Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the:

(a) outstanding contribution women make to the Australian Defence Force; and

(b) formation of the new Council for Women and Families United by Defence Service; and

(2) acknowledges that Defence embraces the concept of diversity, valuing differences, demonstrating fair, respectful and inclusive behaviour and aims to effectively attract and retain women who can support Defence to better reflect the community it serves.

Today I would like to recognise all of our Australian Defence Force personnel, past and present, for their service to and sacrifice for our nation. I note that many of my colleagues in this place, men and women from all sides of the parliament, have served in our ADF, and I thank them for their service. In fact, I note that I have two in the chamber with me right now. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of women in the Australian Defence Force who, like their male counterparts, have been deployed to combat zones, have supported peacekeeping missions, have helped communities devastated by natural disasters and have engaged in research and rescue operations. Our very own Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon. Linda Reynolds CSC, is an outstanding example of the valuable contribution women make to our Defence Force and an excellent role model for young women and girls considering a career in the defence forces or defence industry.

Currently, there are almost 11,000 women in the Australian Defence Force, representing an increase from 17.9 per cent in 2018 to 18.6 per cent in 2019. This is as a result of the broad range of recruitment programs and flexible career pathways available to women seeking a career in the Australian Defence Force. I acknowledge the Department of Defence for the support they provide to our female Defence personnel and their families, and I note that the recently established Council for Women and Families United by Defence Service also recognises the role and contribution of women. The council will provide insight into the lived experiences of women and families of current and ex-serving Defence personnel and provide advice on direct input into the government's policies and available support.

The Australian Defence Force rewards talent, effort and achievement through the advancement of our ADF men and women. A diverse Defence Force better reflects our community and ensures we can draw on different ideas to innovate and adapt to a rapidly evolving strategic environment. A diverse Defence Force means we have the very best capability at a time when national security is at the forefront of our national agenda. Our government is supporting all our men and women in the Australian Defence Force through our record investment of more than $200 billion in Australia's defence capability.

Our government is also doing a lot to support our veterans, with a particular focus on supporting veterans' wellbeing, mental health, housing and postservice employment. I'm particularly proud of our $30 million investment to establish a network of six new veterans wellbeing centres, which will bring together key services for veterans and their families. This includes a centre at the repat hospital site in the heart of my community, which has been reactivated thanks to the Morrison and Marshall Liberal governments.

We also recognise civilian doctors and nurses who serve our nation, alongside our ADF personnel, during wartime. I note, of course, that nurses have taken a very active role in a range of combat zones throughout our history of military involvement in wars. I will reflect on a just few of those who have particular relevance to my electorate of Boothby. Boothby is home to the Women's Memorial Playing Fields, an eight-hectare site that was established by Liberal Premier Sir Thomas Playford in 1953 as a memorial to the 21 nurses who were massacred on Radji Beach during World War II. Every year we hold a ceremony to commemorate their service and remember their lives and their sacrifice. I am incredibly proud to have secured a $500,000 grant to upgrade the memorial so that we can continue to do so and so that we have a more fitting memorial for these very brave nurses who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

I also want to make mention of one of my wonderful local constituents and community volunteers, Rosie Aust, whose great aunt, Nurse Blanche Atkinson, had quite an incredible story. Blanche Atkinson was born in South Australia in 1879, trained as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and graduated in 1910. She wanted to enlist to serve the war effort but wasn't allowed to do so in Australia, so she sold all her possessions, got on a boat and sailed to England, where she was able to join the Royal British Nurses Association. She served for about a year, became very ill and passed away at the age of 36, but she was recognised by the king and queen for her service, which was quite remarkable.

Finally, I'd like to make mention of one of my local legends in the community, Mrs Joan Lorraine, who next week will turn 96. Joan served in World War II and is still a very active member of the Blackwood RSL. Joan, thank you for your national service and for everything you do for our community. You make us so proud.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like first to thank the member for Boothby for moving this motion and to thank all the honourable members who will be speaking in support of it. I want also to acknowledge all our service men and women, but particularly our women in service.

This motion provides me an opportunity to acknowledge that I bumped into an old school friend the other day when I was at Victoria Barracks in Sydney, the home of the Australian Army. I want to acknowledge the professionalism of and the outstanding person that is Colonel Fiona Curtis. She reminded me that it's our 30-year high school reunion coming up—which made me feel quite old, but she still looks absolutely marvellous and is doing a great job for Army.

