Yvette D'Ath (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) expresses:

(a) its condolences to:

(i) the family of Senior Constable Damian Leeding who was shot in the line of duty on Sunday evening, 29 May 2011; and

(ii) the colleagues of Senior Constable Leeding at Coomera CIB, Queensland Police Service; and

(b) our gratitude to men and women who serve in our police forces across Australia for the burden placed upon them and the sacrifices they make to protect others; and

(2) acknowledges:

(a) the risks associated with the work performed by our men and women in the police forces across Australia and the bravery that they display in the performance of their duty; and

(b) the husbands, wives and partners of serving police officers for their support of those who serve in our police forces.

It is not just the members of this parliament but also the Australian people who express their sadness at the death of Senior Constable Damian Leeding from Coomera CIB. I acknowledge the members speaking on this condolence motion, the members for Fowler, Riverina and Macarthur, and I thank them for that.

Damian Leeding was shot while attending an armed robbery on the Gold Coast on Sunday evening, 29 May 2011. Damian received a gunshot wound to the face. He was then placed on life support until 1 June 2011, when his wife, Sonya, and his family made the agonising decision to switch off his life support. Senior Constable Leeding was only 35 years old and was married to Sonya Leeding, also a police officer with the Queensland Police Service. They have two children, their son Hudson, who is aged two, and baby Grace.

This House wishes to express its condolences to Sonya and her children and to Damian's family members, including his parents. We hope that they take some solace from the fact that Damian died doing what he loved and what he believed in. He put his life on the line to protect others. That makes him a hero in the hearts of the Australian people.

This House also extends it condolences to Senior Constable Damian Leeding's colleagues at the Coomera CIB, Queensland Police Service, who are also grieving at this very difficult time. This House wishes to convey our gratitude to the men and women who serve in our police forces across Australia for the burdens they carry and the sacrifices that they make to protect others, and no greater sacrifice has been made than that made by Senior Constable Damian Leeding and his police officer partner, Sonya. This House acknowledges the risks associated with the work performed by our men and women in the police forces across Australia and the bravery that they display in the performance of their duty. The Australian public know that, when they need help, police are there to assist, but sometimes police officers are not shown the respect that they deserve. Maybe the public are going about their busy lives and do not stop and consider the risks that our men and women voluntarily face for the sole purpose of protecting people in our community.

I believe a renewed level of respect is being shown out of this terrible tragedy. What I ask of the people in our communities is that maybe when you are being pulled over for a speeding ticket or you are complaining about having to stop for a breath test, stop and think this is to protect you and your loved ones on the road. You should also consider the other work that those officers do—for example, walking into a domestic violence situation not knowing what they might face, finding children in the house when one spouse has taken the ultimate action and ended the life of the other parent with the children present or discovering paedophilia material when that officer has children the same age as the children that have been abused, or facing horrific traffic accidents and then telling the loved ones of that fatal accident, or being assaulted while trying to protect others.

The risk that our police officers face is evident every day and once again it is evident today. Just today it was reported by Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Proctor, officer in charge at Coomera CIB where Senior Constable Damian Leeding worked, was slashed by a glass tube during a raid on an illegal drug lab last night on the Gold Coast. Detective Senior Sergeant Proctor was a close friend of Damien Leeding. Thankfully, Mr Proctor escaped serious injury but this is just another example of the risks that our police officers face.

I would also like to acknowledge the husbands, wives and partners of serving police officers for their support of those who serve in our police forces. As Sonya Leeding said in the 60 Minutes interview last night, the knock on the door from police officers is a wife or husband's worst nightmare, especially when you know the duty that your partner performs.

Why do I move this motion tonight? I did not know Senior Constable Leeding nor do I represent the Gold Coast where he worked. I move this motion this evening because I am the wife of a police officer. I am the proud wife of a man who has served the Queensland Police Service for more than 17 years. I have had the nights worrying why my husband is not home at 3 o'clock in the morning when he was supposed to finish at midnight. I have seen him come home with bruises and blood on him. I have heard the stories of being spat on or abused when you are trying to help someone who is being assaulted. It is for this reason that I move this motion tonight. It is for this reason that I support our police forces throughout Australia and support the need for appropriate legislation and resources for them to do their job properly. We need to ensure that they have appropriate staffing levels, that they are being given the tools to protect themselves and others, and that they are treated as valuable employees and paid accordingly. I support the men and women of our police forces.

