Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

There is nothing more important than life. Any loss of life is sad, but a life cut short as a result of terrorism is a tragedy. The hate and horror that is experienced through violent extremists is a blight on the global society and has absolutely no place in humanity. We in this place must do everything we can to stop any and all acts of terror on our shores and abroad. That's why I want to speak in support of this motion recognising the up-and-coming International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. I'd like to take this opportunity to remember those we've lost to terrorist attacks—men, women, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mates—every single one of them with more of their life to live and more of themselves to give. Many of them left behind family members who will never be the same and will spend the rest of their own lives mourning the loss of their loved ones.

So we must never take for granted our democracy and the freedoms we have. We must always protect our rights to freedom of speech and expression through the democratic process. The senseless taking of life based on some sort of political motivation is never okay. In that vein, I want to reflect on the contribution of our law enforcement, our national security agencies and the Australian Defence Force. The men and women of these organisations who risk their own lives to preserve the safety of others deserve our full respect and our gratitude. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that the average person has no idea about, but it's protecting our nation each and every day from the threat of terrorism. For that, I want to say thank you.

I found myself in our nation's fight against terrorism in Afghanistan in 2009 with the Australian Army. We fought the Taliban there so we didn't have to fight them here. We cleared IEDs to preserve life and allow civilians to live their lives and get ahead. We built schools for girls and wells for communities. We did as much as we could to keep the terrorists at bay. I've detailed a number of times in this place the toll that took. I lost mates in country who died wearing the Australian uniform. I've lost mates at home who have succumbed to their war within. I've got friends who have lost limbs, and I suffered permanent injuries from an IED explosion. And almost a year ago, when the Taliban took back Kabul, our nation's bravest returned into the belly of the beast to evacuate thousands of civilian men, women and children. They may have lost their city and country, but our ADF heeded the call to ensure that they didn't lose their lives. These are brave, selfless actions that we must all honour here today.

I want to put on the record that the Taliban are a terrorist organisation; they are no government. Just this year, on the first day of school in Afghanistan, eager female students were arriving for class to learn, to get an education—a fundamental right for children around the world. These Afghan girls were met with closed gates and armed Taliban guards. Girls in Afghanistan are not allowed to get an education, not allowed to learn. We must condemn these disgusting acts from this terrorist group. We must reaffirm that this terrorist group is no friend to democracy, no friend of Australia and no friend to the young girls of Afghanistan.

So many Australians have given up their entire lives to ensure the safety of others. As we remember the victims of terrorism, we must also remember those who became victims because they were fighting it head-on. Sadly, the fight will go on. And that's why we must continue to invest in the services and agencies that protect us and keep us safe. Because of our focus on keeping Australians safe, 144 people have been charged in 71 counterterrorism related operations around Australia since 2014. In a time when the national terrorism threat level was raised to 'probable', that is literally dozens of terrorist attacks that never happened because of the hard work and the intelligence gathering of our agencies. To ASIO, the AFP, the Australian Defence Force—to the many agencies that keep us safe—I want to say thank you. Thank you for your hard work in ensuring that we can live the lives we live today.

To all those who have lost a loved one to terrorism, I offer my sincere condolences. And to those who fight every day against the threat of terror, thank you—you have our utmost respect and support.

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