It is important that we take these moments to reflect on and give gratitude to those who have served and who continue to serve in our Defence Force. I am sure everyone remembers the proud moment we had in the last parliament when amendments were passed to remove all barriers for women performing all roles within the ADF. It was a step in the right direction for us, and I note that Defence, as the member for Boothby just mentioned, have targets they are aiming for for participation of Australian women in our defence forces. We're currently at 17.9 per cent for the whole of the ADF, but I certainly think we can reach those targets even before 2023.

I would also like to note my support of the decision made by the government to form the Council for Women and Families United by Defence Service. The needs of women and families affected by defence service are not always understood or visible. Voices haven't always been heard. Obviously, it's vitally important that we seek to better understand the service and sacrifice of women who either have served in the ADF or have been impacted by the service of a loved one in the ADF.

I know that one of the matters the council is looking into is the proposal to create a killed-in-service class—a KIS class. It would be awarded posthumously as recognition to defence service members who make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The campaign to create the KIS class is an initiative of an amazing couple, Warrant Officer Kerry Danes CSM and Kay Danes OAM. The proposal has some support from both sides of the chamber. The idea of this initiative is that, with the loss of a family member, the family who are left to deal with that loss have something on the medals that they remember their loved one by.

Close to my heart, obviously, are all the women that we recognise who served in World War II, in particular in the defence of Darwin in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service and the nurses, as previously mentioned, on hospital ships like the Manunda, which was hit during the bombing of Darwin in 1942. In fact, in my electorate I've established an award for an outstanding student showing courage at Manunda Terrace Primary School in Darwin. The award is named after Margaret de Mestre, who was wounded when the Manunda was struck but continued to say to her colleagues: 'Leave me. There are others more injured than me.' Margaret passed away shortly after and is buried in the Top End. I always remember the courage of Margaret and of all the women who serve in our ADF as they go about doing what every member of the ADF does in the service of our nation.

There are so many people we could acknowledge. I also want to mention Captain Angela Stokes from the Top End for her service.

Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also acknowledge other ex-servicemen and women, veterans, now serving in our federal parliament. I'm extremely pleased to have this opportunity to speak about the incredible contribution made by women to our ADF. I would like to touch briefly also on some of the important women in my own life. In this way, I pay tribute to the collective value that women bring to the ADF as well as to our families and our society. There is a risk that, if we only focus on areas in our society where division and inequality exist, we run the risk of losing sight of incredible stories of success.

I spoke in my maiden speech about the role that my own mother played in inspiring me to stand up for what's right, to make personal sacrifices and to have the courage to show others the way. As a mother of six kids, a pathologist, a local councillor and a political activist, my mum was an awe-inspiring example of community leadership. My sister Michelle has for two decades worked as a leading consultant to extractive industry clients. In recognition of her amazing work, Michelle was last year appointed to the board of the Institute of Quarrying Australia. Whilst she occasionally happens upon a social dinosaur, Michelle is humbly getting on with the job, working with both men and women to show them that a balance of both sexes in the industry isn't just a nicety but, rather, a necessity of peak performance.

As Australians, we enjoy and appreciate the opportunity that we have to live in the best country in the world. This is why so many Australians feel compelled to serve in our ADF as protectors of the values and freedoms that underpin our wonderful society. When I arrived at the Australian Defence Force Academy, straight out of school at the age of 17, I entered an environment where young men and women were in junior leadership roles, guiding our professional development. One of the professional young women that I worked with was Vivian Law. Tracking through a year ahead of me, Viv got to boss me around a little bit but was always fair and approachable. Viv then had a distinguished military career, including service on operations in the Middle East. She raised a family of four beautiful daughters with her husband, Greg. Although Viv is now out of the Australian Defence Force, she is still serving. Viv recently took over the reins as the chief executive officer of Legacy in Western Australia. What an inspirational woman.

Let me tell you about another great friend of mine: Amanda Williamson. Amanda also had a distinguished Army career, including being awarded the US Bronze Star for her service with special operations forces in Afghanistan. Amanda is now a senior manager with a global business and is also still volunteering her time to serve in the community, including as a board member of Soldier On.

Finally, my own incredible wife, Peta: as well as putting up with me—which deserves its own medal—Peta also had a fantastic military career. As an intelligence corps officer, Peta's very first posting was to the Special Air Service Regiment, almost 20 years ago. Here Peta demonstrated, as so many other women still do today, that, far from being shunned by Australia's military elite, women are viewed as an indispensable component of the workforce.

