Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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Private Lambert was killed on night patrol on a mentoring mission with the Afghan National Army in the Khas Oruzgan region just north-east of Tarin Kowt. Private Lambert’s career in the Australian Army commenced in the Army Reserve in 2005 before he went full-time in his service of our country in 2007. As I understand it, his loss is the first loss that 2RAR have experienced since the Vietnam War—that is, the first loss of a military serviceman in action. We think now of Private Lambert’s wife, his family, his colleagues and his friends. We are devastated for them that they have lost a loved one and we are also devastated for our country that we have lost a great Australian who has served our country very dutifully and well. We will never forget him and will forever be grateful for his sacrifice.

I would also like to take the opportunity to recognise the other 28 Australian soldiers who have given their life during their service in our campaign in Afghanistan: Sergeant Andrew Russell, Trooper David Pearce, Sergeant Matthew Locke, Private Luke Worsley, Lance Corporal Jason Marks, Signaller Sean McCarthy, Lieutenant Michael Fussell, Private Gregory Sher, Corporal Mathew Hopkins, Sergeant Brett Till, Private Benjamin Ranaudo, Sapper Jacob Moerland, Sapper Darren Smith, Private Timothy Aplin, Private Scott Palmer, Private Benjamin Chuck, Private Nathan Bewes, Trooper Jason Brown, Private Tomas Dale, Private Grant Kirby, Lance Corporal Jared Mackinney, Corporal Richard Atkinson, Sapper Jamie Larcombe, Sergeant Brett Wood, Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, Lieutenant Marcus Case, Sapper Rowan Robinson and Sergeant Todd Langley. We thank you for your service to our country. We thank your families for their sacrifice. Lest we forget.

Finally, I would also like to record our gratitude to the 3,280 active service men and women who are serving our country overseas at this point in time in Afghanistan, East Timor, Egypt, Iraq, the Middle East, the Solomon Islands and also Sudan. We are thinking of you and we wish you to come home as speedily and safely as possible after your tour of duty.

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

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As I have said before, this is a town that is home to many members of the Defence Force. We are a community linked very closely with those men and women who come from around the country to serve their nation and their people. In my former roles in the Department of Defence I met many members of the Army and other services, so while I never met Private Lambert I know all too well the kind of man he was. I have no doubt at all he was dedicated, courageous, proud and honoured to serve.

I had reason the day before yesterday to join with the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and Minister for Veteran’s Affairs to launch the FamilySMART program, which is being developed by the Defence Community Organisation. The purpose of this program is to make sure that the families of defence personnel are looked after when their loves ones are deployed. At this event I spoke to many relatives, wives and children of members of the services who are or have recently been deployed overseas. I mention this program because I think it shows just how connected the defence forces are and just how much the death of Private Lambert will be hurting the entire defence community. It will cut deep, just as the deaths before him have done. These are tough, gritty and determined men and women and they know the risks they face when they are deployed to places like Afghanistan. However, this does not make the loss any easier.

As I have mentioned before, I have been fortunate in my short time as a member of this place to travel to Afghanistan and to meet soldiers like Private Lambert. I was very, very impressed and deeply affected by their professionalism and their dedication to their duties and to their mission of bringing stability to Afghanistan. It is not just a very important mission for ensuring that the global environment is more secure and protected from terrorism and the brutality of the Taliban and al-Qaeda but a mission with direct consequence for the safety and security of Australians here and overseas. It is a mission that is making a difference.

While on my trip we met with a number of members of the Afghan parliament, one of them the internationally renowned Fawzia Koofi. Ms Koofi is the chairwoman of the defence and territorial affairs standing committee, has a masters in business and management and is a strong advocate of human rights, particularly of women’s and children’s rights. She is also from a political active family. In our meeting she was articulate and forthright. She praised the international presence in Afghanistan and wanted it to last as long as possible because it ensured women like her were safe.

In Oruzgan we met only with men from the provincial government, army and police in Tarin Kowt and local leaders in the Mirabad Valley. All of them praised the international community’s work in building vital infrastructure, including schools, waste management and food storage facilities and women’s and children’s health centres. They were at pains to point out the gains in stability and security in the last 12 months, particularly in the last six months.

