Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending three days at HMAS Cerberus in Hastings, visiting the Navy's national training base, which sits in the neighbouring electorate of Flinders. The purpose of the visit was to meet the staff and the new recruits, a number of whom live in Dunkley, and to better understand the different elements of the training the recruits complete.

I wasn't just a visitor. I was put through my paces alongside them. I participated in the swim trial, attended classes and enjoyed mealtimes with these young men and women to discover why they joined, what they learnt and what the most difficult part of the training was. The recruits and staff were passionate about being part of the Navy and committed to serving their country. That pride and dedication has been reflected with sign-ups increasing over the past 12 months. To all of the staff, including Commander Cameron Eastman OAM, who coordinated our visit: thank you for your passion in delivering quality education and care to the recruits. To all of you: thank you for stepping up, for your representation and for your service to Australia. You are all legends. I walked away proud and inspired by our Defence Force. Well done.