Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith on receiving our highest military honour, the Victoria Cross. This is Ben’s second award. He received a Medal for Gallantry in May 2006 while serving as a patrol sniper during one of his three tours of duty in Afghanistan. I understand that these two awards now make Corporal Roberts-Smith the most highly decorated member currently serving in the Australian Defence Force.

As we all know, the SAS is based in Western Australia, something we are particularly proud of, and I know that Ben unquestionably is a very proud Western Australian. The Department of Defence records his citation this way, and I want to read this into the Hansard record:

For the most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril as Patrol Second-in-Command, Special Operations Task Group on Operation SLIPPER.

…            …            …

On the 11th June 2010, a troop of the Special Operations Task Group conducted a helicopter assault into Tizak, Kandahar Province, in order to capture or kill a senior Taliban commander.

Immediately upon the helicopter insertion, the troop was engaged by machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from multiple, dominating positions. Two soldiers were wounded in action and the troop was pinned down by fire from three machine guns in an elevated fortified position to the south of the village. Under the cover of close air support, suppressive small arms and machine gun fire, Corporal Roberts-Smith and his patrol manoeuvred to within 70 metres of the enemy position in order to neutralise the enemy machine gun positions and regain the initiative.

Upon commencement of the assault, the patrol drew very heavy, intense, effective and sustained fire from the enemy position. Corporal Roberts-Smith and his patrol members fought towards the enemy position until, at a range of 40 metres, the weight of fire prevented further movement forward. At this point, he identified the opportunity to exploit some cover provided by a small structure.

As he approached the structure, Corporal Roberts-Smith identified an insurgent grenadier in the throes of engaging his patrol. Corporal Roberts-Smith instinctively engaged the insurgent at point-blank range resulting in the death of the insurgent. With the members of his patrol still pinned down by the three enemy machine gun positions, he exposed his own position in order to draw fire away from his patrol, which enabled them to bring fire to bear against the enemy. His actions enabled his Patrol Commander to throw a grenade and silence one of the machine guns. Seizing the advantage, and demonstrating extreme devotion to duty and the most conspicuous gallantry, Corporal Roberts-Smith, with a total disregard for his own safety, stormed the enemy position killing the two remaining machine gunners.

His act of valour enabled his patrol to break-in to the enemy position and to lift the weight of fire from the remainder of the troop who had been pinned down by the machine gun fire. On seizing the fortified gun position, Corporal Roberts-Smith then took the initiative again and continued to assault enemy positions in depth during which he and another patrol member engaged and killed further enemy. His acts of selfless valour directly enabled his troop to go on and clear the village of Tizak of Taliban. This decisive engagement subsequently caused the remainder of the Taliban in Shah Wali Kot District to retreat from the area.

Corporal Roberts-Smith’s most conspicuous gallantry in a circumstance of extreme peril was instrumental to the seizure of the initiative and the success of the troop against a numerically superior enemy force. His valour was an inspiration to the soldiers with whom he fought alongside and is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.

And in Ben’s own words:

I just looked across and saw my mates getting ripped up. I just decided to move forward because I wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing. I thought I’d have a crack, not to let my mates down.

In so many ways Ben epitomises the many ADF men and women that I meet and I am sure all members of this parliament meet. He epitomises, like they do, the traditional Anzac spirit.

Ben also said, and I think this is particularly relevant:

I do what I do because I believe in the country that we live in …

He said:

I believe that we are making a difference in stemming the flow of terrorism into Australia, and I want my children to be able to live as everyone does now without the fear of getting onto a bus and having it blow up.

I congratulate Ben and offer my very best wishes to his wife, Emma, and their twins, Elizabeth and Eve, his family and friends and particularly his mates in the Australian Defence Force.

Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence: it is wonderful to be able to be here in this chamber to talk about a positive story from Afghanistan, in the context of all of the times that we have been here talking about some of the tragedies that we have faced and also of the condolences this morning reflecting on our most recent loss, Sapper Larcombe. I would like to reiterate the comments that have just been made by the member for Forrest about the circumstances that Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith has highlighted in relation to our continuing commitment to Afghanistan. If there is one thing that has come out of all of the commentary and discussion about his actions and what took place, it is that focusing of the national attention on what this is actually all about: why he was prepared to make those sacrifices, why he was prepared to risk his life and why he is prepared to go back there and continue to risk his life. It is about those words, that it is for his children and that he wants his children not to have the fear of getting on a bus that might explode. It is about the rest of us with our fears for our children travelling around a world that is fraught with risk from terrorists who know no bounds in their atrocities and their attacks on civilisation. That is really what it is all about.

In the long history of the Victoria Cross, obviously this nation has an extremely proud record. It is a very significant part of our history, with 96 imperial Victoria Crosses and two Victoria Crosses for Australia. Victoria Crosses have become such a deep and abiding aspect of our culture and reference to our values as a nation that everybody knows many of the stories and understands how significant it is when one of these decorations is awarded. I remember talking to the Governor-General, who had the honour of bestowing the decoration on Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith. She highlighted that there was a special thrill for her in just handling that decoration, knowing all of the associations for this country and its history and knowing that that medal itself has been struck from the gunmetal of the cannons that were captured in the Crimean campaign. It was an absolutely electrifying sensation for her.

Now, of course, Mark Donaldson will have a companion in being a recent recipient of the VC. I am grateful for that on his behalf because now some of the attention and burden as a VC holder will be deflected and they can share some of the load of the attention that the nation focuses on the recipients of these awards. I know that Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith’s family is extremely proud of him—his wife, Emma, and their two girls, Eve and Elizabeth—but I am more aware of the special meaning this will have for his father, Len Roberts-Smith, whom I have known for a number of decades now, who also had a distinguished service in the Defence Force and has served this country in many ways. Len Roberts-Smith is an outstanding member of our community in his own right. He will be enormously proud of the achievements of his son. It was wonderful to see this family that has contributed so much to the nation being able to be acknowledged in that way on the day of the presentation of the decoration.

In the days when the media could not cover conflicts, there was a bit of a Boys’ Own aspect to how people considered this decoration, but in modern times we have seen coverage of exactly what the nature of war is and the risks that people take. I think, though, that there is sometimes a tendency to garnish the language around these things and lose sight of what is actually involved in the circumstances that these men and women find themselves in. Ben Roberts-Smith has previously been awarded the Medal for Gallantry, too, for a particularly difficult action in which he had to insert into the area of operations through a 10-hour route march through mountainous terrain and then engage in combat activities.

For a man like Ben Roberts-Smith, that initial step just to become a member of the SAS Regiment carried with it enormous burdens of training and stress. On top of that, to overlay the circumstances in which they find themselves in order to earn this decoration is something I do not think any member of the community could really appreciate unless they have been in those circumstances. We are not talking about a game of football here where there might be knee cartilage damage or a bit of grazing or a bit of concussion. We are talking about high-velocity military rounds of ammunition that can tear your limb off or rip holes in you. If they hit you, you will know all about it for a long, long time, if you are lucky enough to survive. These are pure life-and-death, adrenalin-pumping, fear-invoking situations. And what is most admirable about these people is that none of them is immune to the fear. Notwithstanding that fear, they go anyway, and they do that job. Certainly the motivation that Corporal Roberts-Smith highlighted about standing up for his mates, standing up for his country and making his world a safer place for all of us and all of our children is incredibly commendable and he deserves all the respect and honour that we pay to him.

So I salute Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith and all of his family. My special regards go to Len Roberts-Smith, his father. A grateful nation admires and respects the sacrifice that all these members are making. On this day when we acknowledge the loss of another member, it is bittersweet, but we dedicate ourselves with our resolve to carry through this mission, as was so eloquently outlined by Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith himself. Thank you.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence: I rise to support the motion acknowledging the awarding of the Victoria Cross for Australia to Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, VC, MG. In doing so, this is one of the bright moments in a difficult conflict, a fact brought home to us with the tragic death of 21-year-old Sapper Jamie Larcombe, who died in Afghanistan only days ago.