This House thanks Damian Leeding and Sonya Leeding for putting their lives on the line and our thoughts are with Sonya and her family and Damian Leeding's family as they grieve and face their future without the loving husband and father that he was. I end on the note that a fund has been set up to support Damian Leeding's family. I encourage people to support and donate to that fund and also to donate to the Police Legacy fund to support all families of fallen police officers. They are our protectors and they are our heroes.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I endorse the member for Petrie's eloquent and moving contribution. Every day many of us kiss our loved ones goodbye with minimal thought that it could be the last time we do so. However, for some people it is a small action they hold dear and sincerely hope it will not be their last. These are usually people who spend their day protecting others, people such as Senior Constable Damian Leeding.

On Sunday 29 May, Senior Constable Damian Leeding, based on the Gold Coast, went to work as a frontline police officer of the Queensland Police Force. He was a police officer who saw policing as his calling and vowed to take the fight to the crims on their turf. An emergency call at the Pacific Pines Tavern was placed at 2.45 am after Senior Constable Leeding was shot at close range by three armed robbers. Senior Constable Leeding was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery. In the following days his family maintained an anxious bedside vigil, hoping that something, anything, would change the inevitable outcome—holding out hope for a miracle. However, he never regained consciousness and the heartbreaking decision was made to turn off life support.

Senior Constable Leeding was 35 years young. He was an admirable police officer who had just before his death been promoted to detective. He had a good life, a beautiful wife, Sonya, a two-year-old son, Hudson, and a newborn baby daughter, Grace. He had so much to live for and so much more to give. His father-in-law, Gary O'Brien, described him as: 'A great father, just a top bloke. He'd do anything for anybody.' Sonya, also a police officer, has lost her partner on and off the beat, her shining light. Her two children have lost a dad who will live on in their memories only as the description that other people tell them—great stories but sadly not stories they got to create with their dad themselves.

Australia has lost a remarkable man and police officer in Senior Constable Leeding. He was willing to put his wellbeing in the line of fire to ensure a better and safer society, as all police do each and every day. Thank goodness for their goodness, their commitment, their duty. The public outcry at the death of Senior Constable Leeding has been extraordinary. At Coomera Police Station flowers flooded in from complete strangers, bikies and even ex-cons, at the realisation one of the good guys lost. From all around Australia to his own suburban street has come a renewed appreciation for police. Homes around the country have tied blue ribbons as a mark of respect for a man who was trying to make the streets safer not only for his family but also for families nationwide.

Blue ribbons are used around Australia as a way to commemorate fallen police officers. Police Remembrance Day is 29 September and it is a significant day of commemoration when police officers and the public can reflect on and remember those officers killed while helping to make Australia a safer society. Appropriately, 29 September has been chosen as Remembrance Day as it marks the Feast of St Michael who was always fighting evil.

New South Wales Minister for Police, Michael Gallacher, stood in state parliament last Thursday to remind the government of the risk these men and women take every day and the stark reminder of how many officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. I am pleased to say that the O'Farrell-Stoner coalition government is committed to ensuring that the police force is involved in fewer situations which place police officers in a position which results in the loss of life. The Nationals and Liberals have long said that they want to know where our police are, where they need to be and how best to use them to protect and serve the community whilst not endangering these brave men and women. We are determined to give the police the powers, resources and the backing they need to keep themselves and their communities safe, as are the people on the opposite side in their state parliaments.

An audit being conducted currently throughout New South Wales will cover three key areas including police numbers and current allocations, authorised strength and alternative measurements including full-time equivalents and operational staff. The audit will also examine police stations, their operating hours, stations listed for closure and the effectiveness of the current local area command structure, especially in regional areas. I hope the other states will follow this procedure through as well.