Throughout the country, women are integrated into Australia's combat operations, peacekeeping missions and disaster relief operations. I actually believe that Defence leads within our society when it comes to equality of treatment and respect for women. Please don't misunderstand me, though: Defence is not perfect, as no workplace is. But my own experience and the experience of so many successful women that I know is that their contributions have been exceptional and have been noted as such. So today I pay tribute to the former, current and future women members of our Australian Defence Force. I thank them for the lessons that they have taught me, and I salute their service.

Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to have this opportunity today to talk about the wonderful women in defence on the New South Wales South Coast. My electorate of Gilmore has a strong defence presence. I'm proud to say that the New South Wales South Coast is home to HMAS Albatross and HMAS Creswell. HMAS Albatross, based at Nowra, and where I worked proudly, is Australia's largest operational naval establishment, and the Royal Australian Navy's only air station, home to the Fleet Air Arm. HMAS Creswell is the Navy's officer training school on the shores of Jervis Bay.

HMAS Albatross has been an integral part of the Nowra community for over 70 years. With around 1,200 personnel on the base, its local importance cannot be overstated. When we talk about the outstanding contribution of women to the Australian Defence Force, I can't help but think of HMAS Albatross. In 2017, HMAS Albatross made history with its first-ever female commanding officer, Captain Fiona Sneath. With Captain Sneath as CO, the Albatross command, including the Executive Officer, First Lieutenant, Ship's Warrant Officer, Coxswain, Command Staff Officer and Legal Officer were all women. It wouldn't be all that long ago that an all-female command team at a key Navy base would have been unheard of. This is an outstanding demonstration of the Navy's support for women in the Defence Force and speaks to the strength and abilities of the women of HMAS Albatross.

Captain Sneath has had an impressive career in defence, and she is a great example of a woman working her way right to the top. Captain Sneath joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1994 as a Direct Entry Legal Officer. She rose through the ranks with a wide range of postings as a Legal Officer, eventually becoming the Chief Legal Advisor Navy Headquarters. From 2011 to 2014, she was the Staff Legal Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force, advising on the implementation of cultural reviews, such as the Australian Human Rights Commission Review into the Treatment of Women in the ADF; responses to sexual offences and allegations of abuse within Defence; combat deaths; complex personnel disputes; and reforms to the military justice system. Captain Sneath was awarded a Commander Joint Operations Gold Commendation for her performance as a legal officer in operations. Before she became CO of HMAS Albatross she was Director Military Law Centre/Deputy Director Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law. In that position she was responsible for managing and delivering legal training requirements for ADF legal officers.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Captain Sneath on many occasions, and she is an outstanding woman. But she is not alone: there are so many amazing women just like Captain Sneath in our Defence Force. Perhaps it's easy to see why, if we take a look at HMAS Creswell. HMAS Creswell is home to the Royal Australian Naval College, the Navy's officer training school, with over 100 defence personnel. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend two welcome events for new entry officers at Creswell. These were for new recruits in the Getting Division and the Clarkson Division. There are 140 new entry officers training right now who will graduate in November. Captain Warren Bairstow, the commanding officer of HMAS Creswell, put it so well in his address to new recruits: the aim of the welcome event was to learn soft skills—how we relate to people and how important and vital these soft skills will be for life as an officer in the Navy.

What also struck me as extraordinary, as I entered and talked with many of the new officers and their trainers, was the diversity of backgrounds from which new recruits came. New recruits ranged from 18 years of age to around 50 or so years of age—many women as well as men. Some came from working atAlbatross, the local area, interstate, Army or Air Force, or overseas. New recruits came from civilian backgrounds such as working in hospitality or working as a personal trainer, in the trades or as a civilian pilot—the list goes on. This is an extraordinary mature-age pathway based on diversity and one which I have no doubt is having a significant impact on encouraging women into defence.

The benefits of HMAS Albatross and HMASCreswellto the local community are profound. Defence personnel and their families and children are totally embedded in our community. We love our defence family, and I am committed to working with the government and the Navy to grow defence jobs in our local area. I commend the Navy and Defence for its support of women at HMAS Albatross, HMASCreswelland across Australia.

Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a great pleasure to stand here today in support of the very timely and wonderfully worded motion of the member for Boothby. It is timely because I spent Saturday at Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera, when they had their open day. It was a tremendous opportunity to get to know the service personnel there. A lot of the Ryan community feel a great pride and connection with the Gallipoli Barracks, where some 7,000 service personnel currently serve. It was a great opportunity because very rarely do you get into the barracks itself, so it was a wonderful opportunity to go and talk to the serving personnel, in particular to talk to a number of female service personnel, who are doing a tremendous job.

The women I met on Saturday, and previously, of course, play an active role in every aspect of operations. they are deployed to active combat zones, support peacekeeping missions, help communities devastated by natural disaster and engage in search and rescue operations. They take part in boarding parties to search suspect ships. They drive Australia's armoured troop-carrying vehicles in operational areas. They are Australian pilots flying on tasks ranging from reconnaissance to rescue missions, disaster relief and combat support. There is no limit to what our servicewomen can achieve, and it is by their own potential, effort and achievement that they are advancing. With hard work, grit and determination, they are a wonderful example of the very best of our defence forces.

The coalition government has maintained a strong focus on supporting and building the number of women serving in the ADF and supporting their families. On current figures, 10,834 women are serving defence. It is a number that continues to grow, year on year. I'd particularly like to acknowledge the diversity of leadership at the ADF's most senior levels, as some other members have talked about today. As at June 2019, Defence boards had 44.9 per cent female representation. That contrasts very well with company boards. The Australian Institute of Company Directors reports female representation on ASX 200 boards at only 29.7 per cent. This achievement by Defence has, importantly, been made without quotas. It is the reward for talent and the individual efforts of our servicewomen, who are achieving great things. In fact, as the member for Stirling said, and a number of serving personnel reminded me on Saturday, Defence as an organisation is often at the forefront of social change in Australia. Even though it relies heavily on tradition and rigidity, it has been at the forefront of social progress. Indigenous Australians were servicemen long before they could vote, in 1962, and the ADF recognised and supported same-sex de facto couples long before the Marriage Act was amended in 2017. So too is it leading the way in making sure that servicewomen are supported to achieve great things.

But there is always more to be done to build and support our servicewomen. I want to draw the chamber's attention to a couple of initiatives. Women have the option of joining the Australian Defence Force with a shorter time commitment for certain roles. This enables them to assess whether a Navy, Army or Air Force career is right for them and those important to them, including their families. There is the very successful gap year program, which, personnel have said, has been a pathway for a number of new service personnel. It's a great option for 17- to 24-year-old women interested in experiencing the Navy, Army or Air Force. It enables them to gain leadership capabilities which will set them up for their future careers. In addition, parents are given support to manage their family commitments without detriment to their careers, including flexible working arrangements, maternity and paternity leave and the putting on hold of their career options while they have children. Defence also provides substantial housing subsidies to assist with child care, schooling requirements and additional health support for dependents in regional posting locations, as well as partner employment assistance and programs for settling into a new community. The member for Boothby spoke about the wellness centres which will be rolled out. They are part of an exciting initiative to support veterans and those transitioning into the workforce.

I again congratulate all our servicewomen who are currently serving, particularly those at the Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera. We are incredibly proud of what you are doing, as I hope you are incredibly proud of the work that you are doing on behalf of Australians. Thank you also to our veterans community, to those servicewomen who have served our nation and have now transitioned out of the defence forces. We look forward as a government to continuing to support you and your families.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise to support this motion. I want to thank the women in the Australian Defence Force, including those in Air Force and Army units based at RAAF Base Amberley, for their contribution to the defence of our nation and the contribution they make to the Ipswich community.

Just as Labor celebrates the contribution of women to Australian society more broadly, we also acknowledge the outstanding contribution made by women in the Australian Defence Force, from the Air Force to the Army to the Navy, from those who serve on the front line to those who serve at the home front, and our defence partners and families in the wider defence community. Women have made an invaluable contribution to Australia's military history: from conflicts in the First and Second World Wars through to contemporary service in Afghanistan and Iraq, on the front line in medical specialisations, and in critical support and non-combat roles where they ensure our fighting forces can be the best they can. They have served, and continue to serve, with distinction, courage and selfless dedication. They do us proud. While we need to acknowledge there have been issues around the treatment of women in the ADF over the years, we must also recognise the significant cultural change in recent years, such as through initiatives like the Pathway to Change reform program established by the former Labor government. Today's ADF is a much more diverse, inclusive and egalitarian organisation that aims to recruit and retain women who can support Defence to better reflect the community it serves. Just as in other spheres of society, it is pleasing to see that women today are participating more and more in defence life and getting the recognition they so deserve. Women represent about 18 per cent of the ADF, up from 13 per cent in the early 2000s. While historically women were excluded from most military roles outside of nursing, there's been expansion of the role of women in all aspects of service, so that now females can serve in any capacity. These are great achievements and we have made tremendous progress in this country.

