Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I joined colleagues in the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on a delegation to Perth. We visited HMAS Stuart, RAAF Base Pearce and Irwin Barracks. In my committee roles and my role as a federal member I've been afforded an enormous number of opportunities to engage with members of the Australian Defence Force.

The ADF Parliamentary Program offers brief internship programs for current service men and women to connect them with policymakers and the parliamentary process, and we do likewise with them. It's an exchange. We spend up to a week with them and they spend a week with us. I'm not sure who gets the short straw.

Each of my ADF PP interns has exemplified the professionalism and can-do attitude of our ADF, which is absolutely world renowned. One of my first interns was the Royal Australian Navy's Commander Jacqueline Swinton, an accomplished legal officer. Jackie still comes to visit me regularly in my office at APH.

Today I'm excited to welcome Squadron Leader Sarah Robin of the RAAF, whose work in training and advising Australia's air-battle management and electronic warfare units, among others, ensures that we can contend with emerging threats. Welcome Squadron Leader Robin, and thank you to the ADF and the parliament for facilitating such a fantastic program.