Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry, representing the Minister for Defence. Will the minister update the House on how the Australian Defence Force is helping to keep Australians safe, particularly in New South Wales, through Operation COVID-19 Assist?

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank the member for Robertson for her question and acknowledge her advocacy and passion for defence industry on the Central Coast and also her support for the men and women in the ADF in her electorate.

Since March last year, more than 20,000 ADF personnel have deployed nationally to keep our communities safe from COVID-19. More recently, when New South Wales called, we answered, with more than 400 ADF personnel deployed to assist the New South Wales government overcome the current outbreak. The ADF are supporting New South Wales police and NSW Health with home engagement activities and contact tracing. Likewise, when Victoria called, the ADF answered there as well. Since March last year, more than 4,500 ADF personnel have been deployed to assist Victoria in managing COVID-19. Currently in Victoria, there are 400 ADF deployed to assist with activities like contact tracing, home engagement and hotel quarantine compliance.

The men and women of our ADF continue to make our nation very proud. No-one will forget the scene of HMAS Choules when it arrived at Mallacoota to evacuate those impacted by the bushfires of 2019. I'm sure it's a memory burnt into the memory of the member for Gippsland. I think it's very clear to everyone in this House and to our nation that no job is too big or too small for our ADF. What we're seeing at the moment is ADF personnel going door to door; assisting returning Australians by getting them into quarantine; carrying suitcases; driving cars and buses; helping to stop the spread of the virus; and supporting industry, like with the help given in Shepparton with the production of masks. As I say, no task is too big or too small.

In my own electorate of Durack the Prime Minister and I saw firsthand with the aftermath of Cyclone Seroja the ADF on the ground helping the people of Kalbarri. The ADF presence provided hope at that time life would get back to normal, and that is the role that the ADF is playing now in New South Wales and across the whole nation when it comes to helping with COVID. Our grateful nation says thank you to the men and women of our ADF.