Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on behalf of the opposition to support this condolence motion for Corporal Mathew Hopkins, a brave soldier tragically killed in action while working as a member of the mentoring and reconstruction task force in Oruzgan province in Afghanistan on 16 March this year. Corporal Mathew Hopkins, known as ‘Hoppy’ to his mates, was born on 27 August 1987 in Christchurch, New Zealand, and arrived in Australia with his family in 1988. He was, sadly, the ninth Australian soldier to have lost his life during operations in Afghanistan since 2002.

Corporal Hopkins was involved in training and support alongside a unit of the Afghan National Army, assisting them to assume greater responsibility for order and security in the region. As a part of this training, Australian soldiers serve alongside these Afghan troops in operations and patrols. Corporal Hopkins was leading a patrol of Australian and Afghan troops in the Baluchi Valley, only a short distance from the Australian base in Tarin Kowt, on 16 March when the patrol faced heavy contact with the Taliban insurgents, who emerged from their winter recess with renewed attacks on coalition forces.

It was during this attack, in the face of withering small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire, the Corporal Hopkins suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Despite his evacuation, he was deceased on arrival at the field hospital. At Tarin Kowt, Australian, Afghan and other coalition troops held a moving ramp ceremony bidding farewell to a popular, professional soldier whom they admired and respected. A tribute from Defence to Corporal Mathew Hopkins states:

His mates in the 7th Battalion described him as a very professional soldier, but always a bit of a larrikin having a joke when the chips were down. Corporal Hopkins was always keen to get the job done which gave his subordinates something to emulate. He was a good leader and a good mate who would go out of his way to provide any assistance within his capacity.

Mathew was an approachable bloke with a genuine caring attitude for his soldiers. He upheld the Army values as a source of inspiration particularly courage and mateship. He was a soldier who led from the front, never from the rear and always looked out for his mates and most certainly for his soldiers. He was a keen sports player; he particularly enjoyed rugby within the Battalion and the competition within the Brigade.

As I watched the footage of the plane taking off from Tarin Kowt in the darkness as illumination rounds were fired in tribute, it certainly touched me with its solemnity.

At the ramp ceremony, the commanding officer of the mentoring and reconstruction taskforce, Lieutenant Colonel Shane Gabriel, said, ‘This hits us all hard.’ He said:

I take Mathew’s loss, as his Commanding Officer, very personally and very deeply. He was an outstanding soldier. He was extremely well known and greatly respected across the battalion and indeed across the battle group here on this operation.

One of the most difficult tasks any Defence minister or shadow minister can face is attending the repatriation ceremonies and funerals of Australian military personal who are killed in active service.

I attended the repatriation ceremony at RAAF Williamtown on 23 March and also the funeral of Corporal Hopkins at the Christchurch Cathedral in Newcastle on 27 March. It would be an understatement to say that both services touched all of those present as we shared—at least in a small sense—in the grief that Corporal Hopkins’ family and friends felt at his passing and as we shared the admiration for his dedication and service and for the great sacrifice that he has made.

At the funeral, Mathew’s mother, Bronwyn, delivered a very touching eulogy, which reflected on Mathew’s commitment to family and his desire to serve Australia through the Army. She said:

Family was everything to Mat. He lived his life full-on. He learned to run before he could hardly walk. He had a love of books and a great thirst for knowledge. Mat only ever wanted to join the Army, and when everyone else in year 12 was studying or out partying you would find Mathew reading every book you could read on Army life or out training so he could be the best possible soldier.

Corporal Mathew Hopkins joined the Army in March 2005, a young man keen to serve his country. He served with distinction on his initial deployment to Afghanistan in 2006, where his abilities and professionalism were noted, leading to his rapid advancement to the rank of corporal. He was redeployed to Afghanistan where, as a section commander, Corporal Hopkins led that fateful patrol in the protection of freedom and security. Corporal Hopkins was also a decorated soldier, having received the Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition against Terrorism clasp, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal and the Infantry Combat Badge. It was during the ramp ceremony at Williamtown RAAF Base that Corporal Hopkins was posthumously awarded the Australian Defence Medal.

