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

[by video link] I am very pleased to also speak to this motion and I thank the member for Ryan for bringing it forward. Although I did serve in the Australian Army, I wasn't a cadet, but I've seen firsthand here in my electorate the important role that cadets play in our broader defence community. I know that there is a transformative power in being a cadet. I've certainly seen that, and I want to acknowledge all of the volunteers, reservists and full-timers that are working with our cadets around the country. In my electorate, I want to acknowledge Anita Newman from Air Force Cadets up here, who was recently awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. She served in the Air Force and in the NT Police, and she's a bit of a Territory legend up here. She's a commanding officer of 802 Squadron of the Australian Defence Force Cadets, which is based in Darwin and Palmerston. Anita told me that, through cadets, Australia's best citizens are being formed, and I think she's right. They learn the skills of integrity, teamwork, compassion, responsibility, respect and fair play. Cadets learn critical leadership skills but also, in the Air Force's case, about aircraft recognition, aviation, the military way of life, fieldcraft and STEM skills. There's also a strong component of community service to the cadets that Anita leads and across all of the cadet units up here in the Territory. With the Air Force, they work closely with the aviation museum and the military museum. They work as tour guides and they're an important support for community commemorations as well. The Cadet Drum Corps provides support on Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and Vietnam Veterans' Day. I attend a lot of these events, as do my colleagues around the country, and we all admire the great skill and respect that these cadets bring to important occasions. Well done to 802 Squadron and to Anita Newman in particular. Anita told me, 'I get great joy personally in seeing kids who didn't expect to succeed do so, and I love seeing their faces when they do achieve.' Keep up the great work, Anita.

I also want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Australian Army Cadets in my electorate. Recently, nine cadets from the Greater Darwin region, Army Cadet Units 70 and 71, won the National Cadet Drill Competition. It was a great effort. It was the first time that the Australian Army Cadets' Northern Territory Battalion won this competition. It's a tough and prestigious contest with the winning team being awarded the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army Award, which takes the form of a commemorative pace stick. All those who know RSMs know exactly what a pace stick is. Congratulations to those cadets and to Army cadets in general.

Finally, I go to the senior service, the Navy Cadets. I was so impressed by our Navy Cadets up here in the Top End, who, on Anzac Day this year, held a service at one of our retirement villages here in Darwin. They are ably led by the Training Ship Darwin's officer in charge, Aurora Jan, and a former Army combat veteran, Tynan Garrett. He is the Training Ship Darwin's training officer. They held a service with great respect and thoughtfulness with those navy cadets. They really warmed the hearts of those senior Territorians resident in that home. It was a wonderful ceremony, so I just wanted to say well done to Navy Cadets. That is going to be an ongoing relationship between Navy Cadet Training Ship Darwin and some of our retirement villages up here in the Top End. What a great effort. I just want to send out a big thank you to all the volunteers with Training Ship Darwin, and I really do hope that more regulars—more Royal Australian Navy personnel regulars, reservists and volunteers—can join the training ship soon, because there are some great staff there doing a brilliant job, but they could always do with a bit more of a hand.

Of course, not every cadet goes on to pursue a career in the Defence Force but, through the experience that they gain, they really get some important skills and perspectives that they'll use throughout their career, whether that's in the ADF or not, and they'll be great citizens. We know that many cadets go on to become members of the Defence Force, and I can't encourage that course of action any stronger. Well done to all the cadets.

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