Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to take up the great honour of speaking on this condolence motion and paying tribute to Sergeant Brett Mathew Wood MG. He is the 24th soldier to have lost his life and paid the supreme sacrifice for our nation in Afghanistan. I honour Sergeant Wood and I honour his family for the sacrifices they have made and for their struggles in the time of great sadness that they are enduring at the moment.

There are some things in this world that are worth fighting for. There are some things where there cannot be any other way apart from picking up a weapon and fighting. It is tragic, but that is the sad reality. The other part of that reality is that when people fight someone ends up dying, and that is what we are here to talk about today. Sergeant Wood, an exemplary soldier with impeccable credentials and years of dedication to the service and interests of his nation, has given his life in combat in Afghanistan. That is a tragedy, and we are here to pay tribute to his life and to his contribution to our nation.

Sergeant Wood was a veteran of Bougainville, of East Timor, of Iraq and of Afghanistan. He had been pretty much everywhere on behalf of his country; when the nation called him to all those spots he answered. Above all that, on 17 July 2006, he was awarded one of the highest bravery decorations that this country can bestow on anybody. On that day he was incredibly important in assisting an infantry company of the United States Army, the 10th Mountain Division, to regain their momentum. Despite being wounded early in the battle, he fought throughout the entire afternoon, providing leadership, determination and outrageous courage and bravery to see the enemy defeated and the momentum of the advance resumed. We are not talking about just any complicated battlefield. We are talking here about difficult visibility. We are talking about the enemy firing from compounds which in many ways are akin to small forts—a very difficult situation indeed. Sergeant Wood was the sort of highly professional soldier that we know Australians are capable of being. He was the one who, despite his own injuries, his own wounds and his own concerns was able to continue to fight and turn the tide of the battle on that day, 17 July 2006. And so it was, as a result of his efforts on that day, that he was awarded the Medal for Gallantry.

Unfortunately, on 23 May this year, Sergeant Wood MG was killed by an improvised explosive device. When you consider what this man had been through throughout his career, his overseas service and the events of 2006, I suspect he was the sort of person who could not be killed by the enemy directly. The only way the enemy could take him out was by this tragic incident involving an improvised explosive device. It is a tragedy that this great man, this great Australian, lost his life.

When we think about those sacrifices that Australians have made, about the soldiers who have died and the families who have lost their loved ones it is normal for some Australians to think: what is the point? There is no doubt that there have been advancements. Ground has been taken and provinces within Afghanistan are much safer now than they used to be. Military objectives have been achieved. We are proud of that and we absolutely support that. But there is more to it than just that. There is a societal return for the sacrifices that our soldiers are making. Our soldiers have turned the path and have made life for the Taliban and the terrorists extremely difficult in Afghanistan. But they have also made great advancements for society in Afghanistan.

Whilst we may not ever see the sort of democracy that we know and love here in Australia implemented in Afghanistan—although I certainly hope for that—we have seen a different attitude, as was reported last year, in that 70 per cent of Afghan people believe that the future for their children will be a safer and better one. There is a lot to be said for that. So many young girls are now allowed to go to school. That is a good thing and worth fighting for. Literacy levels are up and the total number of children who are going to school is up. These are good things and they have been achieved by the Australians, the Americans, the Dutch, the Macedonians and others. Those people have been fighting there and have been prepared to say: 'It is a good thing to be here; it is a good thing to be prepared to fight for a better world and a better Afghanistan—an Afghanistan where the future will be moderate and where, as much as possible, the future will be democratic and where terrorism will never again be allowed to reign in Afghanistan.'

When we look back on the sacrifices of Sergeant Wood MG and others and on the tragic loss of the latest two soldiers, we should be very certain that what they died for was a good cause. As I said at the start, there are good things in this world and sometimes we have just got to fight for them.

I pay tribute to Sergeant Wood, to his service to our great country and I extend my condolences to his family for the loss they have suffered. We in this place share a bipartisan approach to Afghanistan: we will be there until the job is done. I applaud all those who fight for our country and we honour them as great Australians. On this occasion we honour the very great and most excellent soldier Sergeant Brett Matthew Wood MG.

Mike Kelly (Eden-Monaro, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Cowan on his comments and his heartfelt appreciation for the services of Sergeant Wood. One of the great things about parliament is the way we are able to rally around our troops in a bipartisan way. One of the signal beauties of this parliament is that we can do that. It is based on an understanding and a knowledge of the people we are talking about. We share the experiences of having to go to the ramp ceremonies together and meeting and dealing with the families and getting out there and meeting with the men and women of the ADF as well. It has been tremendous in these last few years in particular to see the participation by members of parliament in the ADF's parliamentary exchange program. Many members have voluntarily taken the opportunity to get out there and meet with all our men and woman and understand all they go through not only in the service in operations but in all of the hard work and sacrifices they make to even be in the position to deploy into those environments. So I salute all members of parliament who have participated in that and have shared the experiences of our men and women, including, of course, the member for Kooyong, who is here today, who was with me most recently on that exchange program in Afghanistan.

Now we come to salute the service, the life and the achievements of Sergeant Brett Wood, and it is so fitting that we do so, because if there is one individual who really epitomises all that is fine, all that is good in the men and women of our defence forces it certainly is Sergeant Brett Wood. This was in every way an outstanding soldier and a soldier who was one of our excellent senior NCOs. How much do the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force depend on the high quality of our NCOs? In these sorts of environments in Afghanistan they often talk about the role of the strategic corporal, the strategic NCO, because these environments place so much pressure, so much responsibility on the decisions that the corporals and sergeants make on the ground. They can make or break a mission by what they do and how they perform.

Sergeant Brett Wood was a man who typifies a lot of the reservists in our organisation today who have had previous experience in the Regular Army and in his case coming from Ferntree Gully in Victoria he joined the Regular Army in 1996. After recruit training he was part of one of our finest units, the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, which itself has a wonderful history going back to its days in Vietnam and Long Tan, a very storied regiment that I was proud to have a lot of association with. He went on to undertake the very demanding, very rigorous commando selection and training processes which are incredibly demanding of the individual in every possible way, mental and physical stress. He met the standards of excellence above and beyond what we normally ask for from the men and women of our Defence Force to become part of the 4th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, now known as 2 Commando, in November 1998.