Corporal Hopkins was a member of the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, based in Darwin. There are over 1,000 troops currently serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper. Those troops face a harsh climate, rough conditions and an enemy intent on creating chaos, yet our service personnel continue to demonstrate great commitment and professionalism to their duties. As always, our troops punch well above their weight.

Corporal Hopkins and his wife, Victoria, are the proud parents of a son, Alexander, who was just five weeks old when Corporal Hopkins was sadly taken from us. In a statement, Victoria said:

Mat had the most important job—he was a father to our son Alex, my husband and my best friend.

He was excited about becoming a daddy. He only got to spend 4 days with our son when he was born before he had to go back overseas. I am so glad that Mat got to meet his son and experience fatherhood.

As Malcolm Turnbull, the Leader of the Opposition, said in his speech on the condolence motion, speaking to ‘Hoppy’s’ son, Alex:

… you will know that all of us here assembled, representing the entire nation—your nation—to honour your father’s courage and to thank him for his service. We say to you, Alex Hopkins, across the years, that no son could have a finer example of strength and honour, courage and sacrifice, than the example your father has given to you, his baby son, and to all of us Australians.

There is no Australian who could not wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments so eloquently and emotionally put by Malcolm Turnbull. To Mathew’s wife, Victoria, to his son, Alexander, to his mother, Bronwyn, and father, Ricky, to his brother, Corey: our words can do so little to relieve the sense of grief and loss that you must feel and to enhance the sense of pride you would feel for the dedicated way he went about his service and for the respect his colleagues had for his abilities and his leadership. Australia today again mourns the loss of another of its brave sons. As always, Australia prays for the protection of those serving in overseas operations and acknowledges the sacrifice made by Corporal Mathew Hopkins. Lest we forget.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Paterson and others who will speak on this condolence motion in expressing my deep regret and sorrow for the loss of Corporal Mathew Hopkins. Again I offer my profound sympathy to his family and again I would like to extend my sympathy and thanks to his very young wife, Victoria. As the member for Paterson indicated, they had not long had a child—a son—and I too am very pleased that Corporal Hopkins had the opportunity to see his son and spend some time with him before giving his life in the name of his country. I also again extend my sympathies to his mother, Bronwyn, and his father, Ricky. It is a very sad and difficult time for them and I hope they find some comfort in the recognition the parliament is giving to Corporal Hopkins today. Like the member for Paterson, I spent time with them at both the ramp ceremony and the funeral service. Both occasions were very moving and great tributes were paid to Corporal Hopkins, not only by his family but also by those who served alongside him.

I have met many of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force and I am always most impressed by their professionalism and their courage. Corporal Hopkins made a significant contribution while serving in the Australian Army. He enlisted in the Army in March 2005. After initial training, he was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corp and qualified as a rifleman in September 2005. Corporal Hopkins first deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper, when Operation Slipper was formed, from November 2006 to April 2007. He was promoted to lance corporal in April 2008 and to corporal in August 2008. On 16 March 2009 Corporal Hopkins was serving with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force when he was tragically and fatally wounded in an engagement with insurgents. He was a valued member of the Darwin based 7th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. Corporal Hopkins was conducting a patrol near Kakarak when he and his team were engaged by a group of around 20 Taliban insurgents.

Corporal Hopkins died serving his country and is owed a special debt of gratitude that can never, ever be fully repaid. He was an outstanding soldier, displaying courage and professionalism in the most demanding of environments. Many members will know that I saw that environment firsthand in recent weeks when I travelled to Afghanistan. I visited forward operating base Buman at the entry to the Baluchi Valley and, with the assistance of binoculars, I was able to look out to the area where Corporal Hopkins lost his life fighting alongside members of the Afghan National Army. I was able to speak with members who were serving with him there, and they were so visibly and obviously still feeling the pain of the loss of their comrade and their friend.

