Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

It's an honour to be able to speak today in this place to honour the life of one taken too early in the service of our nation, Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon. I'm deeply saddened by the tragic death of Jack Fitzgibbon, and I speak here today in two capacities: one as the Minister for Defence Personnel and the other as a friend of Jack's dad, our former colleague Joel Fitzgibbon.

Jack served a decade in the Australian Defence Force, a career he aspired to since being a child. Jack not only loved what he did but, by all accounts, he excelled. He was highly specialised and qualified. He was a leader. He was gold standard, it was said, by his colleagues. Throughout his service he was awarded the Australian Defence Medal, the Operational Service Badge—Military and the Australian Operational Service Medal—Counter Terrorism/Special Recovery.

Jack did one of the hardest things there is to do in our Defence Force, and he died doing what he loved in our nation's uniform. The death of anyone in service is of the greatest regret; it's why, when it occurs, we speak about it in this parliament. These are individuals who have worn our uniform and done what we've asked of them, and they have made the ultimate sacrifice for doing it. It's a confronting reminder—but a necessary reminder—to us all of the risks that our Defence Force personnel take every single day in our nation's name.

In my role as minister, I receive notifications of all sorts of things that afflict, injure or harm our serving members. But receiving the notification in relation to the injuries caused from the accident that Jack was involved in came with the added shock of knowing who this person was and knowing who his next of kin were as well. That's why I also speak here today as a friend of Joel Fitzgibbon. When I received that notification I reached out to Joel directly. It's not something anyone wants to do, but they have to do it in this role. But it's also the case that, even when you don't know the person involved, those of us in these roles—like me, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence and anyone involved in this area—will always think about the ramifications and reverberations, not just those in the instant but those that will continue to reverberate through time for that person's family, friends and colleagues.

In this instance, I've not know Joel as long as some other members of this chamber have, but I've been very proud to have served two terms of the parliament with him. He was someone whose advice I deeply valued. In the time that I spent with Joel, though, he was someone, like so many people in this parliament, who was deeply proud of the achievements and exploits of all his children. And he certainly spoke about Jack. He spoke about Jack in terms of being deeply proud of his service. He was deeply proud of what Jack had achieved in the Defence Force and what he did. He was also a proud dad of the fact that Jack had a bit of Joel's larrikin spirit as well.

Certainly it was a great honour to be able to join Jack's family, friends and colleagues at Jack's funeral in Cessnock. There are a few things I want to highlight from that service. It was a great military funeral. It had all of the appropriate trappings that should go with honouring somebody who died in service. It was a great honouring and celebration of Jack's life—the things he did not only as a member of our Defence Force but also over his entire life. There was no stepping away from his larrikin spirit and the things that he did that caused people to laugh with him and laugh at him, and that is a great thing.

But what was also really important was that, while it was reported on the day that there were many dignitaries that attended that funeral—and that was a great thing for somebody in our Defence Force, but it was a great thing for the Fitzgibbon family—front and centre were Jack, Jack's family and Jack's colleagues. It wasn't about the people with titles who were there. It was all about honouring his service, celebrating his life and having an opportunity to stand with our friend and our colleague, to mourn with them and to support them. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and here in this place I want to extend my deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to my friend and Jack's dad, Joel; to his mum, Dianne; to his sisters, Caitlin and Grace; to his partner, Kass; and to his colleagues and the broader defence family, who all feel his death as loss.

Rest in peace, Jack Fitzgibbon, and thank you for your service.

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