Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition fully supports the statements made by Senator Evans. We join in offering our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Sergeant Brett Till. Sergeant Till was killed in Afghanistan on 19 March 2009 and, though we offered our condolences in the Senate that day, we were not aware of his personal details. We are now able to pay tribute to Sergeant Till’s contribution and service to a proud nation.

Sergeant Till was an explosive ordnance disposal technician—one of the most dangerous jobs there can be. He served with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan. He joined the Army in 2001. He was a dedicated husband and father, which makes his passing all the more tragic. His own father has stated how proud he was of his son for his devotion to his wife and children, for his selfless concern for the wellbeing of others and for his dedication to his mates and his country.

Sergeant Till was the 10th casualty in Afghanistan. He was killed in the same week as Corporal Matthew Hopkins. It was a week that brought very much to the forefront of Australians the challenge we face in Afghanistan. The ever present dangers that our ADF personnel face in overseas operations are a constant concern, especially for those of us who, like Senator Evans and me, are either in or have been in cabinet and responsible for overseas deployments. We all value the service of our ADF personnel wherever they serve and we support their continued work against the Taliban in Afghanistan. That task is of the utmost importance. Our service men and women have our full support, and we genuinely and sincerely respect their service and commitment to this great country.

We in the opposition join the government in recognising the importance to our national security of the continuing involvement of Australian troops in Afghanistan in their great endeavours to bring peace and stability to that country and stop it ever again being used as a base for the global terrorist activities of groups like al-Qaeda.

Australian personnel are performing a tremendous task and our thoughts are with all of Sergeant Till’s colleagues and all the friends and families of Australian personnel in Afghanistan, and particularly to the families of all soldiers that we have spoken about on this occasion and in the past in this chamber. We join the government in honouring the bravery and service of Sergeant Till. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife and children on the loss of a husband and a father. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, and we thank them for their sacrifice.