I would like to finish with the words of Detective Senior Constable Leeding's widow, Sonya, who maintains that despite everything she will return to her job. Let us hope that from her husband's death her profession will be safer and better resourced. She said: 'The job we do is unique. This last week I have seen just everybody stand up and be counted and still get up and go to work and put their firearms on and know that they are going to perhaps encounter something similar. But at the end of the day—and I have always maintained this—it is our job. Everybody has their own job. We were both very proud to be a part of the job and even now everyone says, "You don't have to come back and you can do whatever you want." Well, I can't. This is what I do. It's who I am and it's who all of us are.'

Damian Leeding, man of courage, of honour, of sacrifice, is gone but his spirit will live on. His duty is done. May he now rest in peace.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am proud to speak today in support of the motion of the member for Petrie. This motion expresses our deepest condolences to the family of Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding, who was shot in the line of duty on Saturday, 29 May 2011. He left behind his wife, Sonya, who is also a serving police officer; his two-year-old son, Hudson; and his three-month-old daughter, Grace. He also leaves behind his colleagues at Coomera CIB, colleagues in the broader Queensland police force and in fact the whole Australian policing community.

It is always a great loss when we lose a serving police officer while they are carrying out their duties. In this instance Detective Senior Constable Leeding was serving with great courage, integrity and honour. He was doing what he was passionate about. He was making a difference. He was out there protecting the community. Detective Senior Constable Leeding was called out to an armed robbery on the Gold Coast. Like many times before, he did not hesitate in taking on that task, risking his life for the safety of his community. This is a commitment which is shown by police officers across Australia. When the ultimate sacrifice is made it is a deep tragedy for our entire community.

The shocking events of 29 May highlight again just how difficult and dangerous police work is and why we should always honour the work that they do. All the loved ones of police officers know the dangers of the work they do and that moment that Sonya Leeding received the dreaded news shortly after that fateful shooting. The member for Petrie, being the wife of a police officer, George D'Ath—who I know does a sterling job in the Queensland police force—indicated the physical and emotional effect when a police officer does not come home at the time you expect. This motion acknowledges that police work across the nation is dangerous but is essential and it extends our gratitude not just to the police officers but also to the families—to the husbands, the wives, the partners and the children of serving police. On behalf of a very grateful community I would like to thank all of them for the support they show day in day out to our police officers.

I would also like to especially acknowledge today the sacrifice and bravery of Detective Senior Constable Leeding's wife, who is herself a police officer. The strength and the courage that she has shown during this very difficult time are amazing. Sonya has recently confirmed that she will continue to serve in the Queensland police force, an act of unspeakable courage which epitomises the commitment that police officers all across the nation make in their respective jurisdictions.

I have long been committed to supporting the police. I had a long association with police of all state and territory jurisdictions prior to coming to this place and I acknowledge Mr Ian Leavers, the President of the Queensland Police Union, who is sitting in the gallery tonight. He and his organisation do a fantastic job looking after the industrial and professional interests of police officers.

A tragic event such as this reminds us all of the work that police officers do. It should also remind us that as legislators we must do all that we can to ensure that our police have the tools they need as well as the legislative support to undertake the work that we expect of them—that is, to protect our community. I know the police associations have long used the term 'the thin blue line'. Quite frankly, it is a very thin blue line that protects our community from anarchy—these men and women are special types of people and possess a special type of courage to wear the police uniform. Their sole motivation is to make a difference for the better in the community they serve. Having grown up in a police family, I know the stresses and strains that that poses on a family. I am in awe of the courage of the men and women who take the oath of office and stand ready to protect our community.

Once again I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding and to the Queensland police community and I congratulate all police officers on the courage they show and what they achieve in the protection of our community.

Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to pay tribute to Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding and offer my condolences to his wife, Sonia, his son, Hudson, and his daughter, Grace. Detective Senior Constable Leeding has been described by his family and peers as a great father, a top bloke, a larrikin, a quiet achiever, a hero, a mate who would do anything for anybody. He was only 35 years old and was shot last month after responding to an armed robbery and a hostage situation at the Pacific Pines Tavern on the Gold Coast. His death has demonstrated the dangers that members of the police force put themselves into every day to keep the community safe.

