Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition for their words. Sudden tragedy is arresting. It is literally unbelievable. There is an almost tangible feeling that the person who walked through the door yesterday will walk through the door again tomorrow. This is all the more so when that tragedy is playing out in public, when unexpected and unfamiliar cameras and news reports, which are normally telling the story of the world, are suddenly telling a story about you and your pain. For the families of these four man, this has been a massive tear in the fabric of their lives. It's been a chasm, a moment which will define a before and an after, and it has been completely surreal. Yet there are four very real people involved. There is real tragedy and there is real loss.

Danniel Lyon was a born leader. He lit up a room when he entered. He had a rare ability to connect and he touched so many people in his life. Be it on the football field or in uniform, people looked to Danniel, and they followed him. Max Nugent, with a wicked sense of humour, tall and gangly, not really the physique to fly a helicopter, was so determined, in a way which characterised his life, to pursue his dream of aviation that when he did actually sit in the seat those around him discovered that he was a natural aviator. Phil Laycock was the oldest of the group, mature and a father of three. 'Serious' and 'dutiful' are words which have been used to describe him. In 2014 he was the Army Aviation Corps Soldier of the Year, a man to be admired. And Alex Naggs was a private person but a person who was generous, hardworking and caring, the kind of person you'd want on your team. What's really clear in speaking with the families and reading their words is the presence that each of these four men had in their lives and, correspondingly, the hole which has now been left.

On the night of this accident, these four men were participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre. It is the biggest exercise of the Australian Defence Force, which occurs every two years. Obviously, in its exercise, the Defence Force seeks to replicate as much as possible what would happen in combat. Otherwise there's no point to the exercise. So this is dangerous. It carries necessary risk—on this occasion, flying a helicopter in the dark of night over water at very low altitude with stealth. We don't yet know what went wrong on that tragic night. We will find out.

What we do know is that this exercise was demonstrating Australia's capability and demonstrating it with our partners. As such, it had a strong deterrent effect and, accordingly, was playing its part in maintaining the peace and security of the region in which we live. On the night of this accident, those four men, in getting into that helicopter, were making a difference. Their sacrifice is as meaningful as that of any who have lost their life wearing our nation's uniform. So today our nation honours them. We honour them in the history of the Army Aviation Corps, we honour them in the history of the Australian Defence Force and we honour them for their service to our nation. Lest we forget.

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