We know Defence is having trouble sustaining this growth and meeting its female recruitment targets, so we can't afford to be complacent. Labor is calling on the government to do more to boost the number of women in the ranks, so that the ADF can attract the widest available talent and be more representative of Australian society.

We know service in the defence of our country touches the lives of many—not only those who serve but those who know them: their family, friends and colleagues. We should recognise the particular burden faced by Australian women who, for more than 100 years, maintained families while their partners have been deployed and who have supported the health of those partners when they have returned and have suffered from their loss, whether as partners, mothers or sisters. It's important to acknowledge the nature of military service and the sacrifice demanded of all who commit to serve in the ADF and their partners and families. To that end, I welcome the establishment of a new Council for Women and Families United by Defence Service and chaired by BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Officer and Army veteran Gabby Costigan.

Labor knows well that the needs of women and families that are affected by defence service are not always understood or visible to the community and that their voices are not always heard when it comes to discussions about support and assistance. That's why we took to the last election a policy for a national family engagement and support strategy to better engage and support families who experience mental health and other issues both pre- and post-military service. We need to better understand the service and sacrifice of women who have either served in the ADF themselves or been impacted by the service of a loved one. This is something the Productivity Commission highlighted in its recent inquiry into veteran support systems, and it's something Labor fully supports. In addition to the council, related initiatives—such as the Honouring Women United by Defence Service event, which I was delighted to attend here in Parliament House in August—are another way to celebrate and pay tribute to the wonderful women who have given their all for their country for over a century.

Labor wants to work together with the government and adopt a bipartisan approach and, with other groups, help deliver better outcomes for women in the ADF. And Labor wants to deliver better services and support for women and families impacted by defence service.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate, honour and acknowledge all women who have contributed to the defence of Australia and whose lives have been impacted by defence service. I thank the member for the motion and commend it to the chamber. I want to particularly thank Lieutenant Colonel Megan Olding who heads the Joint Logistics Unit at the South Queensland RAAF Base Amberley, who leads that unit with distinction, and who helped host me at the ADF Parliamentary Program in July this year.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do thank the member for bringing this motion before the House today. I want to associate myself with previous comments made in terms of the importance of women's role and service in the Australian Defence Force, acknowledging the pressures that that has brought to bear for many women and their families, and the great strides that Defence has made in trying to redress what has been a pretty horrific gender inequity that has existed in ADF services over many, many decades. I know from my time with the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade that whenever I saw the chiefs, the first question I had for each of them was their enrolment and recruitment figures for women. Air Force was always the one that came out on top, followed by Navy and then Army—which is, I think, the first to acknowledge that they have a hard road ahead of them in terms of trying to recruit increased numbers of women, and more importantly, retain them in the Defence Force.

I did want to take this opportunity to talk about one example of just how far we are going with making the Australian Defence Force more inclusive. I had the great fortune to recently launch an exhibition in Newcastle during Pride Week that was called Serving In Silence. At that exhibition I met a really remarkable woman by the name of Anna Van Netten. Anna had a really horrific story of when she was a young private in the army. She was based at Singleton barracks, in my neighbouring electorate of Hunter, back in the 1980s. She was told she wouldn't be able to keep her job in the army in the 1980s if she wasn't prepared to give up all of the women that she knew and associated with in the army that were lesbians or that she'd had a relationship with. You can imagine that this was pretty devastating for a young private in the Army. Her girlfriend at the time was interviewed by the military police in Singleton. If I recall correctly, Anna was taken down to Victoria Barracks in Sydney and interrogated and had multiple—I think four—military police escorting her everywhere and asking her very deep, personal questions. It was a pretty horrific experience for her and a very intimidating one.

