrol the seas to help stop the flow of harmful drugs into Australia. They secure our coastline through Operation Sovereign Borders and they keep shipping lanes safe for our commerce in waters all across the globe.

At home the ADF do a great deal to protect our economy and build local communities. When natural disasters like floods and cyclones hit, the ADF deploy to rescue those who are in danger, to protect property and to repair the destruction. Manufacturing the equipment of our troops requires the support of thousands of Australian workers. Their doctors and nurses work in our health service. In every community where an ADF base is situated they bring fresh and welcome prosperity. But the contribution of the ADF goes even further beyond our borders.

Recently I joined many colleagues for 4 July celebrations aboard visiting supercarrier the USS Ronald Reagan. The US and Australia are the closest of partners. At the heart of our partnership is the cooperation between our two militaries. We have stuck with each other through thick and thin since the trenches of World War I. As we've seen off the coast of Queensland just this week with Exercise Talisman Sabre, that cooperation into the future will ensure that our two countries continue to enjoy that close working relationship.

See this speech in context