The member for Cowan has mentioned his operational service in Bougainville and Timor and Iraq. He was involved in his third tour of his operational experience in Afghanistan when he met his untimely death in the circumstances of an improvised explosive device detonation. These devices are such an insidious weapon. People should appreciate the extra stress and strain that that adds to just the daily experience of patrolling in that environment, never knowing when you will encounter one of these devices and whether it will mean the loss of limbs or your death, knowing that in some cases serious maiming is a worse fate to endure than death itself. It is an incredibly stressful experience to go through and we ask our men and women to do that on a daily basis in Afghanistan, and they do it. While we were in Afghanistan just recently, the member for Kooyong and I were briefed on the latest developments in the improvised explosive device tactics of the enemy. It is something that we focus on very heavily in terms of our countermeasures. We have a counter-IED task force in our weapons technical intelligence teams constantly working on ways to improve the way we approach dealing with these insidious weapons, which it must be said injure and kill far more civilians than they do the military personnel in Afghanistan. It is a devastating weapon for all those civilians as well as our own dearly appreciated and loved casualties. Sergeant Brett Wood was a special soldier. As mentioned by the member for Cowan, he received the Medal for Gallantry which indicates what a courageous man he was. This medal ranks second in the gallantry decorations and is awarded to military personnel for acts of gallantry in action or hazardous circumstances. It was a richly deserved decoration for the performance that Sergeant Brett Wood rendered in very difficult and demanding circumstances in the field.

He was in every way a professional, in every way an outstanding soldier, and he will be a great loss to our organisation. Every time you come here to speak—I know the member for Cowan will feel the same way, and I am currently still a member of the reserves as well—you always feel like you have lost someone in the family when we experience this. It never gets any easier. Of course, it will be doubly so for the members of Sergeant Brett Wood's family and particularly his loving wife and family.

We take to our heart, our thoughts and our prayers his family today and we make that commitment to be with them through this. They have made some wonderful statements, as we have heard from the Prime Minister today. That is one of the very special experiences which I think we have all had in dealing with these families—how courageous they are in the face of these losses. They have almost universally indicated that they feel their sons were doing an important job and that they would like the nation to maintain faith with our men and women in the field for the work that they are doing.

They are incredibly courageous people. Other members of the commando fraternity have had dealings with families through the loss of Private Greg Sher, who was another wonderful example of that outstanding fraternity, and his family is just so impressive and so inspiring. I continue to be in contact with his parents who are outstanding members of the community in Melbourne and proud members of the Jewish community there.

I salute you, Sergeant Brett Wood. You will not be forgotten. You have written an outstanding page in the fine traditions and history of the Australian Army, which has a tradition full of so many wonderful stories. Your story will stand out in that collection.

As the member for Cowan mentioned, in the circumstances of these losses we reflect on where we are at in Afghanistan and whether those losses continue to be worth while and continue to mean something. Certainly, having just returned from Afghanistan, we have seen some tremendous signs of progress on the ground. I feel it is one of the proud achievements of the government that we were able to reorient the strategy that was being applied on the ground in Afghanistan. We see there now a deeper understanding of how we apply counterinsurgency tactics in a situation like this.

It is one of the reasons we created the Civil-Military Centre of Excellence in Queanbeyan, which is doing an outstanding job of reorienting the approach of a whole-of-government strategy for environments like this. We see that perfectly illustrated on the ground in Afghanistan in the way the provincial reconstruction team—which I should emphasise is a multinational effort directed primarily by the efforts of AusAID personnel—is at the centre of the primary scheme of manoeuvre of the commanders in Combined Team Uruzgan.

This is exactly how the mission should be shaped. Instead of being an orphan child or an adjunct to that mission, the mission is wrapped around them because this is the way that we achieve our ticket out of Afghanistan. We build the capacity of governance, of rule of law, of the security sector in Afghanistan and we can get our people out of harm's way. We cannot leave it—as has been said so often—as a vacuum for those terrible terrorism elements to continue to exploit as they had prior to operations in 2001, when they had the full resources and capability of the state to support their effort.

We observed some of the wonderful projects that are underway there—the Sorkh Murghab mosque in Oruzgan that has been completed and is in operation; the wonderful girls school, a beautiful facility, that is not far from completion and that will cater for 750 children; the boys school, which is already complete; and the trade and training centre, at which our engineers are operating and training Afghans, sending them out equipped with tools to go straight into jobs in the construction industry. The wonderful work our Australian Federal Police are doing at the Defence Police Training Centre is starting to make some progress now in an area which has been problematic. But it is one area where we are seeing signs of improvement and I really salute the work of our Australian Federal Police in that effort in difficult circumstances. There has also been great progress in creating that security bubble within which good governance can flourish.

We were at Patrol Base Wali, which is seeing that integration with Afghan security forces in increasing the security space beyond where it has ever previously been in our experience in Afghanistan. There has been tremendous progress in that respect in the last eight months. The key to the effort there is whether that can be sustained through the so-called fighting season of the summer months. It will be challenging and we will face the risk of further casualties, but if those gains can be held during this period we will have made significant strides towards ultimate success for our efforts and for our blood and treasure in Oruzgan province.

The proof of the pudding for our efforts there comes from comments that Combined Team Uruzgan has received from other sources in Afghanistan, particularly General Terry, the Commander of Regional Command South, who has singled out Oruzgan province and said, 'That is what success looks like, they are on the right track; look at what is being done there.' That is the message that I would emphasise and get out there because what is being done in Oruzgan province is not being completely replicated throughout the rest of Afghanistan. We do need to improve that civil-military integration. The way in which that operation is being conducted in Oruzgan needs to be replicated as a model right across the country if we are to advance this cause at a more rapid rate.

The main mission in which our military is involved in the training of the Afghan National Army is probably making the greatest progress of all elements of our activities there. This tragic incident that has occurred in the last couple of days would give people cause to consider whether or not we are succeeding there and whether it is worth our effort, but the Afghan National Army 4th Brigade has achieved great standards and improvements and the Kandaks are being assessed rigorously. Just recently, one of them was given a very high rating for the progress he had made. So we are making progress. We will endure from time to time setbacks of this nature, which will lead us to question and test the resolve of our mentors and trainers on the ground in relation to how they interact with their colleagues in the Afghan National Army. That will be a challenge for them, but they are disciplined professionals and they will put this behind them and move on to achieve ultimate success.