The reason I tell this story is not to just reflect on the very poor basis from which we started in order to build an inclusive Australian Defence Force, but to say it was so remarkable that at same exhibition—where Anna told of her terrible experiences of being in the ADF in the 1980s—there was another truly remarkable woman, Bonnie Doyle, who is a very senior officer in the Air Force now. She was there that evening representing a group called DEFGLIS. This is a network that is now provided across all of the three services for LGBTIQ people within the defence forces to get support and information and to address issues quite early as they arise. It's a body that's doing some really remarkable work. It just showed what an extraordinary journey we have been on since the 1980s, when someone like Anna van Netten was intimidated and dragged down to Victoria Barracks as a result of her sexual identity, to now having a network that is proudly working alongside LGBTIQ members of the ADF.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the Air Force chaplains in my region, who have always been nothing short of remarkable in terms of their willingness to reach out to each and every member of the ADF to embrace them. Indeed, I know our Australian chaplains have played an important role with the American defence forces, who do not have the same fortunate position of being able to reach out and service LGBTIQ members of their defence forces.

Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to recognise the outstanding contribution that women make to the Australian Defence Force. In acknowledging that important and vital contribution to our Defence Force, I want to bring to the attention of the House the contribution that some in my electorate are making in this regard.

A wonderful example of service personnel who are making that contribution include long-time Bathurst resident Sarah Patterson, who is an Army lieutenant and has been deployed to Iraq as a radiographer to take X-rays and ultrasounds at the Taji military complex near Baghdad, where Australian and coalition soldiers help train the Iraqi army. I'm told that Sarah, being from the Bathurst area, loves her car racing. Even though she is a Holden supporter and might not have been too happy with yesterday's results, I'm told that she did make arrangements so that race week could be telecast at the base. She requested that four days of V8s be shown on TV while she was on deployment. That's commitment! She was willing to get up at 3 am to watch those races. I was at the track yesterday, and I can confirm that the race was a cracker.

Sarah, who graduated from MacKillop College in 2003, works in Iraq treating Australian and coalition soldiers, along with some civilians, at the military complex. Her position saves people from having to fly somewhere else just for an X-ray, which saves a lot of time and money. During her deployment, Sarah has conducted over 60 X-rays and 40 ultrasounds. Ultrasound is a postgraduate qualification for radiographers. She completed long-term schooling through Defence and managed to pick up a deployment after she got back to the unit from her studies. She is just one of hundreds of active servicewomen doing amazing things in our defence forces, and I would like to acknowledge the great work of Sarah in this House today. Hopefully, she'll be back trackside in the not-too-distant future.

Locally, our reservists have been deployed to peacekeeping missions and help communities devastated by natural disasters. They've engaged in search and rescue activities through their deployment. That includes the men and women of the 1/19 Battalion stationed at Bathurst, Orange, Wagga and Dubbo. The 1/19 Battalion has a very proud history, and it can trace its lineage back to 1854. In 1996, the 1/19 Battalion was decentralised and moved from Ingleburn to its current four regional depots. It's currently led by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Buchanan, who is also the deputy principal of Cowra High while serving in his reservist role. There are seven women currently serving in an active capacity with the battalion. They've played vital roles, both domestically and overseas, including during the 2000 Olympics, and the 1/19th has also provided personnel for search tasks as part of the Australian Army security operations. In May 2010, 1/19 Battalion provided a platoon-sized element to Operation Anode Rotation 21 for service in Solomon Islands as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. This force returned to Australia in August 2010, and I would like to acknowledge the important work of 1/19 Battalion.

I'd also like to acknowledge programs like Exercise Boss Lift, which has been a unique opportunity for businesspeople to experience reservist Defence Force life and provide an example to the general community. I'd like to recognise two Bathurst women, Stacey Whittaker OAM and Abbey Barrett, who both recently took part in the exercise in Malaysia over five days. They were dropped deep into the jungles of Malaysia, given ration packs and sent on a mission with the Australian Army reservists. Ms Barrett works at Skillset in Bathurst, and she said that Exercise Boss Lift participants gain a deeper understanding of the training skills and capabilities that reservists can bring back to the civilian workforce.

Stacey Whittaker has also taken an active role in the reserves in her role as the chair of the Central West Defence Reserves Support Council New South Wales. I'd also like to mention the great work of our cadet units in our area, for example Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange, managed and led by teacher Gary Yeo. They have 350 students, many of them young women, who are coming up through the ranks and many of whom will no doubt serve in the ADF in future years. We acknowledge the wonderful contributions of our women wherever they may be in our defence forces and our cadets.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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.