The Victoria Cross is Australia’s highest military honour and its conferral on Corporal Roberts-Smith is a significant occasion for our country, for our military and for Corporal Roberts-Smith and his family. His act of courage in Afghanistan on 11 June 2010 is officially cited as follows:

His act of valour enabled his patrol to break into the enemy position and lift the weight of fire from the remainder of the troop who had been pinned down by the machinegun fire. On seizing the fortified gun position, Corporal Roberts-Smith then took the initiative again and continued to assault enemy positions in depth during which he and another patrol member engaged and killed further enemy. His acts of selfless valour directly enabled his troop to go on and clear the village of Tizak of Taliban. The decisive engagement subsequently caused the remainder of the Taliban in Shah Wali Kot District to retreat from the area.

In the words of the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston:

… we are honoured to call him one of our own … He placed his mates’ lives above his own.

These words reflect the feelings of all Australians.

This is not the first time this 32-year-old Western Australian has displayed remarkable acts of heroism while wearing the uniform. In 2006 he was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for his brave actions as a patrol scout and sniper in Afghanistan. In receiving the Victoria Cross, Corporal Roberts-Smith becomes the 98th Australian recipient, the first from Western Australia since 1945, and the third still living. He follows in the great tradition of Australian soldiers going back to the 19th century who received this honour.

The conflicts in which Australians have been awarded the Victoria Cross include: six in the Boer War; 64 in the War I, of which nine were for Australians at Gallipoli; two in north Russia; 20 in World War II; and four in Vietnam. Prior to Corporal Roberts-Smith, the most recent recipient was Trooper Mark Donaldson, whose brave deeds to save an Afghan interpreter were recognised in 2009. To Corporal Roberts-Smith, his wife, Emma, and his twin baby girls, Eve and Elizabeth: you have the thanks of a grateful nation.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the outset I thank the honourable member for Petrie for relieving me as Deputy Speaker in the main chamber to enable me to make this contribution in this very important debate. The citation that was given to Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith VC, MG when he was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia started for the most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril as Patrol Second-in-Command, Special Operations Task Force, on Operation Slipper. I am sure that the name of the operation is purely a coincidence!

I think it really is vital that we as Australians be able to hold our role models up as examples for others. We are really fortunate that we have people like Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith who have been prepared, in the heat of battle, to risk everything to make sure that we as a nation remain free. The actions of Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, in the heat of a very intense battle in Afghanistan in June 2010, were incredibly courageous and heroic. They deem him an extremely worthy recipient of the Victoria Cross—which is, of course, as we all know, Australia’s highest military honour. He is very much a fine example of the men and women of the Australian defence forces and of the dedication and commitment each of them has to this great nation.

When I read through what Corporal Roberts-Smith had achieved I felt enormously humbled. It is captivating and inspiring to read through the step-by-step description of the actions of Corporal Roberts-Smith in the heat of battle. Soon after the troop was dropped off by a helicopter, they were engaged in a fierce battle. Under attack from all sides, Corporal Roberts-Smith realised that he and his fellow troop members were in an extremely precarious situation and faced serious injury and quite possibly death. He risked his own life to take out enemy machine gun and grenade strongholds.

Corporal Roberts-Smith has lots to live for. He has a wonderful wife. He has twin children. Yet, as a professional soldier in the service of his nation, he was prepared to risk everything to make sure that his fellow soldiers were able to mount an effective counterattack. I think very few of us are really capable of such bravery. I am so pleased that he has been appropriately recognised with the Victoria Cross for Australia. In doing what he did, he enabled his troop to take back the initiative in the firefight and break through what had been a well-armed and active enemy stronghold, with the results of this day on the battlefields triggering a chain of victories that resulted in the troop being able to clear the nearby village of Tizak of Taliban and eventually clear the entire district—Shah Wali Kot District—of Taliban.

On behalf of the nation, I join colleagues in congratulating Corporal Roberts-Smith on the receipt of this medal and also for his military skill, his quick mind in battle, his unquestioned dedication and commitment to his fellow soldiers and his clearly displayed extreme love of his country. He is a man who was so resolutely dedicated to the objectives of that day that he was prepared to do all that he could to help achieve that outcome.

