John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I can report that after my meetings in Europe I visited Afghanistan to meet with Australian Defence Force personnel based at Tarin Kowt in order to obtain first-hand information about the situation there and the critically important role the ADF is playing in Oruzgan province. At Tarin Kowt I met with troops from the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force as well as leaders of the Special Operations Task Group. I received very detailed briefings on the progress of the conflict in Oruzgan and ongoing reconstruction efforts. I can say that, as you would expect, on behalf of the government and us all I expressed our thanks and our gratitude to our troops for their magnificent efforts facing considerable hardship and risk. (Time expired)