My trip to Afghanistan left a permanent mark on me and put into sharp focus the reality of life on the ground for those deployed there. It is a place that is hot and dusty during the day and freezing at night. It is a hard place. But, as is so typical of the character of Australian defence personnel, they just got on with the job. Words cannot possibly do justice to the work and sacrifice of Private Lambert or to the extent of the grief of his family and friends. Once again, all I can offer is my eternal thanks and to say that the people of Canberra are grateful and we will not forget the sacrifice of Private Lambert and his efforts, and neither will the people of Afghanistan. His commitment will not be in vain and he will be remembered.

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

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When you look at what we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan, it is often open to criticism that we should not be there, that it cannot be won or that we are there for the wrong reasons. There are myriad excuses why this is not the right thing to do. However, when you look at the sort of place Afghanistan was before the war began, when you look at the evil that the Taliban and their allies represent, when you look at the very negative outcomes that the Taliban had imposed upon that country, something had to be done. As is usual in these cases, somebody needs to make a decision to do something about these problems in the world, these evils in the world. I pay tribute to those prepared to do what needed to be done. But of course the political determination is at one level. Ultimately to back up that political determination people need to be there on the ground. People need to pick up a rifle and they need to go to these places and take the action that needs to be taken. Evil needs to be opposed, bad people need to be stopped, and the women and children of Afghanistan need to be protected.

We cannot look at these people like the Taliban or al-Qaeda and say that they are representatives of the mainstream within Afghanistan, because they are not. As usual with these sorts of elites, oligarchies or dominant forces, they rule for themselves with no regard for the people. The keeping of children, particularly girls, out of education is not an element of a progressive society. It is not an element of an organisation, a government, that has any legitimacy in the world anywhere. It fell to certain countries in the past to stand up and be counted and be prepared to send in the troops to deal with these people. So many of our soldiers have served with honour and great distinction in Afghanistan. As we know, 29 have now died for the cause. It has been a cause of honour, for good in the world, and we should never walk away from that. We should never count so much the cost that our determination should ever waiver. For those who have died, it is a great tragedy and it is a tragedy that their families will always have to live with, but if we were to walk away at any point before this job is done, then so much of what they have died for would be in vain.

The trouble is that there are still evil people out there—the Taliban. As I said before, they do not rule for the people; they rule for themselves. They rule with a view of the world in a very skewed and negative manner that will never be in the best interests of the people in Afghanistan. In the future it may well be that more Australians may die, and that will never be acceptable. We should always strive to make sure that the chance of that is as limited as possible, but in the end the decisions that we make in this place and that the government makes in this place can have the ultimate impact on a family. Australians may die for a cause, and that tragedy may be repeated on many occasions yet. However, as I said before, we should never waiver from the commitment we have to doing the right thing in the world and to making the world a better place for not only people in this country but people in other countries around the world. The cause of democracy sometimes has to be fought for and sometimes Australians will have to pick up weapons and do what needs to be done.

I pay tribute to the Australians who serve today and who have served the national interest and the cause of decency, good and democracy in the world. Many have done so. They have all done so with distinction. It is certainly my view that Private Matthew Lambert, a distinguished soldier from the 2nd Battalion, did not die in vain. He died for this good cause. I pay tribute to him, a great soldier, a great Australia, and I offer my sincerest condolences to his family and his spouse. I wish her all the best and I know that this parliament, with bipartisan support, will always see these soldiers and their families are looked after.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to follow previous members in paying my respects over the loss of another soldier in Afghanistan and another soldier from Townsville. A member of Townsville’s 2RAR, since transferring to the regular army in 2007, Private Matthew Lambert was a sniper and part of the Mentoring Task Force. Having served in East Timor in 2009, this was his first mission to Afghanistan, and he had been looking forward to again serving his country abroad.

