Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion and thank the member for Lyne for bringing it before the House. This motion matters because it recognises two things at once: first, the long service record by women in the Australian Defence Force and, second, the very deliberate reforms that are changing the shape of the force today.

For more than a century, Australian women have served, initially in nursing support roles and often in a volunteer capacity and without recognition or equal opportunity. Australian author Miles Franklin was a volunteer orderly and cook with the Scottish Women's Hospital in Macedonia from 1917 to 1918, supporting the Serbian army during World War I, working at the Ostrovo field hospital under extremely difficult conditions, treating wounded soldiers and fighting the typhus epidemic. In more recent times, Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel's story as the sole survivor of the 1942 Bangka Island massacre has become widely known and celebrated, and I join with the member for Bullwinkel's remarks about that extraordinary story and life of service.

Today, women are engaged across all services and make up more than 25 per cent of new recruits each year. I personally joined the signals corps in the Australian Army Reserve, and back then was a time when women's roles were perhaps more limited. Notwithstanding that we were trained for combat, we invariably didn't have combat-facing roles to serve within. Since then, there's been real progress. All roles in the ADF have been open to women since 2016, serving across the land, the sea, the air, cyber and space. Importantly, we're on track to increase women's participation further over the next decade, driven by our stronger recruitment and better retention strategies.

The outstanding performance of our female officers is being recognised. Three were made members of the Order of Australia this year: Air Commodore Maria Brick, for her service in legal work and staff appointments; Group Captain Aleisha Broadhead, for her contributions to the F-35A Lightning II introduction and to air traffic management; and Wing Commander Nadia Harrison, for developing expeditionary cyberspace capabilities. And there were many more who were recognised for their professionalism and achievements.

Earlier this year, at the last post ceremony marking the commencement of parliament, I had the opportunity to meet a number of women serving at the very centre of defence leadership. These are not symbolic roles; they are operational, high-trust positions supporting the most senior leaders in the ADF. They include Captain Olivia Bowman-Wall, serving as the aide-de-camp to the Chief of the Defence Force, Flight Lieutenant Ayah Khalid, the aide-de-camp to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant Geraldine Gray of the Royal Australian Navy, aide-de-camp to the Chief of Personnel, Lieutenant Millicent Nye, aide-de-camp to the Chief of Joint Capabilities, and Flight Lieutenant Leah Park, aide-de-camp to the Minister for Defence Industry. These roles require judgement, discretion and a detailed understanding of how Defence operates at the highest level. They are often given to people who are expected to hold significant leadership roles and positions in the future. Alongside them I also met two of the most senior officers in the ADF, Lieutenant General Natasha Fox, AO CSC, Chief of Personnel, who is responsible for the workforce that underpins the entire Defence organisation, and Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, AM CSC DSM, Chief of Joint Capabilities, the first woman to lead a warfighting capability domain in the ADF. These are not modest achievements. They reflect a Defence Force that is beginning to shift at its most senior levels, something that has taken time and care to achieve and something we can all be proud of.

I was very proud to have my picture taken alongside these women. Our modern Defence Force cannot afford to draw from only part of the population; it needs the full range of talent, skills and experience available to it. The pipeline matters. Recruitment is strong. Early retention is improving. But command-track participation and senior representation are where the next gains must be made. So today we recognise more than a century of service. We recognise the women who have served when opportunities were limited and those serving today with far greater scope. To all the women who have served and continue to serve in the Australian Defence Force directly and those who work in support of their partners who are active members: your service is strengthening the Australian Defence Force, and I thank you.

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