Over in Afghanistan we also visited the men and women who are serving in embedded positions in Kandahar. We should not forget those people. They are often left out of references to what is being achieved there and what is going on. They are doing a fantastic job in the embedded arrangements they have with other components of the ISAF effort in Afghanistan and it is so important that they are doing this job because they are value-adding in key positions. I salute their service.

Finally, before I finish today, this is a day where we have also experienced the changeover of leadership in the Australian Defence Force. I firstly pay tribute to the outgoing service chiefs, particularly the CDF who has been an honest, decent and highly competent commander of this organisation through two terms which have been incredibly demanding, and I know that he has put body and soul into this effort. He was a fine man for me to have worked for in the Defence Force and to have worked with in the Defence portfolio. I wish him and his wife all the best for their future. I also salute the selections that the Minister for Defence has made. General Hurley is one of the finest men I have ever worked with, a man of outstanding honesty, who always looks to do the right thing and is incredibly competent in that. He understands the challenges we face in our theatres in Afghanistan and elsewhere, having been a commander on the ground in Somalia of the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. He is an outstanding choice, as are his support service chiefs: the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Mark Binskin—a wonderful man as well and a fine leader of men and women; the Chief of Navy, Admiral Griggs; and General Morrison, who will also do a fine job, as will Brown in relation to the Air Force. So I salute those selections and I wish them the best and look forward to helping them in any way I can.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join with the members for Eden-Monaro and Cowan and colleagues on both sides of this House to pay my respects following the death of Sergeant Brett Wood during operations in Afghanistan. Sergeant Wood's death is a tragedy for his family and a tragedy for our nation. Sergeant Wood was the 24th Australian soldier to lose his life in Afghanistan, and with two more casualties in recent days that number has risen to 26.

Only 32 years of age, Sergeant Wood was widely respected for his decency as a human being and his bravery on the battlefield. In the words of the outgoing Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, Sergeant Wood was 'an exceptional leader, a great warrior'. There could be no higher praise. A Victorian by birth, Sergeant Wood joined the Army 15 years ago, trained with the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment and undertook commando selection and training before becoming a member of the 2nd Commando Regiment, based in Sydney.

Sergeant Wood served his nation on numerous deployments abroad—Bougainville in 2000, East Timor in 2001 on Operation Tanager, Iraq in 2003 on Operation Falconer and more recently Operation Slipper in Afghanistan in 2006. It was for his efforts in Afghanistan in 2006 on the first of three deployments there that he in his role as team commander was awarded the Medal for Gallantry. It is therefore appropriate to read from that citation for gallantry. It says:

Corporal Wood displayed extraordinary leadership and courage, inspiring his team and the remainder of the commando platoon to repel the continued attacks … Only after the engagement had been completed and the threat to the platoon subsided did Corporal Wood inform his commander of the fragmentation wound that he had sustained during the original contact earlier that day.

That is why he was awarded a medal for bravery and gallantry, because he put the interests and the lives of his fellow soldiers before his own.

Having been to Afghanistan in recent weeks as part of a bipartisan parliamentary delegation, I saw first-hand the work that Sergeant Wood and his comrades in uniform, men and women of the Australian Defence Force, were undertaking to make Afghanistan a better place so that it can never again become a haven for terrorism. We are making improvements in this difficult cause. It is a worthwhile cause, and we are not alone. We, Australia, are serving with many other nations, many other NATO countries, and much of the heavy lifting is being done by our most important ally, the United States. We need to stay the course, and it would be wrong to leave the battlefield precipitously.

Sergeant Wood will be sadly missed by his family, his friends and, in particular, his wife, Elvi, who described him as:

… a much loved son, grandson and brother who inspired his family with his dedication and generosity.

I have not only lost my husband, I have lost my best friend. The past six years with him were the happiest of my life and it was the biggest honour ever to become his wife and to be part of his family.

There can be no greater tribute to a man who lived his life to the fullest and who will never be forgotten. Sergeant Wood, your grateful country salutes you.

Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the condolence motion for Sergeant Brett Wood, who was tragically killed on 23 May, Afghanistan time, as a result of the explosion of an improvised explosive device. Sergeant Wood was a much decorated and respected member of the Sydney based 2nd Commando Regiment. He was only 32 years of age and leaves a young wife and a close group of family and friends. His ramp ceremony was held on Tuesday at RAAF Base Richmond where members of 2 Commando formed a guard of honour to receive his casket. His family and special forces personnel were also at the ramp ceremony.

This will be a dreadful week for his family, and I imagine that the coming years will be dreadful too. However, I would like them to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them as they face the grim reality of life without a much loved and devoted husband, son, friend and colleague.

Sergeant Wood was a Victorian by birth, harking from Ferntree Gully. He joined the Army in 1996 at the age of 18 and, following training, he joined the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. He successfully undertook commando training and then joined the then 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment—now 2 Commando—in November 1998. So a commando he was by the age of 20. Clearly, Sergeant Wood was a man with significant skills and leadership qualities to achieve so much so quickly.

Two years later he was deployed to Bougainville for his first significant operational experience. Further major operational experience followed with deployment to East Timor on Operation Tanager in 2001. In 2003, he was part of Operation Falconer in Iraq and, in 2006, he was deployed to Operation Slipper in Afghanistan. He was deployed again to Operation Slipper in 2009 and 2011, and it was this last tour of duty that resulted in his tragic death. It was during Operation Slipper that he was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for leadership in action as team commander.

Other awards Sergeant Wood received for his outstanding service include the Australian Active Service Medal with clasps: East Timor, International Coalition Against Terrorism and Iraq 2003; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Australian Service Medal with clasps: Bougainville, Counter Terrorism and Special Recovery clasp; Defence Long Service Medal; Australian Defence Medal; United Nations East Timor Medal; NATO ISAF Medal; Special Operations Command Australia Commendation; and Unit Citation for Gallantry. He was also awarded the Infantry Combat Badge. These are all incredible achievements for such a young man and a testament to his courage and leadership.