Those who knew Private Matthew Lambert have spoken of the respect that his fellow soldiers had for him and the skill he displayed in completing any task given to him. Private Lambert is the first member of 2RAR to be killed in action since the Vietnam War, and I know how tough the other day must have been for the soldiers in that battalion. 2RAR are indeed second to none. My thoughts are with them, though, at this difficult time. I also recognise the impact that this tragedy will have on the wider Townsville community. We are a tight community and the men and women of the ADF are a significant and valued part of that very tight and reserved community. There will be many in Townsville mourning the loss of Private Lambert this week, and his service and sacrifice for his nation will never be forgotten. Private Lambert was described by his mates as a loyal friend. His partner moved to Townsville two years ago to be with him during his post. I offer my deepest condolences to her and to Private Lambert’s family as they grieve his terrible loss.

This is the 29th casualty our country has suffered in Afghanistan and the task of mourning the men we have lost is never easy for the Defence Force, the Australian community and this parliament. However, as other members and I have said in the past, we must never get away from what is our collective determination to finish the good work that Australia’s Defence Force men and women are doing here and in Afghanistan.

Private Lambert was extremely proud to serve his battalion, his regiment and his country. It could be seen as cold comfort, but his family and friends can be proud of the job that he and his fellow servicemen have done and are continuing to do in Afghanistan. Substantial progress has been made as a result of Australia’s involvement, and we are on track to achieve our goals and our mission. This includes making the transition to Afghan-led security in the Oruzgan Province, a role that Private Lambert was strongly involved with as a part of the Mentoring Task Force. Enabling the Afghan people to independently keep their country secure is an extremely important job. It is vital for them and for international security that we stay the distance and see this mission fulfilled.

I would like to offer my full support to 2RAR, to all Defence personnel in Afghanistan, and in fact other theatres abroad—anyone serving overseas—and those who will soon deploy there. I thank them for the job that they are going to be doing and are doing. Australia has lost another brave soldier, a battalion another mate, another family a son. As Private Lambert’s partner and family enter this incredibly difficult period, I offer them my deepest condolences and I hope that in some small way the knowledge of the high regard and admiration with which he was held by all who knew him and worked with him offers some level of comfort.

I was at the pass-out parade for 2RAR, and Major General Gillespie spoke very highly of the job they were about to do. I know that Lieutenant Colonel Smith and his team were very proud of the job that they were doing. They were very eager to get across and do their work. The men and women of 3rd Brigade work very hard. They train and they are battle ready. He was at the point. To me, bravery is only a concept. Never in my life have I had to put my life on the line. To have the intestinal fortitude to take the point and lead the way for others bears noting. Private Matthew Lambert was brave, as are his colleagues. His bravery and his sacrifice has not gone unnoticed and will not be forgotten. Matthew Lambert, your deeds will live forever. You did what very few could do. You made a difference. Lest we forget.

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

I join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Defence Minister and all members who have so respectfully made a contribution to this motion, and in doing so of course have risen to pay their respects to and to honour Private Matthew Lambert.

As others before me have indicated, Private Lambert was a sniper with the Townsville based 2RAR. He was of course very much part of an important campaign we have embarked upon in Afghanistan. I did not know Private Lambert, but as a former Defence Minister I know many people like him. All of our soldiers are individuals and each and every one of them is different in some way, but there is something common to them all, and that is their courage, their high level of fitness and training, their very high level of competence and expertise, and in addition to that their commitment to their service and their thorough belief in what we are doing in Afghanistan. I am sure that Private Lambert is no exception to that rule. Nor do I know Private Lambert’s family and friends, but having spoken to so many family members of those who have fallen before Private Lambert I would be very surprised if Private Lambert’s family were not fully supportive of what he was doing, were not fully aware that he believed in what he was doing, both the cause and the way he was pursuing that cause, and that he really wanted to be doing what he was doing.

All members of the Australian Defence Force are volunteers. They undertake their task for the right reasons. I have not found an exception. All of them do it for the right reasons and because they believe in what they are doing. I also believe that both our soldiers and their parents fully appreciate the risks involved. Parents in particular are not happy about their sons taking those risks but are fully supportive of their decision to do so. We not only thank Private Lambert for his service today; we also thank his family, friends and spouse, who I should have included in my earlier comments about parents. We also thank them for lending their support to him in terms of what he had decided to do with his life. I say ‘life’, because in many senses this can be a lifetime commitment.

