Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—All members of this House and, indeed, all Australians are thinking of the families, loved ones and colleagues of the two Victoria Police officers who were killed in the line of duty on Tuesday morning. As a parliament and as a country we offer our deepest condolences to all whose worlds have been shattered by this horrific shooting. Our hearts go out to everyone whose heart is breaking. We honour the bravery of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, and our hopes and prayers are with their fellow officers who were at the scene, including one currently in The Alfred hospital in Melbourne receiving treatment for their wounds.

Right now, Victoria Police are still engaged in their search for the killer at the centre of these terrible events. This difficult and dangerous task is being carried out in very challenging conditions. I've been speaking regularly with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, and I want to make it clear that the Commonwealth stands ready to provide any support required now or in the future.

I understand that in these raw, early days the close-knit community of Porepunkah is grappling with a sense of horror and disbelief, the cold anguish that something like this could happen in their peaceful and beautiful part of Victoria. I know that the member for Indi, who I spoke with this morning, shares in that grief.

There will be a time to process this, to come together as a community and to try to come to terms with it. But right now the most important thing for everyone in the area to do is to listen to the police, follow official advice and keep yourselves safe.

The death of any officer in the line of duty goes to the heart of every member of the police family. The terrible events at Porepunkah are a sombre reminder to all of us of the dangers that police officers face to keep our families and communities safe. Every time they put on their uniform, police officers put themselves on the line—they do it for us—and every day carries the cruel possibility that the very worst could happen, that you could walk down a driveway, knock on a door and have it open into a nightmare.

In their tribute to their fellow officers, the Victorian police association said that they 'were more than the uniforms they wore and were defined by more than the selfless work they performed'. That is a truth for all of us to remember, because when someone starts being a police officer, they don't stop being a son or a brother, a daughter or a sister, a beloved partner or a mate.

We see that in the tributes to Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, recognising not just his distinguished service but also his deep love of the outdoors and the long list of things he wanted to do in his upcoming retirement, the new chapter of his life he was so looking forward to sharing with his devoted partner, Lisa. The same is true for Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, someone who came to Australia from Belgium and signed up to serve his new community in his new home. He is being remembered for his passions and enthusiasms, his love of travel, motorbikes, scuba diving and his determination to fill his days with discovery. This is what was stolen by gunfire—two lives full of future happiness and years of happy memories that should have been made and treasured with others.

It will take time before we have a full and clear picture of what led to Tuesday's terrible events. Today we can say this with absolute certainty, and I say it not just on behalf of this parliament but as Australia's Prime Minister on behalf of every Australian: Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson was a hero; Senior Constable Vadim De Waart was a hero. They will be honoured and remembered as heroes by Victoria Police, by Victorians, by all of us and all Australians. With honour, they served; may they rest in peace.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I rise to associate the opposition with the Prime Minister's remarks. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart—two men, two heroes, two Australians. They are two Australians who felt a spark within themselves—a spark to do more. In joining the Victorian police, these men took that spark and lit a flame of service. For Neal Thompson, that flame burned across almost four decades of service in uniform. Vadim served for seven. These men stood up. These men put on the uniform. These men, like all our police, protected our community.

Our police run towards danger. They confront the violent, they protect children, and they keep us safe. Our police are the very best of us, and very few of us here in this chamber today can understand the horrors our police face on our behalf. But Neal and Vadim were more than the uniforms they wore. They were more than their badge. These men lived and loved. They had plans for their futures and for their families.

Neal Thompson, or Thommo as his mates called him, gave decades of service not only in uniform but to his community. Just this morning, Golden City Football Club life member Neil Cramer said of Neal:

He was willing to talk to anybody and treat them equally. He was just a beautiful person.

When Golden City take to the field this weekend, they will be wearing blue and white tape in honour of their mate.

Vadim De Waart represents the best of our Australian story. From Belgium, he chose to make his life here, and he took that commitment even further by serving as one of our police officers. Fluent in English, French, Spanish and Flemish, this worldly man chose us. He chose Australia, and he chose to make his vocation keeping Australians safe. So my message to his parents, Carolina and Alain, is that, with deep sorrow, we thank you for Vadim and the contribution he made here in this country.

The deaths of these men is a heartbreaking tragedy that has touched us all. Today our nation grieves for these officers who have lost their lives, their families, their friends and their colleagues. Our thoughts also go out to the injured detective who is now recovering and all those involved in ongoing operations to bring the killer to justice. Our thoughts are also with the community of Porepunkah, and we thank them for their efforts to work with the police.

The loss of Neal and Vadim serves as a stark reminder not only of the danger that police officers face each day but of the bravery and courage it takes to serve. Every police officer who puts on that uniform to go to work has our respect and gratitude. All Australians stand shoulder to shoulder with Victoria police at this moment of profound sadness. We will honour those who have fallen and never take for granted the courage and service that keeps our community safe.

We must also confront the fact that, given what we know about the circumstances of the shooting of these men, there are disturbing echoes today, because this is not the first time we have lost police officers to a crime of this type. Today we must ensure that Victoria Police have every possible support they need to catch this killer and make the community safe. We must recommit ourselves to stronger action to cure the sickness that has seized the outermost fringes of society, and we must reaffirm our love and support for every single member of our brave police forces across Australia.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—Thank you, Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, for your beautiful words that will bring great comfort and recognition to my community in north-east Victoria, in the seat of Indi. Alongside my community in north-east Victoria, I mourn Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who so tragically lost their lives in the line of duty at Porepunkah on Tuesday, in a beautiful, idyllic mountain village at the foot of Mount Buffalo, a place that is characterised by magnificent scenery, by good people and by a gentle lifestyle.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson was a long-serving and so deeply respected member of the Victoria Police and a much valued member of the Wangaratta community and the Moyhu community—so greatly loved.

Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, based in Melbourne, was supporting Wangaratta police on temporary assignment over winter—a beautiful young man, as you've heard; a native of Belgium.

While they were respected officers, we also remember Neal and Vadim as people, with family, friends, interests and passions beyond the uniform. They so deserved the chance to keep living those lives, and it is with deep, deep sadness that we honour them and their service. You've heard that Neal was an adventurer who loved the outdoors, and he was within days of his retirement with his beloved partner, Lisa. Vadim grew up in Belgium and loved travel, and our region—what a place to travel to!—was another in his long list of beautiful places. He was welcomed, and he had so much to explore in what is an outdoor playground.

Our thoughts are with both their families, with their friends and with the wider police community. We know that your hearts are broken, and we know that this is felt right across the nation. We continue to pray for the recovery and healing of the officer who was seriously injured in the line of duty, and for all those at the scene whose mental trauma cannot be underestimated and will live with them and, indeed, their families forever.

To the beautiful people of Porepunkah: I acknowledge that you are living with grief and shock and that this event is not over for you yet. I stand in this parliament in solidarity with you, today and beyond, and I thank you all for everything you are doing right now to support the emergency services, who are undertaking a most difficult and traumatic search for the offender.

The loss of life in the line of duty is the ultimate sacrifice and a painful reminder of the risk borne by those who serve in our police forces. What is very clear is the courage and commitment of our police service right across this great nation. They walk amongst us, live alongside us, serve us and protect us, and they are in danger every day of their lives, and yet they still go out and do their work with such honour and grace. We will never forget the names of those who have lost their lives in service to us. And, Neal and Vadim, we will never forget you. You are heroes. Your families have so much to be proud of, and we grieve with you today and ongoing.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a mark of respect to the lives lost in this tragedy, I ask all present to rise in their places.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

I thank the House.