Like my colleague who spoke before, I met soldiers like Sergeant Wood during my recent tour of Afghanistan. I was there for five days about two weeks ago in Tarin Kowt, Kandahar and Kabul as part of the Defence Subcommittee tour. I was overwhelmed by the gritty and determined Australians who are focused on stamping out terrorism and building a safe Afghanistan.

Soldiers are a very loyal bunch. They feel the loss of their fellow soldiers very deeply and they also honour them very deeply. While I was there I met a number of commandos. They are a whole different group of people. They work very closely together in incredibly challenging conditions and are doing incredibly challenging jobs. They are like a brotherhood. Whenever one of their brothers is killed in action or is injured, they make little bracelets. A number of them had bracelets commemorating each of their brothers who had died in action in Afghanistan. Some had a string of bracelets with a number of names on them, some had bands with knots on them with each knot signifying one of their brothers, and others had particular necklaces. They had different, personal ways of remembering their brothers. As I have said, they are a very close group who do incredibly challenging work in incredibly challenging conditions. They are a deeply loyal, incredibly fit and incredibly well-trained group of young men—an extraordinary group of men. I imagine that this loss will be like a knife through their heart. They will be grieving the loss of their mate very seriously. They will also be grieving the loss of a colleague, a fine soldier and an exemplary leader. They need to know, as they do, that they are making Afghanistan and this world a better place. They have a very strong commitment to bringing about a safe, secure and stable Afghanistan. They are very clear about the mission and are very driven to achieve that mission.

Sergeant Wood's tragic death has no doubt caused his colleagues to pause and contemplate their own mortality. I can only pay tribute to them all for their selfless act of supporting a country that, until it received the support of countries like Australia, had struggled to find safe haven. I really do commend them for their hard work in dealing with incredibly challenging conditions.

As Sergeant Wood's death was the 24th death in action in Afghanistan, no doubt he also considered his own mortality. His courage and bravery in persisting with his chosen career, and in making Afghanistan a safer country, were extraordinary. It is no surprise that he had been much decorated as a result of his extensive operational experience, his leadership talent and his dedication.

Life in Afghanistan for our service men and women is difficult and challenging, as I observed during my recent trip. We heard this morning about winters getting to minus 20. I was there on the edge of summer, which promises to get up to about 50 degrees, and it was about 42 degrees then. It is hot and dusty and it can be pretty uncomfortable, but our service men and women endure these conditions with great tenacity. They get on with it, as Australian soldiers do. And they do so with a sense of humour, as Australians tend to do, as well as a strong sense of commitment, vision and purpose as to why they are there.

Our service men and women are responsive to the local people and their needs. I sat in on many meetings and could not help but be impressed with the sense of dignity that surrounded those meetings. The Afghanis are being helped by Australian service men and women and are grateful for the great sacrifice that is being made. I am sure that they will be grieving the loss of Sergeant Wood as well, as they have come to respect people like him. They have depended upon his skills, expertise, leadership and quiet dignity.

The Afghani people are a proud people who appreciate the support of Australia and of dedicated people like Sergeant Wood. They want a life like other citizens in the world, one in which their families are safe, their economic and financial safety can be developed and they can evolve as a country which is not a haven for terrorists and thugs. Above all, they want emotional security. Sergeant Wood made, and Operation Slipper is making, a difference to the lives of the people of Afghanistan.

I say to Sergeant Wood's family, friends, mates and colleagues that we will never forget him. We will remember the contribution he made to the safety and wellbeing of his colleagues and the people of Afghanistan. We are grateful that he chose the profession of serving his country, a profession he chose at the tender age of 18. We thank the leaders who supported his development into a fine soldier and commando at such a young age and who nurtured his leadership qualities. Above all, we thank him for his dedication to duty.

In our grief we will remember the Afghani people, who have lost the support of Sergeant Wood and, after yesterday, that of Lance Corporal Andrew Jones and Lieutenant Marcus Case. These fine Australians were serving their country courageously. Their dedication to the very difficult task that I observed during my recent tour is extraordinary. The service ethos that I encountered is a hallmark of Australian service men and women. They are strongly committed to bringing stability, security and viability to Afghanistan.

In closing, I say to Elvi, Sergeant Wood's wife: your husband was a well-respected and much loved Australian, we all feel your grief, we acknowledge the huge contribution from your husband and we thank you.

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the words of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on this condolence motion in respect of the memory of Sergeant Brett Wood. May I also congratulate the member for Canberra for her fine speech. Sergeant Wood, known as 'Woody' to his mates, was serving with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan when he was tragically killed in action as a result of the explosion of an improvised explosive device on Monday 23 May 2011. He was a much loved husband, father, son, grandson and brother. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Elvi, and their son, his family and his friends as they struggle to come to terms with this dreadful news, as their grieving begins. It is a time of great sadness for them. Whilst this motion is in no way likely to ease their pain, we mourn the death of a brave soldier who had so much life ahead of him. We sincerely wish those close to him courage and strength into the future.

Sergeant Brett Wood was born in Ferntree Gully, in my electorate in outer eastern Melbourne, in 1978. He was just 32 years of age when he died. He was a genuine professional, an outstanding soldier with 15 years operational experience, having joined the Army in 1996. Sergeant Wood was first deployed in Bougainville, in 2000. In 2001, he was deployed to East Timor on Operation Tanager and, in 2003, to Iraq on Operation Falconer. In 2006, Sergeant Wood was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper. For his actions during a critical battle in southern Afghanistan, he was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for leadership in action as a team commander. It is one of the nation's highest military honours for bravery under fire.

Following this, Sergeant Wood received a Special Operations Commander Australia commendation for service with the Tactical Assault Group East in 2007, and in 2009 he returned to Afghanistan as a section commander. Sergeant Wood was finally deployed to Afghanistan, for the third time, in March this year, and of course never returned.

He was clearly one of our finest soldiers. We will honour his life and mourn his passing. Sergeant Wood was the 24th Australian killed in Afghanistan. Just yesterday we learnt of the deaths of Lance Corporal Andrew Gordon Jones and Lieutenant Marcus Case, tragically bringing to 26 the number of people who have been killed in Afghanistan. I imagine that, at the time of the deaths of Sergeant Wood, Lance Corporal Jones and Lieutenant Cases, it will also be difficult for the families of the other 23 soldiers who have died in the battle in Afghanistan.