This is No. 29, which is 29 lives too many. One life is too many. As I have said many times in this place, both as minister and as a private member, the longer we are in Afghanistan, the more people we lose, the more difficult it will be to take a majority of the Australian people with us, or in other words to persuade the majority of Australian people that we should be there.

Again, like others, I take this opportunity to explain why we are there. We are there as part of an international force playing our role, an important role, in maintaining stability and safety in a global sense. We are also there to protect Australians, whether they be Australians here in Australia or indeed Australians travelling elsewhere in the world, including other countries in our neighbourhood.

We have seen two very significant events both in Bali and in Jakarta, very close to home. Many Australians travel to that part of the world. This is about ensuring that these acts of terror do not again proliferate and come so close to our doorstep. Can we win? That is always the question. It is a reasonable question. There is not much point in being there given the expense both in human life and fiscal terms if we cannot win. I always say that it depends on what your definition is of ‘winning’. For me, winning is the international forces withdrawing from Afghanistan safe and secure in the knowledge that the Afghan national security forces, both police and armed forces, have the capacity to maintain their own security. Of course, that only comes if collectively we play a significant role in building an economy, in building governance and in building a justice system.

I go back to the question, based on that definition, can we win in Afghanistan? I believe the answer is yes. It will not be easy. We as a country have now reconfigured our operations—I was minister at the time—to focus on the training of the Afghan National Army in particular but also the Afghan National Police, and we are still playing a role in those other areas—governance building, aid and building an economy. But our key focus now is to lift the 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army to a level in which not just we are confident but the international community is confident. The test is applied by NATO and not by us. It is not for us to determine when they are ready. 4th Brigade needs to reach a point where we are all collectively confident and satisfied that they are capable of maintaining their own security.

All the reports that I receive are that we are making very good progress in that regard. I do not know the detail, but no doubt Matthew Lambert was patrolling with members of the Afghan National Army at the time of his tragic loss. We are making good progress. We are getting there. It is an achievable objective and we will get there. When we get there we can leave Afghanistan with the rest of our international partners and allies safe in the knowledge that Afghanistan will not again descend into chaos and will not again descend into a breeding ground and launching pad for those extremists determined to perpetrate their acts of terror indiscriminately not only in Afghanistan but around the globe, including potentially Australia. We have been very lucky on Australian soil— touch wood—thanks largely to our very competent intelligence and security bodies. We have been very lucky not to have an event here, but we know from those we have averted that it is very possible. Afghanistan and all of its consequences for the border region with Pakistan is very important in terms of maintaining our success in avoiding such attacks.

Private Matthew Lambert, with his colleagues, was playing a very important role in that mission and achieving that objective. On that basis we say thank you to him for his huge sacrifice, we say thank you to his spouse and his family for their huge sacrifice, and we send the message to them that we shall not forget his deeds and we will maintain the course in his honour and finish this job.

Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) (11 I rise to honour the memory of Private Matthew Lambert, who was tragically killed while serving with Mentoring Task Force 3 in Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan. Today, in this parliament, we offer our deepest sympathy to his family, to his friends and to his mates. I make particular reference to the member for Herbert, who spoke very eloquently earlier. Our thoughts are very much with the Townsville community in this difficult time and I am sure the member is providing excellent support for a community in mourning.

Private Matthew Lambert’s colleagues described him as a man who excelled at any task he was assigned to and a soldier who proudly served his country. Only a few short weeks ago I returned from a trip to Afghanistan, where I was privileged to spend time with countless service men and women of the ADF, but I was particularly fortunate to spend a day with Mentoring Task Force 3. The men and women of MTF3 are proudly upholding the Anzac legend, a legend that has seeped into our national consciousness. They are upholding courage; they are particularly upholding compassion, often in the face of significant adversity; and they are upholding the value of having a go and that eternal Australian spirit of mateship.

The men and women of MTF3 are doing an incredibly good job in the face of difficult challenges. They are providing the essential framework for civil society to be born in Afghanistan. In doing so, in providing security and in enabling the Afghan people and particularly the Afghan National Army to provide their own security, they are providing that essential ingredient that will see this nation change eternally for the better. It is now more viable—and it will continue to be more viable due to the work of MTF3 and the ANA—for locals to be part of a proactive, prosperous and peaceful civil society. It will be more viable for them to be part of that than to pick up a weapon and continue to do what they have done for generations. This would not be possible without the work of MTF3 and soldiers like Private Lambert.

