Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker Livermore, this is the first occasion that I have had the opportunity to see you in the chair. A wonderful thing it is.

Can I follow on from my friend the member for Bass and offer my sympathy at the death of Corporal Richard Atkinson. I express my condolences to his fiancee, Dannielle; his parents, Ross and Kate; his brother, James; and sister-in-law, Sumah. I would also extend my thoughts to Corporal Atkinson’s comrades in the Australian Defence Force. I know that operational deaths are felt deeply across the wider defence family. As we know, Corporal Atkinson was born in Hobart in 1988, which is one year after I joined this parliament. He joined the Army in 2007 and he successfully completed his recruitment combat engineer basic training prior to being posted to the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment based in Darwin. Corporal Atkinson was just 22 years old when he was killed as a result of an improvised explosive device in the Tangi Valley in the Deh Rawud region of Afghanistan. He was participating in a partnered patrol with the Afghan National Army. As a result of the IED blast, a second soldier was seriously injured, and he is in a satisfactory condition.

I was fortunate enough to visit Robertson Barracks, in Darwin, just as Corporal Atkinson and his colleagues were due to deploy to Afghanistan last year, following extensive preparation. More recently I was in Afghanistan—only a fortnight ago—with many of his comrades, prior to his unfortunate death. This week I contacted Brigadier Gus McLachlan, Commander 1 Brigade in Darwin. He assured me that he had made all the necessary support arrangements for the family of Corporal Atkinson.

I know that Corporal Atkinson displayed strong leadership in bringing his section together during their preparation for operations in Afghanistan. I know that Corporal Atkinson was an outstanding career soldier, and this has been testified to by Brigadier McLachlan on a number of occasions. He was also a decorated soldier, having been awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with Clasp: International Coalition Against Terrorism, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the NATO Medal with Clasp: International Security Assistance Force, the Australian Defence Medal and the Army Combat Badge.

Corporal Atkinson died serving his country and is owed a great debt of gratitude which we know can never be repaid. He has brought honour to our nation, the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Army and, most especially, his family. While I know that I never met Corporal Atkinson, those who knew him describe him as a ‘funny man, always putting smiles on other people’s faces’, and a person with a real taste for adventure. Corporal Atkinson’s commanding officer, Major David French, spoke of his professionalism. He said in the eulogy at Tarin Kowt:

Akka was never happier than when he was on the job and he was bloody good at it …

A ramp ceremony will be held later today at RAAF Base Darwin to honour the arrival of Corporal Richard Atkinson back in Australia. He will be mourned but honoured by his colleagues, for whom he was a mate. On behalf of the government and myself, I offer whatever support I can provide to Richard Atkinson’s family and friends through this difficult time and assure him and them that the sacrifice of this astounding young soldier will be remembered. We will not forget him.

I will conclude by making an observation. I said at the outset that this young man was born one year after I was first elected to this parliament. I do not regard myself as being that old, but he was one year older than my son. When you visit and speak to Australian Defence Force personnel, these brave young men and women who serve this nation, you see that the cream of Australian youth have joined the Australian Defence Force to defend our nation and you see how proudly they wear that uniform, how justly proud they are of the job they do. The sacrifices they make on our behalf can never be underestimated and I do not think are often properly understood. They show enormous valour and courage.

Corporal Atkinson’s service to this nation epitomises the sacrifice that has been made by so many in the past for all of us, so when we mourn his passing we need to celebrate his life and the contribution he has made. It is no easy thing to say goodbye to your family, put on the uniform and carry a weapon, because immediately you do that it demands things of you that those of us not in uniform can never really contemplate. So I say to his comrades and to his family that we do appreciate and really value the service that he has given to our great nation. It should make us all the more determined to ensure that, as all of our Australian Defence Force members, wherever they may be, carry that uniform with such great pride, we take pride in making sure they have got the wherewithal to do the task that we require of them.

Lest we forget.

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