Whilst our soldiers have died tragically, they have died with great honour, serving our nation in the cause of making Afghanistan safer from terrorism. Their sacrifice is not in vain. We honour their memory and the memory of Sergeant Wood by remaining true to the cause that they so well served. Lest we forget.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise today to talk about the tragic death of Sergeant Brett Wood. What has occurred to such a fine Australian soldier is, obviously, an absolute tragedy—as we have learned, he was one of our finest. His record serving the nation speaks for itself. It is a record which, through deployment upon deployment, shows an outstanding military career. It is absolutely certain that the lives which have been lost in fighting this war in Afghanistan are tragic in every sense of the word, because—as we have heard and seen with every moving speech, every moving funeral and with all the words that families and friends have had to say about all the soldiers that have died—they have an enormous impact on those families, friends and military personnel. But with every one of these deaths we must remember that it is important that these deaths do not take place for a cause which we would walk away from. These deaths are a reminder to us of why we should be in Afghanistan and why we need to continue to be there.

Sergeant Brett Wood, and other soldiers, have given their lives so that we can defend this cause. It is beholden on us to make sure that we remain resolute on the reasons we are there. There are three reasons we must continue in Afghanistan and see the job done. The first, as I have already outlined, is the 26 tragic deaths that we have seen. Each of these soldiers have done the most admirable thing: they have been prepared to give up their lives—and ultimately they have given up their lives—serving our nation. And there cannot be a more honourable deed.

The second reason we need to stay the course is the reason we are there—that is, the fight against terrorism. In fighting international terrorism in Afghanistan we are helping to keep safe not only Australian citizens but citizens across the world who believe in freedom and democracy and who believe that terror is not the way of the world. We must continue to fight terrorism. And if that means that we must continue the battle in Afghanistan, as hard as that may be, we need to do so. Our resolve must not weaken, because if we are seen to weaken we give heart to the terrorists and they will continue to pursue us, not only in Afghanistan but across the world. And the last thing any of us needs to see is another September 11, another Bali. The tragic consequences for our nation and for the world from these events is why we are in Afghanistan and why we must continue to be there.

The third reason we need to continue the course is because of our alliances—in particular our ANZUS alliance. It was September 11 that led us to invoke the ANZUS alliance and it was largely the reason we have ended up in Afghanistan. That alliance continues to be our most critical alliance today. We must stay the course with the US and make sure, as far as the alliance is concerned, that we are in lock-step with the US in winning this battle in Afghanistan.

The other alliance that we must ensure that we continue to honour is that with our British colleagues—and through them, with NATO—who are also there with us fighting in Afghanistan. It is incredibly important that we continue to play our part, along with NATO, who have done the lion's share in Afghanistan, and make sure that we continue to give them the support they deserve.

I would like to use this opportunity to pay my respects to Sergeant Brett Wood and his family and friends for the tragic loss of life and also to say that his life will not be forgotten because he, along with the 26 others, have made the supreme sacrifice for this nation. It was a supreme sacrifice to ensure that we do everything we can to rid the world of international terrorism and make sure that we protect our key alliances with the US, the UK and NATO.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank earlier speakers, including the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Defence and his opposition counterpart. Condolence debates are among the most difficult things we do in this place, but one of the things that relieve the pain just a little is the bipartisan approach we see to not only motions such as this but also our contribution in Afghanistan. I do not know whether I ever met Sergeant Brett Wood; I may have. He was part of one of our elite special forces groups. But I do know one thing, and that is that he would have really believed in what he was doing, he would have been absolutely committed to what he was doing, he would have enjoyed what he was doing and as a volunteer he would have fought very hard against any attempt to deny him the opportunity to do what he was doing. Based on my experience as defence minister, it is more than likely that his family and friends felt exactly the same. They would have come to the conclusion some time ago—a long time ago, in his case, I suspect—that this was what he wanted to do, this was what he trained hard to do and this is what he dreamt of doing. And, based on what we have been told, he did it with a high degree of distinction, and his family and friends would have been very supportive.

The bipartisan approach to our role in Afghanistan is very important to all of our troops and to their families and broader loved ones, including their mates. I continue to appreciate it. Let us all work very hard to ensure that that bipartisan approach to our operations in Afghanistan continues, because it might get hard. I have said for a few years now that the longer we are in Afghanistan and the more people we lose the more difficult it will be to maintain broader community support for our operations there. If community support declines, then the temptation emerges to capitalise on community discontent. Let us all hope and pray that both sides of parliament will work together to ensure that that is never the case and, to the extent that that requires bringing the opposition further into the inner circle of decisions, and consulting them more, then let us do it, because I think that is critically important.

Tragically, the next time we are here in this chamber we will have another condolence motion before us, as kicked off by the Prime Minister today, taking our loss in Afghanistan to 26—I hope I have got that right—which is too many. One is too many; 26 is far too many. But, given the size of our involvement in Afghanistan, it is relatively low, and we can be thankful for that. Canada, a country of about 30 million people, had lost over 90 the last time I counted, which is tragic. So let us hope that we continue to operate in a way that keeps our losses to a minimum, and I say again: one is too many. Let us hope we do not go beyond 26.

I said that Sergeant Wood would have believed in what he was doing. So do I and, I judge from earlier contributions, so too do most people in this place. It is important work, and it is not a time to give up. We are making ground. I remain in contact with people on the ground in Afghanistan and, in fact, one said to me, 'You would be very proud of what has been happening in Afghanistan because in Oruzgan province, at least, the environment has substantially changed and it is a far more peaceful and much safer place for ordinary citizens'. In his view we really are making significant ground.

Of course, not so long ago now we reconfigured our operation to focus on the training of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. This is a transition out of Afghanistan, which will produce an ability in Afghanistan on the part of the security forces to maintain their own security and to enforce their own rule of law. That is why we are there: we are there to build a government, to build a democracy, to help to build an economy and, of course, to build the strength of the security forces. When we get the 4th Brigade up to speed and do more work with the Afghan National Police then we will be in a position to do what we have wanted to do for a long time, I am sure, and that is to get out of Afghanistan. I am sure that that success, while we do not know exactly when it will be, is not too far down the track.