It is incredibly encouraging to see on the ground the changes that are taking place in this country. These are changes that will not easily be eroded. When I was talking to members of MTF3 I said to them, ‘If we don’t get this right, is this like putting our hand into a bucket of water, only to withdraw our hand and see these changes go away?’ They assured me and then showed me some of the tangible gains that we are making. Because we have a safe security environment or a better security environment due to the work that MTF3 has done with the ANA, we have seen the opportunity for economic development to take place. A perfect example that they showed me was a short bitumen road that had been laid between two towns, providing the ability for economic development. They said that in the town at the end of the road the cost of an average commodity dropped by seven times when it was connected by this bitumen road. One of the great assets of a bitumen road is that you cannot lay IEDs underneath it. It continues this cycle of further security and further economic development.

The Afghan locals I met are forever grateful for the work that MTF3 has done and the work that soldiers like Private Lambert have done. As a nation we mourn his loss, but we should be rightly proud of what he and the Australian soldiers are achieving in Oruzgan Province. Today we rightly honour Private Matthew Lambert, a man who proudly upheld everything his battalion stands for—duty first.

Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a terrible time for the family and friends of Private Matthew Lambert. It is also a difficult time for the Australian Army and the wider Australian community. Matthew joined the Australian Army as a reservist in 2005 at 20 years of age. When he first enlisted he joined the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, the Fighting 9th. After 18 months he transferred into the Regular Army and was posted to Townsville with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in February 2007. He deployed to East Timor in the second half of 2009. He deployed to Afghanistan just two months ago as part of Mentoring Task Force 3.

The Mentoring Task Force’s role is to train the 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army to protect the people of Afghanistan. It is an important job. It is what ensures that the Taliban cannot just wait out coalition forces. When we leave Afghanistan we will leave an Afghan army and a police force able to protect the Afghan people. We are obviously now in the middle of what is a very deadly fighting season, and moments like this bear very heavily on the Australian people. It is important, at moments like this, to remember why we are in Afghanistan and the progress that we are making.

As I have said in debates like this before, we are in Afghanistan because it is in our national interest to be there. It is in our national interest to be there because of the threat posed by an unstable Afghanistan. An unstable Afghanistan poses a threat that reaches far beyond its own borders. It affects its neighbours and it affects us. September 11 and the Bali bombings are proof of that. We are not in Afghanistan alone. We are one of 48 countries that are contributing to the same effort under the mandate of the United Nations. We are all there for the same reason. The threat posed to all countries by an Afghanistan where malign forces take root again is a significant one. We cannot pretend that what happens in Afghanistan does not affect us here in Australia. It does, and because it does it is right that we are there.

I visited Afghanistan last month. Our soldiers told me of the progress that they are making. Our soldiers told me that where a few years ago they were at the head of a patrol, Afghan soldiers are now leading many patrols with Australian assistance. The work that we are doing in mentoring and training the 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army is bearing fruit. Areas where fighting was taking place a couple of years ago are now relatively stable and we are expanding our footprint into new areas of the province. Khas Oruzgan is a good example of that. The district where Matthew sustained the injuries that killed him is a very bloody, very dangerous part of the Oruzgan Province where in the past insurgents have intimidated and murdered members of the local population. That the Mentoring Task Force and our Afghan partners are now patrolling in more districts like this is proof of the progress that is being made in Afghanistan. There is much more work to do, but the strategy that has now been adopted is the right one and we are on track to transfer responsibility for security in Oruzgan to Afghan authorities in 2014. We are making progress, but if we hand over responsibility to the Afghan army before they are ready to take over we will not leave a stable and secure Afghanistan. That is why the work of Matthew and his mates is so important.

I visited the team that Matthew was part of three times in the last few months, first in Townsville in March to make sure the kitting system at Lavarack Barracks was working and that they have the equipment they need. I met with them for a second time in May this year at High Range in the Townsville Field Training Area to see their final training activity before they deployed to Afghanistan and I talked to them about the preparations they had made. The third time I met them was four weeks ago in Afghanistan. They are a dedicated and professional group of men. They are led by a good man in Lieutenant Colonel Chris Smith and they have lost a very good soldier. Matthew is the first member of 2RAR to be killed in action since the Vietnam War. I know his loss will be a huge blow to Lavarack Barracks and to the wider Townsville community.

