Death of Sergeant Brett Till
Death of Corporal Mathew Hopkins
Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan

The Hon. LYNDA VOLTZ [4.27 p.m.]: I move:

That this House:

(a) extends its condolences to the family of Sergeant Brett Till, who was killed in action whilst operating with the Australian Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan on behalf of the Australian people,

(b) notes that his death follows that of Melbourne based soldier Corporal Mathew Hopkins, and

(c) pays tribute to the bravery and courage of Australian soldiers whilst in Afghanistan.

I have put on notice a number of motions regarding members of the armed forces, which have been dealt with as formal business. However, I have always regarded it as important that in this Chamber we acknowledge the commitment of those who are serving in Afghanistan. At RSLs around the country often we stand and say:

They shall grow not old
As we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn;
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We Will Remember Them.

I believe it is very important that in this House we remember them. It is a great loss to Australia to have lost its tenth serving member of the armed forces in Afghanistan. The death of Sergeant Till followed closely on the death of Corporal Mathew Hopkins. Sergeant Till was conducting a route clearance to establish a safe path for his mates and the people who live in the area. Aged in his early thirties, Sergeant Till was a 10-year-plus army veteran and a member of the elite Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit of the Corps of Engineers. He was killed as he tried to defuse a bomb on the morning of Thursday 26 March. He leaves behind his wife, Brianna Barclay, who is an art teacher at a Sydney high school and the primary carer of his two children, aged 10 and 7. She is expecting their third child. A total of 70,000 international troops are in Afghanistan and more than 290 foreign soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan. In addition to Sergeant Till, Australia has lost nine other soldiers. We must remember not only those soldiers we have lost but also the many who have suffered severe injuries as part of their deployment.

Corporal Mathew Hopkins, aged 21, a member of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Taskforce from 7RAR, was killed in a fire fight with the Taliban near a village 12 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt. Corporal Mathew Hopkins, known as ''Hoppy" to his mates, was also killed. Mathew was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and he leaves behind his wife, Victoria, and their son, Alexander. Private Gregory Michael Sher, aged 30, from the Sydney based 1st Commando Regiment, was killed as a result of indirect rocket attack in Oruzgan Province. Private Sher, who was born in South Africa, leaves behind his parents, two brothers and a partner. Lieutenant Michael Fussell, aged 25 from the Sydney based 4RAR, was killed during an operation against Taliban insurgents in Oruzgan Province after an improvised explosive device was detonated. Born in Coffs Harbour, Michael leaves behind two loving parents, his younger brother, Daniel, and two younger foster sisters, Nikki and Nyah. His brother, Daniel, is a lieutenant with 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery in Brisbane.

Signaller Sean Patrick McCarthy, aged 25, from the Perth-based Special Air Service was also killed by an improvised explosive device. Signaller McCarthy was born in Auckland, New Zealand. In recognition of his service in East Timor and Afghanistan, Sean was awarded the Australian Active Service Medal with the International Coalition Against Terrorism Clasp and Return from Active Service Badge, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Australian Defence Medal and the NATO ISAF Medal. Sean was the recipient of a SOCAUST commendation awarded on the 20 June 2008 for his actions in Afghanistan in 2007 as part of SOTG Rotation V. Sean was awarded this for his excellent application of battle craft in a complex, dangerous and confusing situation.

Lance Corporal Jason Marks, aged 27 from 4RAR commando unit in Sydney, was killed in a battle with the Taliban in Oruzgan Province. Lance Corporal Marks leaves behind his partner, Cassandra, and their two children. Sergeant Matthew Locke, from the Special Air Service, who was born in Bellingen, was killed by Taliban fighters in Oruzgan Province. During his service in the Australian Defence Force, Sergeant Locke was awarded the Medal for Gallantry, the Australian Active Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Australian Defence Medal, the United Nations Medal with the United Nations Transitional Authority East Timor Ribbon, the Iraq Clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal, the International Coalition Against Terrorism Clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal, the Infantry Combat Badge and the Returned from Active Service Badge.