While visiting forward operating base Buman and forward operating base Loch, I learned a lot more about the detail of the work that the men and women of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force are doing. It is really meaningful work that those like Corporal Hopkins are doing, embedding themselves with kandaks, or the Afghan National Army, and helping them to build their skills and their capacity so that eventually they will be in a position to take care of their own local security. For Australia, that is the focus of our task: to bring the Afghan national security forces to a capacity and skill level which allows them to take care of their own security. While there, I had some very good briefings by our people, in particular from Major David McCammon, who leads the operation there. I cannot speak more highly of the leadership and of the real work our men and women are doing on the ground.

When the government reconfigured and created the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force, we said that the risk would be higher, that our men would be going out with Afghan kandaks, and that would be doing not only meaningful work but also quite dangerous work. Very sadly, the loss of Mathew Hopkins confirmed that to be the case. Sometime very soon we will be seeing off Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force 2, and we keep them in mind as today we reflect on the loss of Corporal Hopkins and thank him for what he did for his country.

On behalf of the Australian government, I offer my prayers and my support to the family of Corporal Hopkins. His passing brings the total number of fatalities in Afghanistan to nine ADF members. The other fatalities are Sergeant Andrew Russell, Trooper David ‘Poppy’ Pearce, Sergeant Matthew Lock, Private Luke Worsley, Lance Corporal Jason Marks, Signaller Sean McCarthy, Lieutenant Michael Fussell and Private Greg Sher. It is a tragic loss for the Australian community. Whenever we have a loss in Afghanistan there is a constant message from the families that their loved one—their husband, their son or whatever the case might be—fully understood what he was doing and fully understood the risks involved but really wanted to be doing exactly what he was doing. I think that is an important message. It is another reason why we can be so proud of our people who are serving in Afghanistan and of those who have served or are about to serve. They do so with great determination and dedication to their country and for that we can be eternally thankful.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Benjamin Disraeli said that the legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. Corporal Mathew Hopkins is indeed a great example to all Australians and it is with great pride mixed with much sadness that I rise to honour this fallen warrior, the ninth lost whilst defending and fighting for freedom in a foreign land known as Afghanistan.

Corporal Mathew Hopkins, known as ‘Hoppy’ to his mates, was actually born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 27 August 1987. He saw the light and arrived in Australia with his family in 1988. He enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 28 March 2005. After completing recruit training he was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and was subsequently posted to the School of Infantry, where he qualified as a rifleman after completing his initial employment training on 9 September 2005. He was posted to the 5th/7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, with effect 10 September 2005, where he fulfilled a range of junior soldier roles and qualified as an M113 crewman driver.

Corporal Hopkins deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Slipper with the first reconstruction task force from November 2006 to April 2007. His military decorations include the Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition Against Terrorism, ICAT, clasp; the Afghanistan Campaign Medal; the NATO International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, Medal; and, of course, the Infantry Combat Badge. He remained with the 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, upon the delinking of both battalions and later qualified as an M113 crewman commander. He was temporarily promoted to Lance Corporal in June 2007 and was made substantive in April 2008. He was promoted to Corporal before his 21st birthday in August 2008, which is certainly testimony to his leadership qualities, his hard work and his commitment. Corporal Mathew Hopkins deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the fourth protection combat team, known as Combat Team Tusk, serving with the first Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. He was a section commander with the fourth protection combat team.

His mates in the 7th Battalion described him as a professional soldier and a bit of a larrikin having a joke when the chips were down. He strikes me as a typical modern Anzac. He was always keen to get the job done, however, which gave his subordinates something to emulate. He was a good leader and was described as a good mate who would go out of his way to provide any assistance within his capacity. He sounds like a bloody good young Australian. He was an approachable bloke with a genuine caring attitude toward his soldiers. He certainly upheld Army values as a source of inspiration—particularly courage, mateship and endurance. All who knew him said that he was a soldier who led from the front, never from the rear, and always looked out for his mates and most certainly for his soldiers. He was a good section commander. He was a keen sports player, and he particularly enjoyed rugby within the battalion and the competition within the brigade.