Brigadier Stuart Smith, the commander of 3rd Brigade, which includes 2RAR, said on Tuesday that Matthew was widely respected for his professionalism and commitment to duty and ‘his death has been felt deeply within our Army family’. In addition, he said that 'a family has lost a son and a young woman has lost a partner'. Like many young couples, Matthew and his partner, Ellesse, had just bought their first home and they had planned to live a life together. None of us in this place can ever properly imagine the grief that must be consuming her at this time or his parents, Chris and Vicki, or his sister Jess, but what we can do is honour him.

Private Matthew Lambert is the 29th ADF member to lose his life in Afghanistan since 2001, the eighth since the beginning of this year. His CO, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Smith, said that he was a great Australian soldier, an Anzac. He is a sniper, which says it all. He is an elite marksman. His soldiering skills are above all others and probably pound for pound one of the toughest and best soldiers in the battalion.

Our responsibility is to be worthy of Private Matthew Lambert and the sacrifice that he has made. His father, Chris, said in a statement earlier today:

He was an extraordinary young man with everything, including incredible physical and mental agility. Matt had a great enthusiasm for living life, generously sharing his time, thoughts and ideas and inspiring us all by walking the talk.

It is our job to do just that, to walk the talk, to honour his memory with deeds not just words, and ensure that the job he went to Afghanistan to do is completed. Lest we forget.

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

It was the happiest yet saddest of photographs. Two fresh-faced young adults joyfully posing for a social picture published in the Age newspaper yesterday. Her arm was around his shoulder and both had broad smiles. The photo portrayed just how much they enjoyed each other’s company. Ellesse Stronach, sadly, lost the love of her life when Matthew Lambert died on Monday. Matthew was a private in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. He was the 29th Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan. Severely injured by a roadside bomb in Khas Oruzgan district of Oruzgan Province, the 26-year-old sniper was flown to the Australian base at Tarin Kowt but succumbed to his wounds shortly afterwards. 2RAR lost its first member of the war. Australia lost one of its finest, the bravest of the brave. Ellesse and Matthew’s family and wide circle of friends lost someone they cherished, someone they will never again be with or laugh with. Matthew gave up his life for the greater good of this world.

Until recently Australian soldiers were rarely seen in the Khas Oruzgan Province, the farthest flung part of the province from Tarin Kowt. This is an area where the American Special Forces Base Anaconda is established. Khas Oruzgan was a violent place with tribal disputes. It has been the scene for appalling Taliban atrocities. In 2004, the Taliban killed 16 locals who were on their way to vote in national elections. In June last year Afghan police discovered the bodies of 11 Hazara, an ethnic minority persecuted by the Taliban, who had been beheaded. In November, the Taliban murdered seven Afghan police at a checkpoint in the district. However, in the past six months Australian troops have pushed east into the district alongside the Afghan National Army troops they are mentoring. According to sources, the fact regular troops as opposed to special forces are in the district is proof they and their Afghan allies are taking a tighter grip on the province.

Private Matthew Lambert was patrolling in Oruzgan Province with Afghan soldiers at 2.30 am when what is believed to be an improvised explosive device went off. It is dangerous work that he and his colleagues were doing. The insurgents have learnt to reduce the amount of metal in the bombs to a minimum, making traditional mine-searching devices useless. An elite sniper, Private Lambert is originally from Kogarah in New South Wales and he would have been at the head of the Australian, US and Afghan troops out on foot patrol in those early hours of the morning.

Private Lambert, sadly, tragically, is the 29th Australian soldier to die in the war on terror and the eighth soldier to die this year. Private Lambert was a member of Mentoring Task Force 3 from 2RAR based in Townsville. He joined the Army in southern Queensland, enlisting in the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, in August 2005, transferring to 2nd Battalion RAR in February 2007 and being posted to Townsville. It was there at 2RAR where Private Lambert was enlisted as a sniper, and he is the first member of 2RAR to be killed in action since the Vietnam War. Private Lambert did two tours of duty in East Timor in 2009 and was awarded the Australian Active Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Australian Service Medal, Australian Defence Medal and Timor Solidarity Medal. Private Lambert was on his first mission in Afghanistan and had been deployed in June 2011.