I hope I will be excused by the family, because it is relevant on this occasion to congratulate the new Chief of Defence Force. I know that he is committed to our troops and our work. I know the new service chiefs, including the new Vice Chief, although I do not know the new Chief of Navy or the new Chief of Army all that well. But I know the leadership very well, and I know they are all committed not only to success but to the safety of our troops. It is one of the reasons we have had a relatively—and I underline relatively—low casualty rate, and I wish them all the very best of successes. They take on the heavy responsibility of not only helping to manage an organisation that is 80,000-strong and with a budget of somewhere around $26 or $27 billion but also ensuring our success in Afghanistan. Just as importantly, if not more importantly, they take on the responsibility for the safety of our troops in Afghanistan.

My thoughts, again, are with Sergeant Brett Wood's wife, his family, his mates and all those who were close to him, including those who have served with him not only in Afghanistan but in other places. He was a highly-decorated soldier, again, part of our elite special forces. I know them well, and I know how amazing they are. To have qualified to be one of them he must have been something special. I just close by appealing to everyone to ensure that the loss of his life will not be one in vain.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sadly, this parliament and this nation again pause and reflect upon the ultimate price that one of our brave soldiers has paid so that we and others may live in peace. We honour the death of another fallen soldier. In doing so, we are reminded of the sacrifice these men and women gave and continue to give to citizens of other nations so that they can experience the freedoms we mostly take for granted each and every day.

When our service men and women leave this country to serve overseas they know in their hearts and in their minds, and we appreciate it, that it comes with an element of great risk. Unfortunately, that knowledge does little to ease the pain or reduce the shock when the terrible news arrives that one of our soldiers has fallen.

Sergeant Brett Matthew Wood was the 24th soldier to be tragically killed in action in Afghanistan. We must feel comfort in the words of recent Victoria Cross for Australia recipient, Ben Roberts-Smith, who said, 'There is no doubt we are making progress for the people of Afghanistan. We make that progress because of the sacrifice and dedication of our soldiers.' Sergeant Wood was a decorated soldier who had been deployed to Afghanistan in March this year on his third tour of duty. Sergeant Wood had also served in Bougainville in 2000, East Timor in 2001 and in Iraq in 2003. Awarded the Medal for Gallantry for leadership in action as team commander on his tour in Afghanistan in 2006, Sergeant Wood became the man on whom many could rely and who would live and die by his motto 'foras admonitio'—without warning. On Monday, 23 May 2011 Afghanistan time, without warning, Sergeant Wood was tragically killed as a result of an improvised explosive device. Five other soldiers, two of whom were with Sergeant Wood and some of whom were critically injured, suffered wounds as a result of separate actions in Afghanistan over that same tragic 24-hour period in which our courageous digger died. My thoughts go to them and their families for the frightening realisation in which it could have easily been anyone one of them who lost his life. This must indeed bring home the reality of the dangerous jobs that they do each and every day.

The spirit of the Australian Army is strong and the camaraderie which binds them together will help them all get through these tough times—tough times which have claimed another two brave souls since Sergeant Wood's death. So our thoughts are also with the brave Australian men and women who are carrying on the work that Sergeant Wood did in Afghanistan. They will miss their mate dearly. We can be very proud of the work they are doing. They are a tight-knit group who look after each other. I know this because my home town is Wagga Wagga—home of the soldier, the Army Recruit Training Centre at Kapooka.

Just 32 years young, Sergeant Wood leaves behind a loving wife and a loving family. In the words of Brett's grieving widow, Elvi:

Brett was extremely proud to be part of the 2nd Commando Regiment and he considered many of his colleagues to be his second family. He was an excellent soldier, a true leader and a friend to his entire unit. Brett, you have done your country proud and you will always be remembered.

Sergeant Brett Wood, in the words of St John and in a line chiselled into so many war memorials dotted right across this country: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'

To walk away from Afghanistan now would be an injustice to the 26 Australians who have laid down their lives for their friends. There must be no safe haven for terrorists. There must be no nursery for terrorism. We must continue to fight the good fight with our American and other allies. We must stay the course. We must continue to do our duty to serve, to play our part. Sergeant Brett Wood, lest we forget.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today flags flew at half-mast at the Holsworthy Barracks as soldiers gathered for a memorial service to farewell their fallen comrade, Sergeant Brett Woods, and to add his name to its honour roll of comrades killed in action. Sergeant Brett Woods becomes the seventh member of the 2nd Commando Regiment to pay the ultimate sacrifice. His name joins those of Lance Corporal Jason Marks, Lieutenant Michael Fussell and Privates Luke Worsely, Tim Aplin, Ben Chuck and Scott Palmer on the memorial cairn outside the regiment's headquarters.

Sergeant Wood had served with the 2nd Commando Regiment, the predecessor of the 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, 4RAR, for 13 years when he was tragically killed in action as a result of an explosion from an improvised device on Monday, 23 May 2011. Sergeant Wood was also the holder of the Medal for Gallantry and he had stood up against evil on tours to Bougainville in 2000, East Timor in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. In addition, he served on no fewer than three tours of Afghanistan.

As the English philosopher Edmund Burke once famously said, 'All that is needed for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.' Sergeant Brett Wood was one of those good men, someone who was prepared to make a stand against evil—a stand for which he gave his life. And today our hearts go out to his wife, Elvi, his family, his entire regiment, his mates and his friends as they grieve his and our nation's great loss. It is worth remembering the evil that Sergeant Brett Wood was fighting against: the Taliban and the sponsors of international terrorism. Throughout history there have been many evil regimes but few as evil as the Taliban. This is a group that has used children with Down syndrome and mentally impaired women as suicide bombers to kill civilians and spread terror. This is a group that has brainwashed and coerced children as young as nine to strap explosive devices to their bodies and blow themselves up in crowded marketplaces. This is a group that turned the dusty, dried-out football field of Kabul stadium into a killing field where black-turbaned Taliban would force men and women to kneel prior to being publicly executed, or where they would amputate limbs for crimes ranging from robbery to adultery and then hang the severed arms or legs from the goalposts for all to see. This is a group that deliberately destroyed one of the great architectural relics of the world, the Buddhist statues at Bamyan. This is a group that subjects women to oppression and violence and denies them education. This is a group that seeks to deprive people of the joys of music and it even bans the innocent practice of kite flying. This was the evil that Sergeant Brett Wood was making a stand against.