Mathew was recently married to Victoria and was present during the birth of their son, Alexander. I have two little boys, and I can attest to the wonderful joy of being there when they come into the world and take their first breaths. I have no doubt Alexander will be immensely proud of his dad.

Corporal Hopkins was serving with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan when he was killed while conducting a patrol near Kakarak, when he and his team were engaged by a group of around 20 Taliban on Monday, 16 March. Corporal Hopkins was a valued member of the Darwin based 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He fought like a soldier. He died a soldier’s death. It is attributed to George Orwell that we sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. If indeed freedom is the sure possession of those alone with the courage to defend it, then Corporal Hopkins stands tall in this nation’s history of warriors who have defended all that we stand for.

This is in the great tradition of an ancient warrior, statesman and king, Pericles, who founded the Athenian empire 2,500 years ago and led that nation during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. He said, ‘What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.’ The loss of Corporal Hopkins is a tragedy for the nation. He died fighting for freedom, defending all that we stand for and all that we believe in. His heroism will inspire generations to come. What he has done will have touched the lives of this country. What he has done is to defend a freedom we hold dear. This parliament and this nation will not forget his heroism or his sacrifice.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we have heard, Corporal Mathew Hopkins was only 21 years of age when he was tragically killed in an engagement with insurgents in Afghanistan on Monday, 16 March this year. He left behind his wife, Victoria; his mother, Bronwyn; and his father, Ricky, as well as his young son, Alexander, who was born only on 5 February this year. I did not know Corporal Hopkins personally but I have come to learn a lot about him since that tragic day. It was indeed a great honour to attend his funeral, where his life and accomplishments were celebrated by his many friends and family at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral.

After finishing school in Brisbane, Mathew enlisted in the Army in March 2005. In what was a relatively short career, he achieved a great deal, including a promotion to lance corporal in April 2008 and then a promotion to corporal in August 2008.

Mathew was first deployed to Afghanistan for six months in November 2006. As a member of the Darwin based 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Mathew was deployed for a second time to Afghanistan with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. He was killed, tragically, when his team was engaged by a large group of Taliban. He died serving our nation, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.

The loss of Corporal Hopkins, as with every loss, causes us to reflect on the dedication of and the sacrifices made by all of our deployed forces and to think of others who have lost their lives fighting for Australia. In particular, we think of those who have most recently lost their lives in Afghanistan—Sergeant Andrew Russell, Trooper David Pearce, Sergeant Matthew Locke, Private Luke Worsley, Lance Corporal Jason Marks, Lieutenant Michael Fussell, Private Gregory Sher and, most recently, Sergeant Brett Till. As the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, I had the enormous privilege of visiting Afghanistan early this year, along with the Chief of the Defence Force, to view at first hand the achievements of our Australian men and women working so hard so far from home.

As you may know the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force, of which Corporal Hopkins had been a part, is a relatively new role for our Army. Within the task force there are operational mentor liaison teams. These ‘omelette’ teams as they are colloquially known mentor and train the 2nd Battalion of the Afghan National Army, which is a challenging yet critical role for developing the capability and self-reliance of that army. It was on one such ‘omelettte’ patrol alongside the Afghan National Army that Corporal Hopkins lost his life. As such his death is a very sad reminder of the dangers our deployed soldiers are facing while serving their country.

I know a number of young men involved with 7 RAR and who knew Corporal Hopkins well. Each of them attests to his bravery and describes him, as others have said, as an outstanding soldier who made a significant personal contribution while serving in the Australian Army. This was brought home to me on Anzac Day in Dili where I was at the dawn service at Camp Phoenix. It was a time, of course, to remember all Defence men and women who have lost their lives in the service of our nation. A number of the troops who I met on that Anzac Day had served with Corporal Hopkins and knew him. Some had deployed with him previously. Each of them attested to his valour, his camaraderie and his good spirits.