Frankly, I shudder to think what could have become of other troop members if Corporal Roberts-Smith had not taken the extremely risky but ultimately very effective actions that he took. These are actions that occur in the heat of battle and they attract the attention and admiration and wonder of the media, of ordinary Australians and of our leaders. But these actions also serve to remind us of the events and challenges encountered by our fighting men and women regularly as they carry out their duties for their country.

We as elected representatives and the governments that govern Australia send young men and women, and sometimes not so young men and women, to fight abroad for freedom. What we ask them to do is a tough ask and yet I have always been impressed with the way that our serving men and women do what they do with pride and discipline. I would like to congratulate not just Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith but all other members of our military on their efforts on behalf of Australia, a nation which is relatively peaceful. We have a very sensible and respected military. We as a country have a great understanding of our place in the world and the strong commitment and responsibility as a good international citizen towards doing what we can in international conflicts with the overall aim of, wherever possible, delivering peace and stability.

Corporal Roberts-Smith is among those many individuals who carry with them those objectives. Not only is he big in physical stature but also he has a big heart for Australia. He is also now a role model for all other Australians, young and not so young. As the Leader of the Opposition mentioned when he spoke in this debate, Corporal Roberts-Smith and others who have received the Victoria Cross are heroes, but they are also humans. Through that they are an encouragement to the rest of us to strive to be the best that we can be in whatever fields and endeavours we pursue, whether it be in the military, as is Corporal Roberts-Smith, or as teachers, retailers, health workers, construction workers, stay-at-home parents or anything else. We all face challenges from time to time and, while they may not be the highly charged challenges of a battlefield in Afghanistan or elsewhere, we do all possess an ability on occasion to rise to those challenges and meet them head-on and get the best possible outcome.

I am a great supporter of our military men and women who put up their hands and enlist as volunteers in what is truly the most challenging of vocations. All of our soldiers deserve praise for making the incredible sacrifices that are required and for having the discipline and determination that are so vital in the defence fields to serve their and our Australia in conflict. I have said so many times publicly and I will repeat it yet again: there is no duty more challenging yet more honourable than that of serving in the military and putting up your hand to go to war in defence of our country.

Service people are a very special group of people, risking their lives for their country and fellow citizens, and so it means a lot to me to be able to speak on this topic. Australia has an honourable and dedicated heritage in many conflicts in our history, stretching from the Boer War and World Wars I and II through to Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, Iraq in various conflicts and now Afghanistan, as well as in many other battles in between. Our soldiers, sailors and air men and women have always been known for their loyalty, courage, skill, values, work ethic and penchant for teamwork. All these traits are reflected and demonstrated in the events of June 2010, involving Corporal Roberts-Smith and his fellow troop members. Along with those traits we cannot forget the endearing quality of a great sense of humour in the face of adversity, which is also an important weapon in the survival pack required in military operations and on the battlefield. All these traits are held so dear by our serving personnel and our ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen and are now also widely understood and respected by those who are not soldiers—the rest of us—as is becoming more and more apparent with the ever-increasing numbers of people of all ages attending Anzac Day dawn services, other services and marches.

Anzac Day is not far away. It is always a full day for all of us. I manage to attend numerous events on that day, as do other elected representatives and, more importantly, other members of the community. I believe it is vital that a wide cross-section of people of all ages are involved in these events to not only ensure that the diggers know that their efforts mean a lot to us but also entrench into the rest of us the value of standing up to be counted and also the achievements of those who face the enemy head-on.

I can imagine they may have asked themselves in the heat of battle: ‘What am I doing here?’ The truth is that what they are doing and what they have done there is help secure our nation and protect our people. Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith has shown us in an extremely practical and brave way the qualities that are carried by all of our fighting men and women. As a nation we have much to be proud of, and Corporal Roberts-Smith and others who have been recognised as he has been are people who are role models for all of us. They are icons of our society, and our community would be a much better place if more of us were able to show similar courage and quality.