According to his colleagues, Damian was a hardworking officer with a distinct dislike for anyone dealing in drugs. He would drag a drug dealer off the street and into the police station on a daily basis. His workmates have promised to honour Damian by remaining strong and keeping his community safe. I am sure his colleagues, friends and family will make sure that his death will not be in vain.

I felt compelled to speak here today because I was a police officer for 25 years and have seen firsthand the heartache felt by families, the police force and the community when a police officer is killed on duty. I can imagine the desperation, fear and anguish Damian's workmates felt as they fought to keep him alive until paramedics arrived. There is no telling how many police officers all over Australia will be affected by his death. There will obviously be a ripple effect across the nation. I am sure many will reconsider the risks they take every day just going to work and the family members they would leave behind if something were to go wrong.

Damian's son Hudson is only two years old and his daughter Grace is just three months old, too young to lose a loving and devoted father. Having two beautiful daughters myself, I am well aware of the sacrifices made by police officers and their families every day. Like any member of the emergency services would know, it takes a great deal of courage to leave your own family behind to protect those who you have sometimes never met on a daily basis. These men and women take great risks every time they go to work, and they deserve the utmost respect by the community for risking their lives to protect others. They join the job to make a difference, and sometimes this can be a thankless job.

I feel for Damian's wife, Sonya, who had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support. I cannot think of a more devastating and traumatic decision to make. I am sure that she is now surrounded by loving friends and family. Sonya is also a police officer and has said that she will return to work—great courage. This will take a lot of courage but the police community is a tight one. They treat each other like family, and I am sure she will be supported by her fellow officers when she returns. That is our way.

It is not just Damian and his family that will suffer as a result of this tragedy. His colleagues and friends in the Gold Coast community will all grieve alongside them for a long time to come. As a police officer, I experienced this widespread grief first hand in 2001 when Senior Constable Jim Affleck, a highway patrol officer in my electorate, was run down during a police pursuit along the F5. He was laying road spikes to stop a stolen vehicle when he was run down at high speed. I remember that day like it was yesterday, as would many others in Macarthur. After his death, Jim was awarded the Commissioner's Valour Award for his exceptional bravery. I believe this would also be a fitting tribute for Senior Constable Damian Leeding. The Jim Affleck Bridge on the F5 in Campbelltown is now a solemn reminder of the brave and dedicated police officer we lost that day.

Like Damien Leeding, Jim Affleck was well respected and loved by his colleagues. Jim was a dedicated and professional police officer, and his death shocked not only the police force but also the entire Campbelltown community in which he served. He is in our thoughts every day and a memorial service is held each year in his honour. The 10th anniversary of his death was marked in January this year with a service next to the garden dedicated to his life at Campbelltown Police Station. Even though it has been 10 years since he was killed, more than 100 people attended the service, which shows the widespread and devastating impact the death of a police officer can have on your local community.

I am sure the Gold Coast community will also continue to honour Damian Leeding in this way to ensure that his memory will live on. After his death Jim Affleck was placed on the police honour roll which commemorates those members of the New South Wales Police Force who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the execution of their duty. This will also be the case with Senior Constable Leeding—a sad but fitting tribute to those brave police officers.

I join many people in the Macarthur electorate who have the utmost respect and admiration for members of the police force. It takes a person of great integrity and character to carry on through the many tragic and heartbreaking situations that they encounter. Both Damian Leeding, Jim Affleck and their families have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and the heartache will stay with their families, colleagues and the community for many years to come.

To the families of these fine police officers and all those who have been killed in the line of duty, I offer my heartfelt condolences. I am sure they will share with me the hope that one day society will understand and respect the great undertaking that is required to serve as a police officer. Until then, the fine members of the police force will continue to protect the safety of communities across Australia, despite the dangers they will face and the harsh reality that some may not return to their families. Today my heart goes out to the loved ones of all our fallen comrades, including Damian Leeding and Jim Affleck. May they all rest in peace.

Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.