The men and women who serve so bravely for us in Afghanistan are people of whom we can be immensely proud. They are working to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan and to the world. Australia is there to help them because we are not immune from the terrorist acts planned from Afghanistan for so long. Australians have been killed at the hands of terrorist activity, and our soldiers are directly protecting our freedom to move unencumbered by the threats of terrorist activity. Their work is of great importance and the sacrifice of Private Lambert is such that, whilst we mourn his death, we should also be very proud of his colleagues’ and his efforts both now and into the future. Our thoughts are with his partner, Ellesse, parents, family and the brave Australian men and women who are carrying on the work Matthew did so well in Afghanistan. They will miss their loved one dearly.

It is during these sad times that we are reminded of the sacrifice these men and women make in order to bring peace and stability to a country so they may live a life as good and as democratic as ours. We must count the cost of staying in Afghanistan, but we must also recognise the great cost of what would happen if we withdrew. I agree with the Leader of the Opposition’s sentiment that we best honour the dead by remaining true to the cause. Private Lambert was a well-respected soldier who excelled at any task assigned and was looking forward to serving his country further in Afghanistan. Serving in rough areas barely accessible by vehicle, he patrolled the valleys by foot, manned the battlements and mentored the Afghan soldiers he loved and fought with.

In the words of the Defence chief, General David Hurley: ‘They are fathers, husbands, sons, brothers and mates. They are soldiers and Australians. We will not forget their selfless sacrifice.’ As the member for Riverina, where Wagga Wagga or, more specifically, the Army recruit training centre at Kapooka is known as the 'home of the soldier', may I say: lest we forget.

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

I rise to express my deepest condolences to the family of Private Matthew Lambert. Tragically, Private Lambert was the 29th Australian to die in Afghanistan and the eighth this year. He was only 26 and on his first tour of Afghanistan. A New South Welshman by birth, he enlisted in the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, in August 2005 and was later posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, in Townsville. He had served with distinction in East Timor and together with the Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal had also been awarded the Australian Active Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.

He will be sadly missed by his colleagues in uniform who had a great deal of respect for this very fine soldier. The Chief of the Defence Force, General Hurley, said, ‘His colleagues describe him as a man who excelled at any task he was assigned and a soldier who was proud to serve his country.’

Despite this tragic loss, Australia must continue with its important mission in Afghanistan. Having visited Oruzgan Province and Kandahar earlier this year, I saw firsthand the real progress that our military is making in Afghanistan. Training the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police is the first priority, for they will be the future protectors of their country from the insidious influence that is the Taliban. In addition to the military angle, local development projects are also critical to Afghanistan’s future. Australia’s involvement in building a school, a mosque, trade training facilities and other important initiatives are all making lives better for the ordinary Afghani.

Our deployment in Afghanistan is not getting any easier, but this should come as no surprise for the stakes are high. Stability on the Afghan-Pakistan border and progress in the global war on terrorism is what is in play. Were Australia to leave Afghanistan precipitantly, hard-fought gains would be compromised and the objective of our mission set back.

Today our nation mourns the loss of Private Matthew Lambert, a family man and a soldier of the highest order. Our country will never forget his sacrifice, and our thoughts and our prayers are with his family at this difficult time. Lest we forget.

Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) (12 Before this debate is adjourned I wish to associate myself with the fine words that have been said in this debate. Private Matthew Lambert, tragically struck down at the age of 26 while serving his country in a theatre of war in Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan, is the 29th Australian to have died in that campaign and, as has been said, the eighth this year. The loss of any life in our armed forces is an absolute tragedy and one that is proper that we mark here in this place.

Private Lambert was a highly decorated and highly regarded soldier who had served abroad on numerous occasions. He will be sorely missed by his comrades in arms and by his family. I would like to associate myself with the words that have been said by members on all sides of the House.

Debate adjourned.