Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From October 1942 to October 1943, the Japanese army forced around 60,000 prisoners of war, including 13,000 Australians and roughly 200,000 civilians, mostly Burmese and Malayan, to build a railway linking Thailand and Burma. One of those 13,000 Australians was my father. I have spoken many times in this place about the Second World War and what influence this has had on my life and my family's life—the influence of leadership and mateship in war.

The 2/40th Infantry Battalion was the only battalion in the Australian Imperial Force recruited almost entirely from Tasmania. The 2/40th prisoners spent the first seven months of their captivity interned in a camp at Usapa Besar. A small party of senior officers were shipped to Java on 26 July, and the rest of the prisoners on Timor followed in September. From Java, the 2/40th prisoners were dispersed throughout Japan's conquered territories. They were liberated in late August and early September 1945 and repatriated to Australia almost immediately.

The sacrifices my father made for his country during his service and after have stayed with me and always will. I often think of all those who have served and who will serve this country. Their stories will be remembered, and they deserve to be told to all so that we can learn from their experiences. The fact that my father served in the ADF has shaped my life in so many different ways. If it wasn't for his service to his country, I might not be standing before you in this place in my capacity as a senator for Tasmania.

I encouraged and supported my nephew Steven to take up the opportunity of service within the ADF, and I must say he has served the ADF well and the ADF have served him well. He has now served more than 25 years in the Royal Australian Navy. My youngest daughter also had experience in the Navy as a younger woman. So my family's had a long tradition of serving in the ADF. I have another nephew who served in the Australian Army.

It is for these reasons and many other reasons that I recently jumped at the opportunity to join the wonderful men and women of our ADF and sail aboard the HMAS Canberra as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. This brief but extraordinary experience is one I will cherish for the rest of my life. I want to pay homage to the wonderful men and women of HMAS Canberra this evening.

I was provided with an overarching experience while on the ship, but I believe I only touched the surface in terms of what the great sailors aboard the HMAS Canberra actually do on a daily basis. These are men and women who work exceptionally hard every day, 12 to 14 hours a day, when they are at sea on operations. And you never really are off duty when you are aboard the ship. These young men and women have such immense responsibility but operate at full capacity each and every day.

At a micro level, the Royal Australian Navy provides maritime forces that contribute to the Australian Defence Force's capability to defend Australia. The Navy contributes to regional security, supports global interests, shapes the strategic environment and protects national interest. It is a significant task. But, at all times on board, I could see how important the men and women saw their duty to defend our country and our interests in the Pacific and beyond. I was fortunate enough to spend six nights on board the HMAS Canberra.

We have to also remember that, as an island nation, the sea is Australia's lifeblood. Australians are dependent upon it. Trade travels by sea, and therefore Australia's economy, prosperity and way of life count on the sea.

The logistics alone are amazing to see in action, like bringing food services together. It's proven that good food boosts the crew's morale, and the chefs aboard the HMAS Canberra did a marvellous job—which is why they are some of the most popular crew on board. It was wonderful to see equality with regard to the food being served. All on board, regardless of their rank, received the same food, from the junior mess right up to the commander.

It was a pleasure to meet with the engineering department, the doctor and the medical officers on board and to hear about their work. I also had the opportunity to participate in and observe the assessment of the crew's CPR certification, which they must do on an annual basis. The longer I spent aboard the more I understood the mentality of the crew, the more I felt part of their family. The selflessness of their character is ingrained, and their strength of character was on show at all times.

I think the thing that impacted me the most was the respect that they had for each other and for their commanding officers as well as the way they respected me for being on board and being open to having conversations around what is important to them and why they serve our country. They serve to secure our democracy.

It was wonderful to spend time with engineers when they had one of the many exercises. There was engine failure, there was flooding, there were people injured and there was a fire. To see that crew working together was simply amazing. One of their very highly qualified engineers, who is better known as 'Speedy', took the time to explain to me and Luke, who accompanied me on board, the importance of these drills and exercises to ensure that the crew are ready to serve this country. At the end of the day, we know that they can be required to serve this country at very short notice, so the skills of the crew are so essential. The commitment of the crew was highly professional. They personally strove to do the best they could each and every single day.

I had the opportunity to meet 50 of the ADF gap-year students. That was another amazing opportunity for me to hear why these young people have chosen to do their gap year with the Royal Australian Navy. I heard that so many of them, already, after their initial training, are determined to serve our country and sign up to the Navy.

Recruitment is an ongoing challenge for the ADF and generally for the Navy. The dialogue with officers and crew members throughout the time that I spent aboard discussing recruitment and retention gave me a far better insight into those challenges. Since COVID, the Navy has not had the opportunity to travel as much offshore as it normally did in the past. Let's be frank: most people join the Navy so they can see the world. What I found was quite extraordinary—being part of that crew, living, eating and working alongside them.

I had the good fortune of dining with the commander of the vessel, Captain Brendan O'Hara. I heard how excited he was to talk about his Kingswood. He was also very proud that his wife was still driving a Datsun 120Y. The officers made me feel very welcome. One of the things that impacted me greatly was seeing the impact the late senator Kimberley Kitching, when she went through that program, had on that crew. It was absolutely amazing and really reinforced not only what a bright light she was in this place but that she touched people wherever she went. I heard how shocked they were, when they were watching the news, to hear that she had passed away just nine months after being on their vessel.

I'd also like to give a shout-out to Lieutenant Commander Jen Neuhaus, who made sure that I had the opportunity to meet all the staff and visit every single part of that ship—going up and down 51 ladders in one day and 44 on another. So I got to really experience what it is like. (Time expired)