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

Townsville is home to Lavarack Barracks, the largest army base in Australia. We are very proud of having that in our city. We are also a great defence and veterans community.

Having seen 2 RAR, 3 RAR and 1 RAR deploy a lot of people to Afghanistan, we are very aware of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a part of our community, and part of our community is a part of the response.

I would like to highlight today the work being done by former 2RAR solider Ian Bone. 2RAR wear the black ties, they have a black emblem and their motto is 'Second to none'. He has organised a walk for PTSD to raise money for a veterans' martial arts and fitness club, where veterans will also be able to talk one-on-one or in group therapy to get over this issue of PTSD. It is a tunnel through which you go, not a cave in which you dwell. There are 34 walkers who will leave Lavarack Barracks at 4 am this Thursday 20 March to walk 275 kilometres from Townsville to Airlie Beach, which is expected to take three days. One of the 11 veterans who will be walking with them—I will just show you the photo from the Townsville Sunis none other than Paul Warren, who is also missing a leg. Paul suffered terribly from trying to find work after he left; he does suffer from PTSD, and he had a lot of trouble getting—(Time expired)