And he was making a difference. The Afghan nation is making progress. Kabul stadium is now covered with green grass and residents now go there to cheer their favourite local soccer teams. Schools are being built and girls are now receiving education. Sport, including the game of cricket, is growing in popularity not only amongst men but also amongst women. For example, more than 100 young women are currently playing cricket in Kabul and the Afghanistan Cricket Board is about to create a national women's cricket team. Construction of the Kabul National Cricket Stadium is almost complete and the renovated stadium will serve as the main hub for hosting both domestic and international events, and it will accommodate more than 6,000 cricket fans. It is a project that will enhance the lives of Afghanistan's young people through sport. One of the reasons that this progress was being made was that men like Brett Wood were prepared to stand up against such evil by being ready, willing and able to fight.

A test of a person's character is what their mates think of them. As his mates from the 2nd Commando Regiment said at their farewell, Brett was a man amongst men, a soldier's soldier, an outstanding leader, a great mate, a loving husband, and courageous and professional to a fault. Sergeant Wood is also remembered by our American friends and allies for his actions in 2006 that earned him the Medal for Gallantry. The citation states:

On the 17th of July 2006 during Operation PERTH, the Commando Platoon was tasked to conduct the clearance of an Anti Coalition Militia sanctuary in the Chora Valley, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

The Platoon was partnered in support of an Infantry Company of the United States Army 10th Mountain Division.

At approximately 1pm, the Infantry Company came under heavy rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire on multiple flanks, resulting in six wounded and one soldier killed in action, effectively halting their advance.

Through thick vegetation, facing large numbers of dispersed Anti Coalition Militia and under heavy fire, the Commando Platoon commenced manoeuvring to provide assistance to the element which was pinned down.

During this move, the Commando Platoon received a volley of four rockets which impacted in the centre of the platoon’s position, resulting in six Australian soldiers wounded in action, a loss to the platoon by one third of its force.

Unknown to the Commander at the time, Corporal Wood had also been wounded in the foot by fragmentation from the rocket-propelled grenade barrage.

In order to regain the initiative, Corporal Wood’s team was tasked by the Commando Platoon Commander to assault forward and clear a group of compounds from which they were receiving Anti Coalition Militia fire.

Under these daunting conditions, Corporal Wood commenced this task without hesitation, completing a rapid and aggressive clearance of numerous threat compounds.

Once achieved, both the United States and Australian elements were free to continue with the battle, providing the necessary time to effect the back loading of the wounded by helicopter to the Forward Operating Base.

Throughout the afternoon, numerous and relentless probing attacks by a determined opponent followed.

Corporal Wood displayed extraordinary leadership and courage, inspiring his team and the remainder of the Commando platoon to repel the continued attacks.

He then successfully led a marksmanship team to infiltrate the Anti Coalition Militia-held territory, killing seven Anti Coalition Militia.

Only after the engagement had been completed and the threat to the platoon subsided did Corporal Wood inform his Commander of the fragmentation wound that he had sustained during the original contact earlier that day.

Corporal Wood was then evacuated to the Casualty Collection Point where he was provided with medical treatment and later extracted.

Corporal Wood’s actions on the 17th of July 2006, as a Commando Team Commander during Operation PERTH, were testament to his leadership, fortitude and sense of duty to his team and the platoon.

His determination to continue to lead his team during the battle in extremely hazardous circumstances despite being wounded ensured that the Commando Platoon regained the initiative and contributed significantly to a decisive victory.

His gallantry and leadership in the face of the enemy has been of the highest order and in keeping with the finest traditions of Special Operations Command Australia, the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.

Even the US mourns his loss. The US Ambassador to Australia recently said:

He fought bravely as part of our common mission to eliminate terror from the lives of the Afghan people to restore their home to them and to ensure that our own nations are safe.

Sergeant Brett Wood was a man of honour. He was killed leading his unit from the front, as he always did. He made a real difference. The world is a better place for the way he served our nation, with distinction and courage. He will always have the gratitude of this parliament and the nation. Vale Sergeant Brett Wood.

Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the condolence motion for Sergeant Brett Wood. I start by offering my most sincere sympathy to his wife, Elvi, his parents, his family and his 2nd Commando Regiment. Brett has been acknowledged as one of our most decorated soldiers who was serving with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan when he was killed in action as a result of an improvised explosive device. I would also like to pass on my thoughts and prayers to the two commandos from the 2nd Regiment who were seriously wounded in the same incident in Kandahar.

I also acknowledge Major-General Angus Campbell, who travelled from Al Minhad base to Tarin Kowt to accompany Brett back from the war zone. I met Major-General Campbell recently during a parliamentary visit to Afghanistan. I know that his thoughts, his memories and his grief during that trip will stay with him all his life. I am aware of just how much he respects and cares for each of those fine young men. The crew of the Hercules and Brett's comrades on board would have stayed with Brett's casket right through that repatriation journey. What a tough flight that would have been, but how privileged they would have felt to bring the body of this warrior, their mate, back. They would not have wanted to be anywhere else but with him at that time.

Brett was 32 years old and had significant operational experience in Bougainville, East Timor and Iraq. He was serving his third deployment in Afghanistan. His Special Operations Task Group commander described Brett as 'a man amongst men, a soldier's soldier, an outstanding leader, a great mate, a loving husband, courageous and professional to a fault'.

Elvi Wood, his wife, released a statement dedicated to her soul mate and friend. She said:

Brett was extremely proud to be part of the 2nd Commando Regiment and he considered many of his colleagues to be his second family. He was an excellent soldier, a true leader and a friend to all in his unit.

Elvi described Brett as 'a much loved son, grandson and brother who inspired his family with his dedication and generosity'. Really, this tells us all just how much Brett was loved and respected. It also tells us that he will live on in the hearts and minds of his family and friends, such as those with the Special Operations Task Group, who were immeasurably blessed to have Brett in their lives.

Elvi recognised her time with Brett as the happiest of her life. I will conclude with the words of Elvi Wood. She said:

Brett, you have done your country proud and you will always be remembered.