Corporal Hopkins will be forever missed by his family, friends and by his Army mates who continue to serve in Australia and overseas. But they grieve knowing they have the gratitude of a nation.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Monday, 16 March this year 21-year-old Corporal Mathew Hopkins died in Afghanistan after being shot in a battle with the Taliban in the south of Oruzgan province. It is clear that the loss of his life is a tragedy, as is the loss of all the lives of our soldiers in Afghanistan. While some may question the wisdom of our involvement in that country, the reality is that Australians have always fought and died in defence of other peoples and countries when required. That is a reality and a necessity.

Afghanistan is exactly such an example where the weak must be defended and the extremists must be opposed. Soldiers like Mathew Hopkins understood that in the same way that all our service men and women understand that. The situation is that our soldiers fight extremists who would like to see a different Afghanistan than the one that currently exists and that the people of that country want. The extremists are known to us as the Taliban. The Taliban want Islamic religious law to be strictly applied. The world that the Taliban would like to see is one where males have greater rights than females, where only boys would be allowed to go to school and where, from eight years old, girls have many restrictions imposed on them.

Apart from all their extreme interpretations of their religion, the Taliban also oppose democracy. They are destructive and terrible people that want to rule all of Afghanistan. Our soldiers such as Mathew Hopkins and the soldiers of our allies, just like Mathew Hopkins, are there fighting to protect the ordinary people of Afghanistan who do not want the Taliban to take over that country again. We must always remember that the Taliban need to be fought against because they will not listen, they will not talk and they will not be reasoned with. As we have recently come to know, the Taliban are not happy with just trying to rule Afghanistan, but they have tried to take over part of Pakistan. The Pakistani Army is fighting hard to free the Swat Valley and I wish them every success.

Corporal Mathew Hopkins died shortly after becoming a dad to baby Alex. He left behind his wife, Victoria. As a father myself—a parent, as most of us are—I know that I would gladly lay down my life to protect the lives of my children. Mathew Hopkins gave his life for the children and the future of Afghanistan. He gave his life to oppose the spread of the Islamic religious extremists that threaten the development of the people and the nation of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is an example of where those that cannot defend themselves must be protected. The harsh reality is that Australians have fought and died in Afghanistan for the belief that the world can and must be a better place, that the forces of oppression and domination must be defeated. Australians have done so and continue to do so with a grave acceptance of the fact that some things must be fought for.

It is clear that Mathew Hopkins was proud of being a dad. The photo that we saw of him holding his son, Alex, and wearing his 7RAR Battalion t-shirt is testament to that. We can also be sure that his wider family was proud of the essential work that he did and that he died doing. As a nation we are proud of all our service men and women, who wear our uniform and do the tasks that need to be done both here in Australia and overseas in places like Afghanistan.

In the years ahead it will be hard for Mathew’s wife, Victoria, and his son, Alex, to carry on without him, but I hope that they will take comfort from the good that he did in Afghanistan and the righteousness of the cause he fought for. I hope for that because the future of the children of Afghanistan and the future of their country depend on brave and courageous men like Mathew Hopkins being prepared to fight and lay down their lives for the cause of freedom and democracy. I say this because it is only through freedom and democracy that boys and girls, and men and women, can access the opportunities in their lives that we in Australia enjoy.

The action of the Taliban in trying to take over the Swat Valley in Pakistan is evidence that they have wider ambitions than Afghanistan and is therefore another reason for Australia and our allies to continue to oppose them. Corporal Mathew Hopkins died fighting the Taliban for a just cause, to protect freedom and democracy. I join with my fellow speakers to state my appreciation of his sacrifice and to express my condolences to his wife, Victoria, his son, Alex, and his wider family. Mathew Hopkins was a great Australian who laid down his life for others. Australia will forever be thankful to him.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise also to support the motion and offer my sincere condolences to the family of Corporal Mathew Hopkins. Corporal Hopkins was killed during service in Afghanistan and was Australia’s ninth casualty in that theatre. Tragically, he was only 21 years old and married with a very young son. By all accounts, Corporal Hopkins was an exemplary soldier, a professional in a service that requires a level of dedication and selfless commitment.

He enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 2005. After completing recruit training he was posted to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps, where he qualified as a rifleman. In September 2005, Corporal Hopkins was posted to the 5th/7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, where he fulfilled a number of junior soldier roles and subsequently qualified as a M113 crewman driver. The battalion was based at Robertson Barracks in Palmerston, Northern Territory, and formed part of the Australian 1st Brigade. In late 2006, as part of the expansion of the Australian Army, the unit was broken up into two separate battalions once again. Corporal Hopkins remained with the 7th Battalion, and later qualified as a M113 crewman commander, in November 2007. He was temporarily promoted to lance corporal in June 2007, which was made substantive in April 2008. He was promoted to corporal before his 21st birthday in August 2008.

His battalion 7RAR has produced many fine soldiers. It is a regular infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was formed on 1 September 1965 at Puckapunyal in Victoria during the expansion of the regular infantry that occurred because of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The battalion served two operational tours in Vietnam, between 1967 and 1971, with 33 men killed and 220 wounded, and receiving 31 awards for gallantry.

Corporal Hopkins deployed to Afghanistan on Operation SLIPPER with the 1st Reconstruction Task Force from November 2006 to April 2007. Operation SLIPPER is Australia’s military contribution to coalition efforts against international terrorism. Corporal Hopkins deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the Force Protection Combat Team, known as Combat Team Tusk, serving with the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. The Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force consists of about 440 personnel and also includes an operational mentor and liaison team, which assists the Afghan National Army with training and capability development. The task force is comprised of engineers, mechanised infantry and cavalry from the Darwin based 1st Brigade and is drawn mainly from the 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 1st Combat Engineer Regiment.

Corporal Hopkins was a section commander with the Force Protection Combat Team. A valued member of the task force, he was part of Australia’s first army training team assigned to live and train with Afghan troops. He was more than halfway through his tour in Oruzgan when he was badly wounded as his team conducted a patrol near Kakarak soon after 9 am on Monday, 16 March this year. It is understood that his team were involved in an intense fire fight with a group of approximately 20 Taliban insurgents when he was wounded. The insurgents were using small arms and rocket propelled grenades. Corporal Hopkins was evacuated by a coalition helicopter to the nearby medical facility in Tarin Kowt as soon as the security situation allowed. Tragically, despite all efforts, he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

We know from the words of his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Shane Gabriel, that Corporal Hopkins was an outstanding soldier, that he was ‘extremely well known’ and ‘greatly respected’. He was also held in high esteem by his mates in the 7th battalion, who invariably reinforced his character as a professional, as a good leader and as an approachable bloke. He was also, of course, a much loved son, husband and father. It was no doubt with great pride that he witnessed the birth of his son, Alexander. He got to spend only four days with his newborn baby and wife Victoria before returning to Afghanistan.

We know that Corporal Mathew Hopkins epitomised the values of the Australian solider. His military decorations include the Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition Against Terrorism clasp, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal and Infantry Combat Badge.

I would like to acknowledge, along with the others who have spoken on the motion, the extreme sacrifice made by Corporal Hopkins on behalf of all Australians and the deep and overwhelming grief felt by those who knew Mathew as a loving partner, a proud father, a wonderful son and brother, and a good mate to many.

It is incumbent upon the government—indeed, all Australians—to do everything we possibly can to support the families and communities of veterans lost to combat. It is imperative we recognise the valour, integrity and resilience of our servicemen and women, reflect on their experiences and remember those who make the ultimate sacrifice. I wish to extend my sympathies to Victoria, Alexander and Corporal Hopkins’s extended family and to those who served with Corporal Hopkins. He was a brave and loyal soldier, and he will certainly be remembered firmly as such.

Mal Washer (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand it is the wish of honourable members to signify at this stage their respect and sympathy by rising in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Committee.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That further proceedings on this bill be conducted in the House.

Question agreed to.