Trooper David Pearce, aged 41, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Oruzgan Province. Trooper Pearce, a member of the Brisbane-based 2/14 Light Horse, was serving with the Reconstruction Task Force when he died. Trooper Pearce was born in Liverpool, New South Wales, and leaves behind his wife and his two beautiful daughters. Sergeant Andrew Russell, aged 33, from the Special Air Service, was the first to be struck down in Afghanistan. My colleague the Hon. Charlie Lynn has paid tribute to Sergeant Russell in this place. He was killed when the vehicle in which he was travelling struck a landmine in southern Afghanistan. He leaves behind his wife, Kylie, and his daughter, Leisa.

These Australian Defence Force personnel leave behind families who will always cherish their memory and service. Many have young children who will grow up missing a parent, and they should know that our thoughts are with them. They also leave behind their friends and comrades from the Australian Defence Force, those who they have lived with through Kapooka, Initial Corps Training, Duntroon and their regiments and units and for whom they form part of an extended family. They will also be missed by their local communities. Many of those who have lost their life and those still serving in Afghanistan come from New South Wales and others have come to our shores to live. It is appropriate that we pay tribute to their service.

It is also important to remember that these soldiers were in Afghanistan on behalf of the Australian Government to assist the people of Afghanistan. Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to international forces in Afghanistan and the ninth largest overall. Almost 1,100 Australian Defence Force personnel are working with their United States and Dutch counterparts in Oruzgan Province in the south of Afghanistan to help bring peace to the region and development to its people. This is a significant slice of our military capability for a country our size. The contribution made by the Australian Defence Force is part of a commitment by partner nations to work together in building security and providing stability for the Afghan nation State. This will, in turn, allow Afghanistan to build its own future.

Australia is providing $21 million to support the Afghan Government to deliver national programs in health, education, rural development and microfinance. Australia's support in these areas has already contributed to increased school enrolment in Oruzgan, funded 26,000 rural infrastructure projects, fixed 9,000 kilometres of road and helped to build 70 schools. We cannot hope to make progress in Afghanistan without concerted actions in other areas—including economic aid, political reconciliation, capacity building and technical assistance. Our defence personnel are fundamental to this role.

We are now in our third phase of deployment in Afghanistan. Our first phase included all three squadrons of the Special Air Service during 2001 and 2002. In 2005 our second phase was deployed, which included elements of SAS, 4RAR and the 5th Aviation Regiment. Our third phase is a reconstruction taskforce based around the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment with protective elements from 5/7, 6RAR and 2CAV in Oruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan. The Australian Reconstruction Taskforce forms part of a Dutch-led Provincial Reconstruction Team, which was renamed the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force in early 2009. Another 800 personnel are based in the Middle East in support of Operation Slipper, but they are outside Afghanistan.

It is the work of our front-line troops who face great risk that allows the reconstruction work to continue in Afghanistan. Whilst there may be differing views in this Chamber about the deployment in Afghanistan, I am sure I will be joined by all members in this Chamber in paying tribute to those soldiers who have lost their lives and to the families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. I express our thanks to all our serving personnel in Afghanistan for the great risk they take and the fine job they do, and wish them a safe return to Australia.

The Hon. CHARLIE LYNN [4.38 p.m.]: I support the motion moved by the Hon. Linda Voltz and congratulate her on raising this issue in the House. I also congratulate her on her genuine compassion. Australian soldiers were first involved in the war against terror in Iraq. The war in Iraq has been controversial and unpopular. However, our soldiers are servants of our Government and they go to war zones to fight on the front line against terror.

We have never been involved in a war like this before. In the past our involvement in wars overseas—in the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War—has been on a much larger scale and it was at the forefront of our lives. Soldiers went as members of units or as reinforcements, and organisations in Australia looked after their families. These days, soldiers go to war in much smaller units. I often wonder how they deal with being here one day with their family going about their daily business—shopping, walking around the streets and taking their kids to soccer matches on a Saturday morning—and the next day, unsung and unheralded, quietly going to Richmond or boarding a ship to go to war. How do they disconnect from their family and go to a war that does not feature on the front page of our newspapers unless there is a tragedy?

