John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In recent weeks I've participated with two colleagues from this House, Liberal and Labor, in the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program in the Middle East. I recognise that many colleagues in this House have similarly participated in this program across our country and in international theatres over recent years, and they, too, have quite rightly had the opportunity to report on their experience. My statement will not be a new one in that sense, but I believe it's important to reiterate two things: firstly, we should encourage members of this parliament to participate in these opportunities as a unique way to get a glimpse of the lives of our service women and men; and, secondly, we should always take every opportunity to explain such observations to the people of Australia. We should be justifiably proud of our soldiers, sailors and Air Force women and men. At the outset, I sincerely thank the minister for defence personnel and the Vice Chief of the Defence Force for this wonderful, though challenging, opportunity.

Our program, like that for serving personnel commencing a deployment, began with orientation and training in emergency measures, firearm handling and first aid designed for warlike circumstances—all necessary to pick up the basic knowledge and skills for safe deployment into a potentially hazardous environment. We then proceeded to get firsthand experience of the professionalism, courage, resilience and good nature of our service women and men in the Army, Air Force and Navy. It was such a precious and revealing opportunity to live and work with them for a week. From the return services flight from Australia to the Middle East to sharing the same living facilities and amenities, we embedded with our troops for just over a week.

There can be no doubt that our people on deployment in the Middle East endure very challenging conditions—what most of us would consider to be extreme heat in a very harsh environment. But they are providing the equipment, logistic support and backup for our various missions throughout the region. They are based in various locations throughout the region, training local defence forces so that they might take on the security functions to protect their own populations. That work is proceeding well. They back up their colleagues with transport, freight, refuelling and other services on land, on sea and in the air. They provide protection for their own in those various locations throughout the region at the same time.

I reflected on the men and women in my own electorate of Groom—locals and those who have joined us for a period over the years at the Army aviation training centre at the Swartz Barracks at Oakey, and the 7th Signal Regiment Electronic Warfare unit at the Borneo Barracks at Cabarlah. Both of these bases were recognised by many of those that I saw on deployment in the Middle East. It was particularly good to catch up with the son of a very good friend of mine and to spend some time with a chap who was a former school captain from Toowoomba in my own electorate—and what a fine chap he is!

More recently, as I've returned home, I've been contacted by another serving member currently on deployment in the Middle East and originally from my own community on the Darling Downs as part of a farming family. Like so many other regions of Australia, ours has a very proud military tradition, and I am simply in awe of those we engaged with in the Middle East.

The program has filled in some of my knowledge regarding our defence architecture. Like others in this parliament, I've been honoured to be a member of the Defence Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit—which reviews defence expenditure amongst other things—and, of course, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, which scrutinises large expenditure—more often than not in Defence.

Then to spend time with people on the ground, training, living, dining, laughing with them and philosophising with them, in the case of being in and around the theatre of conflict, was truly a magnificent opportunity. I don't wish to reveal any confidentialities here, but suffice it to say that of those who escorted us, the two majors, were amongst the most generous, patient, professional and engaging chaps I've ever dealt with. I'm in awe of them and all of their colleagues. I congratulate them, I applaud them and, above all else, I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they do for our country, the time they spend away from their families and what they're doing for my family as well.