Lest we forget.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Along with others, I would like to offer my sympathy at the death of Sergeant Brett Wood and express my condolences to his wife, Elvi, and his family, friends and comrades. As others have said, Elvi has described Brett as a much loved son, grandson and brother, who inspired his family with his dedication and generosity.

We know that operational deaths are felt deeply across the wider Defence family and, I think, across the wider community. But I think it is important that we let the fine men and women of the Australian Defence Force know that our thoughts are with them during events like this—at this time of sorrow and mourning. I think it is also important that we acknowledge the five young Australians who were wounded in incidents in Afghanistan on the day of Sergeant Wood's death and wish them a speedy recovery.

I rise in parliament for the third time this year to express my sympathy at the death of an Australian soldier. That mere fact and the fact that we are here today underline the dangerous nature of the mission that our troops face in Afghanistan. This is further underlined by the more recent reporting of two more deaths in Afghanistan of brave Australian soldiers. On this day I also remember the family and friends of Corporal Richard Atkinson and Sapper Jamie Larcombe, the brave men killed in action earlier this year.

Sergeant Brett Wood was serving, as we know, with the Special Operations Task Group when he was tragically killed in action by an IED on Monday 23 May 2001 Afghanistan time. We know he was born in Ferntree Gully in 1978 and joined the Army in 1996. After recruit training he joined the 6th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment. He then undertook the quite rigorous entry requirements for commando selection and training and joined the then 4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, 2nd Commando, in November of 1998. He was just 32 at the time of his death, with much more to live for.

During his service in the Australian Army, Sergeant Wood deployed on the following operations—Operation Bel Isi II in Bougainville in 2000, Operation Tanager in East Timor in 2001 and Operation Falconer in Iraq in 2003. He was also deployed in Operation Slipper in Afghanistan three times—that is, he had three deployments to Afghanistan in 2006, 2009 and 2011. He was not only a professional digger with significant operational experience but also a much decorated soldier. He was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for leadership in action as a team commander during his 2006 tour of Afghanistan.

It is worth explaining and noting why Sergeant Wood was awarded this Medal for Gallantry. On 17 July 2006, during Operation Perth, the commando platoon was tasked to conduct the clearance of an anti-coalition militia sanctuary in the Chora Valley in Afghanistan. The platoon was partnered in support of an infantry company of the United States Army 10th Mountain Division. At approximately 1 pm, the infantry company came under heavy rocket-propelled grenade fire and small arms fire on multiple flanks, resulting in six wounded and one soldier killed in action, effectively halting their advance. Through thick vegetation, facing large numbers of dispersed anti-coalition militia and under heavy fire, the commando platoon commenced manoeuvring to provide assistance to the element which was pinned down. During this move the commando platoon received a volley of four rockets which impacted in the centre of the platoon's position, resulting in six Australian soldiers wounded in action—a loss to the platoon of one-third of its force.

Unknown to the commander at the time, Corporal Wood, as he then was, had also been wounded in the foot by fragmentation from the rocket-propelled grenade barrage. Corporal Wood's actions as a commando team commander during Operation Perth were testament to his leadership, fortitude and sense of duty to his team and the platoon. His determination to continue to lead his team during the battle, despite his wound and in extremely hazardous circumstances, ensured that the commando platoon regained the initiative and contributed significantly to a very decisive victory. His gallantry and leadership in the face of the enemy was of the highest order and in keeping with the finest traditions of Special Operations Command Australia, the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.

He was also recognised for his work back in Australia, receiving a Special Operations Command Australia commendation for service with the Tactical Assault Group (East) in 2007. Sergeant Brett Wood was also awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with clasps for East Timor, International Coalition against Terrorism and Iraq 2003; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Australian Service Medal with clasp for Bougainville; the Australian Defence Medal; the United Nations East Timor Medal; the NATO ISAF Medal; the Unit Citation for Gallantry and the Infantry Combat Badge. He was also posthumously awarded the newly instituted Counterterrorism and Special Recovery clasp to the Australian Service Medal, and the Defence Long Service Medal at his repatriation ceremony in Sydney on Monday.

At Sergeant Wood's return to Australia at a ramp ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond, the Chief of Army said, 'Army has lost an incredibly talented and truly courageous soldier, and his wife has lost a very loving husband.'

Sergeant Brett Wood died serving his country and is owed an enormous and special debt of gratitude that, of course, we can never repay. He has followed a noble path which has been trod by so many before him. He pulled on the uniform of the Australian Army, as many others have done. He did that and he did what was asked of him by the Australian government.

As Major General Gilmour, Special Operations Commander, said, and this has already been quoted: 'Sergeant Wood epitomised the values of courage, dedication to duty, loyalty and mateship.' He secured our nation on our behalf. He served as an Australian soldier. I think that, as we continue to do these things, it is very, very important that we recognise what this really means. Anyone who puts on one of these uniforms puts themselves in a position where they too could be in the position of Brett Wood. They put themselves in a position where they can ultimately be in danger in a war action and be killed or wounded, and they do it on our behalf. So those of us who sit here in Parliament House, in our neat suits and lovely ties or beautiful dresses, need to understand that these people are fighting for us. They are down and doing it dirty. And when they do that, when they put themselves in harm's way in the way that they do, they do that for all of us. We must give them thanks for all of that work. This morning I met with a number of Australian wounded diggers—people who have been casualties of the wars that we have fought. To see the courage of these men who have come back from battle, to be in rehabilitation recovering from terrible injuries, and to see the courage they have shown not only in the adversity they have conquered but in seeing their lives before them, we can have nothing but admiration for those people. Sergeant Brett Wood epitomised the courage of Australian men and women in uniform, and for that we thank him.

I acknowledge all of those who have spoken in this discussion—it is hardly a debate—because it is important that we recognise, as I have done, that across the parliament there is unanimous support for the work of our soldiers in Afghanistan. We need to ensure that they understand that our support is ongoing and that the sacrifices of people such as Sergeant Brett Wood are not in vain. Lest we forget.

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand it is the wish of honourable members to signify at this stage their respect and sympathy by rising in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

I thank the Committee.

Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That further proceedings be conducted in the House.

Question agreed to.