Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have spoken on many occasions in this place about the enormous contribution our service men and women make, from my maiden speech, to the many condolence motions—sadly, too many—to the simple recognition of the debt and obligation that we as a nation owe to so many brave Australians. I speak as the daughter of a World War II fighter pilot, the great-granddaughter of Australia's longest-serving defence minister and the mother of a serving soldier. Most importantly, I speak as the federal member for the electorate of Ryan, covering Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera, which recently welcomed home around 1,000 soldiers from Afghanistan, including 7 Brigade.

Against this history I was recently honoured to spend some 10 days with our troops in Afghanistan. We all have views on war and on the bravery and courage of those who serve their country, but there is nothing like actually being on the ground with our troops in trying to understand what they face. I cannot overstate the importance of my visit to gaining a better appreciation of their role. Equally, I do not suggest that I gained any more than a glimpse of their challenges. But, as confronting as it was, this visit was invaluable in every way.

I was particularly pleased to be selected for the visit, not least as I had previously participated in operation Talisman Sabre and visited the MRE—mission ready exercise—in Townsville. So I believed I would be prepared for Afghanistan. However, I found the conditions and challenges encountered by our troops considerably more confronting than I had expected.

Like all arrivals we underwent a briefing on how to deal with traumatic injury to ourselves or those around us. We got used to wearing body armour and being alert in a security-conscious environment. The benefit of those lessons was borne out when we later visited the Role 3 Hospital at Kandahar where Australian medical specialists—including surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses—work alongside US teams.

It is well known that if an injured soldier still has a heartbeat when they arrive they have a more than 99 per cent chance of survival, such is the skill and ability of the medical team and the triage at the time of the trauma. When we arrived, a surgical team had just completed a successful five-hour operation on a young American soldier. He had lost two legs and suffered serious facial injuries in an IED attack. Such is the harsh reality of war and such is the sacrifice that is made by the brave soldiers who fight these wars on our behalf.

It is quite clear that Australia is making a major contribution and, as our allies confirm, 'batting above our weight'. We should also be proud of the many key contributions that Australia is undertaking in Oruzgan province, including the construction and opening of major infrastructure projects: roads, schools, health and education facilities, and river crossings. These projects greatly improve the lives of and capability for the local people and assist in the delivery of the Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force's counterinsurgency strategy.

One ongoing concern is whether the local Afghan National Army will be able to maintain complicated equipment and facilities after any troop withdrawal. Literacy levels of locals are a real concern. In Oruzgan province, less than one per cent of Afghani women are able to read and write, which is why the Australian government directly funded the Malalai Girls' School in northern Tarin Kowt. This construction program took some 15 months and cost approximately $1.6 million. The now-opened school contains 23 classrooms and can hold up to 700 students. These projects open up new worlds of opportunities for Afghanis. I only regret that as it was still the fighting season we were not permitted outside the wire to see these developments for ourselves.

To conclude, I echo the words of the ISAF Commander, US General Allen, who said that: 'Real progress towards securing a brighter future for the people of Afghanistan is happening … There are still many challenges ahead, and the road beyond 2014 may be bumpy, but Afghanistan will not be travelling it alone.'

I want to place on record my appreciation of the many senior officers and service men and women who took time out of their hectic schedules to spend with our delegation and who gave us detailed and candid briefings on their many and varied roles. I would also like to especially thank our long-suffering escort officer, Lieutenant Commander Paul Johanson. I also want to thank the ADF for what was a unique experience. I say to the families and friends of our defence personnel serving in Afghanistan that they have every reason to be incredibly proud of their outstanding commitment to our mission.