Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise, sadly, to support the remarks of the Prime Minister regarding the tragic loss of Sergeant Todd Langley in Afghanistan earlier this week, and I commend the contribution of the other speakers as well, including the Leader of the Opposition. Sergeant Langley died on the battlefield in southern Afghanistan serving with the Special Operations Task Group and an Afghan National Security Forces team. The group were engaged by insurgents and, in the ensuing battle, Sergeant Langley was fatally shot.

I heard Defence Force chief General David Hurley, in what must surely be a very tough start to a new job, describe Sergeant Langley as:

A devoted family man … an exemplary warrior, a true leader who always brought out the best in those around him.

He was a brave and professional soldier who never took a backwards step …

Those were exactly the circumstances when Sergeant Langley's life was taken. The 35-year-old soldier was a very experienced member of the ADF, he was on his fifth deployment to Afghanistan and he had also undertaken two deployments to East Timor—so seven tours of duty. This is a particularly brave Australian that we are talking about. Sergeant Langley was awarded two Commendations for Distinguished Service and a Unit Citation for Gallantry. Is it any wonder that he was, is and always will be such an inspiration to his fellow soldiers—in fact, to all of us, I would suggest?

Sadly, Sergeant Langley is Australia's 28th fatality in Afghanistan and the seventh this year alone. Too often we have been standing here commemorating those that have lost their lives. We also need to recall the 180 soldiers who have also been wounded in Afghanistan, some quite horribly, with devastating consequences for the rest of their lives. We all share the burden and grief for every father, son and husband killed in the service of this great nation. Over 100,000 Australians have made this sacrifice since Federation. Sergeant Langley, sadly, paid the ultimate price for carrying out Australia's important mission in Afghanistan, which is to prevent that country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists. We all know how the Taliban and al-Qaeda thrive in such conditions, so this mission that Sergeant Langley lost his life in the service of saves lives. We know this, whether we go and stand in New York at Ground Zero, go to Mumbai, go to Bali or go to the other parts of the world where terror has been allowed to breed. We know that Sergeant Langley paid the ultimate price saving Australian lives. The Labor government and the opposition remain committed to this objective, and we also support the strong determination of the international community to transition to an Afghan-led security environment during 2014. So there is a plan to carry out the task that Sergeant Langley has been doing, and Australia remains in Afghanistan, with 47 other countries, to carry out our United Nations mandated mission.

I know that these are mere words and they will not bring back a father or a husband. I especially acknowledge how tough it must be for Sergeant Langley's grieving daughters and son, and I hope that these words in the years to come will be some comfort. But they are mere words. For the 27 soldiers who have lost their lives before in Afghanistan, and even the 100,000 before Afghanistan, we know that they are mere words. I am reminded of that poem by Wilfred Owen—'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.' I know they are only words, but it is better to say something in these circumstances. So I hope that the Margaret River community, where Sergeant Langley came from, and his parents, Val and Neville, take some comfort from the fact that we acknowledge and are proud of the sacrifice that Sergeant Langley has made. I extend my deepest sympathy to the entire family of Sergeant Langley; all of his friends and comrades still in the military; and those that have recently left. I thank them all for the sacrifices that they have made to Australia's security. Lest we forget.

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