Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | Hansard source

Prior to making comment, I would like to acknowledge the fact that the member for Herbert has always been steadfast in his resolve when standing up for veterans issues and when standing up for our ADF personnel. He is, and I think always will be, straight of eye and true of limb when it comes to that task, and the people of Herbert are well served in my opinion. You've got a fair dinkum bloke there who's doing the right thing for you and your electorate.

In speaking on this important motion, I would like to read to you now from the member for Herbert's press release:

As we remember the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, today we mark a year since the deployment of a brave contingent of Australian Defence Force personnel for the evacuation operation.

…   …   …

Despite the images of chaos being beamed around the world—pictures of men, women and children clinging to aircraft trying to escape the Taliban, and the ever-present threat of terrorist attack—our men and women answered the call to service without question.

The selfless actions of those who deployed enabled the rescue of 4100 people—Australian citizens and refugees—

and internally displaced people—

from a life of oppression at the hands of an illegitimate government. While the Afghan people may have lost their city and country, our ADF ensured that they did not lose their lives.

The press release stated:

This was no ordinary deployment. In the face of extreme danger, brave soldiers from Townsville's 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, along with other attachments, put themselves in harm's way to rescue others.

The 1st Battalion has a very esteemed history. The 1st Battalion—'Big Blue One'—of the Royal Australian Regiment was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Brigade in 1945 and since that time has seen active service in the Korean War, the Malayan emergency, the Vietnam War, the Unified Task Force in Somalia; and in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. The battalion has also been deployed on peacekeeping operations in Rifle Company Butterworth, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, Tonga, the Philippines and many more.

The 1st Battalion remains one of the Australian Army's most heavily deployed units, and that unit has contributed to domestic support on countless occasions. It has been a year since the 1st Battalion evacuated Kabul, and I recall two brave, young junior NCOs being awarded the Jonathan Church Good Soldiering Award. Their names were Corporal Quinn Jensen and Corporal Matt Reid. That award is annually awarded to junior soldiers and officers who personify compassionate and ethical soldiering. The Hassett trophy for outstanding junior leadership was also borne by these two, when they located a group of young female soccer players and evacuated them safely. Together, they were part of a team that facilitated the evacuation of more than 4,100 refugees and IDPs.

In affording this recognition, most would be aware that the Australian Active Service Medal has a 30-day qualifying criterion. Again, I would like to commend the member for Herbert's action and support in fighting for the Operational Service Medal which was awarded to that unit. But they deserve more. This was an operation like no other. We sit in this place often, and we listen to the speeches that are made but rarely—so rarely—do many understand what really goes on on the ground. I think this motion has merit. I think this motion personifies the effort that the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and those attachments displayed during that evacuation and the professionalism that that unit has always shown. It is no doubt deserving of, and has my highest support for, a higher award when it comes to unit recognition.

Finally, I want to thank the officers and the soldiers—all those deployed on that dangerous operation. I want to sincerely thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. You should be eternally proud of the job that you did for the people of Afghanistan and of Kabul. You should not resile from the fact that you belong to the finest battalion of the Australian Regular Army. (Time expired)

See this speech in context