Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a member of parliament I'm fortunate to be able to do and experience things that I could never have dreamed of in any other realm. Visiting Australian military bases in the Middle East, getting involved in training exercises and daily briefings, eating in the mess with ADF personnel and experiencing 60-degree heat are some of these experiences. In July this year I spent 10 days in the UAE and Afghanistan, visiting the ADF members involved in Joint Task Force 663, as part of the ADF Parliamentary Program. This program is open to members and senators on all sides of the political divide. While we may have different views on key political issues, we all acknowledge the importance of our Defence Force and the sacrifices they make for us each day.

On this particular trip I was joined by the members for Brand, Batman, Fisher, Oxley and Whitlam. One must have sympathy for the member for Fisher, who not only was the sole Liberal Party MP on our trip but also had to share a room with me! The program gave us access to all levels of the chain of command and provided us an opportunity to ask the men and women at various bases we visited what we as politicians can do to support them in their role, as well as to learn directly from them about their lived experiences on the ground and to let them know that they have our full support here in Canberra and across the country.

Our Navy, Army and Air Force do an incredibly challenging job in often difficult circumstances, and it is important that we support them. We have an obligation to ensure that they are kept safe abroad and are supported both mentally and physically. The same goes when they come home. As a Western Australian MP and a new dad, I'm very conscious of the toll taken on family by a FIFO lifestyle. Standing at Darwin airport, watching a Defence Force mum say goodbye to her young family before flying out with us, and talking to troops, sailors, airmen and airwomen about their families, whom they can go three to six months at a time without seeing, brought home the personal sacrifice behind the lines and behind the scenes.

I thank our guardian angels on our trip: the soldiers and sailors who got us around and ensured our safety; the Air Force personnel who flew us into Kabul; Major Erica Abend and Warrant Officer Jeffery Marshall, for arranging the tours and for escorting us on our journey; our mentor, Major John Spencer; Flight Sergeant Caroline Carruthers of the RAAF, Captain Danielle Andretzke of the Australian Army, and Flight Lieutenant Veronica Manalvo from the RAAF, for our combat first-aid training; and Colonel Mark Ascough and Corporal Sebastian Beurich, from the Army News. I take this opportunity to personally thank all the soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen who are deployed in Afghanistan, across the Middle East and across the globe this Christmas. This is an incredibly tough time of year to be away from family and friends, but I know that those personnel accept their duty with pride, dedication and an unwavering enthusiasm.