Sergeant Brett Till was killed while trying to disarm a bomb. He was an engineer. I was an engineer in the army during the Vietnam era, and that was also my specialty. I have to tell you, you are on the edge of your fear threshold when you are trying to get the pin in the right hole, because you have only one chance to get it right. A very good friend of mine with whom I spent some time in Brisbane last week was severely injured while attempting to disarm a mine. He lost his right leg, his right arm and most of his left arm. He defied all the odds and is alive today, but he has carried horrendous scars since and will carry them for the rest of his life—as soldiers do.

Sergeant Brett Till was killed in Afghanistan, and his wife, two children and unborn child will have to live with that memory forever. Fortunately for them, however, they are now part of the Legacy family. I am a legatee; I belong to Sydney Legacy. Legacy does a fine job being father or mother, or father and mother, or grandfather or grandmother to the children of lost servicemen and servicewomen. We will educate them. Just last week in Parliament House we had the launch of our annual Torch Appeal. The guest speaker at that launch was Major-General Jim Moylan, who spoke about his role in the war in Iraq. His quite compelling talk highlighted the professionalism of the Australian soldier in these types of conflicts. The war against terror is about winning the confidence of the people in the country in which you are serving that you can give them a security they do not have and a hope for a better future than they currently have.

As the Hon. Lynda Voltz said, servicemen and servicewomen get involved in capacity-building projects, providing water, electricity and transport—all those things we take for granted here at home. They have to not only provide such services and teach the local people how to pull them all together, but also provide them with protection by day and by night until they feel confident enough to operate the systems themselves. Australians have a great record of giving aid to civil powers. Australians seem to have a natural way of connecting with people they serve with in other countries. We seem to have a great empathy with them. I would argue that the members of our Special Air Service, which is serving in Afghanistan, are without doubt the finest soldiers in the world. The Special Air Service has an incredible record. Its members are the best of the best, but they are also human.

It is interesting now to look at the toll that the Vietnam War has taken on many of our veterans. Some of my mates in that campaign were absolutely bulletproof for the entire time I knew them but just recently minor matters seem to trigger huge emotions in some. They bottle things up; they are very stoic. They do not seek sympathy. They have one another, of course, but quite amazingly it is the small things that tip them over the edge. We do not know what the impact of this war on terror will be because our soldiers live with fear day and night. Back home, the children, wives and husbands of service personnel live with the same fear. I remember when I went first to Vietnam my great fear was that I would never see my family again—my wife or my daughter, who was then nine months old. That was the great fear I took away with me. There was a rowdy farewell, of course, but when we all got on the plane and it took off, a great hush fell over us as we all reflected on the fact that we may not see our families again.

The Hon. Lynda Voltz spoke about Sergeant Andrew Russell, Trooper David Pearce, SAS Sergeant Matthew Locke, Private Luke Worsley, Lance Corporal Jason Marks, Signaller Sean McCarthy, Lieutenant Michael Fussell, South African born Private Gregory Michael Sher and Corporal Mathew Hopkins. They have all paid the ultimate sacrifice for a democracy that we often take for granted. I am reminded of an inscription that I read that was chipped into a stone in Burma by someone who never came home. It is relevant to the young people who paid the ultimate sacrifice. It read:

When you go home and tell them of us, tell them that for their today we gave our tomorrow.

You cannot ask more of anyone than for that person to give his or her tomorrow so that we can enjoy the peace and prosperity we have today. We are a very fortunate nation. We are very proud of our servicemen and servicewomen, and it would give them great reassurance to know that members of Parliament from all sides come together for condolence motions such as this to put on the record their appreciation and to let them and their families know that they and their sacrifices and deeds will never be forgotten. Again, I congratulate the Hon. Lynda Voltz on bringing this motion to the House.

Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE [4.45 p.m.]: I support this motion moved by the Hon. Lynda Voltz to extend the condolences of the House to the family of Sergeant Brett Till, who was killed in action while serving with the Australian Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan on behalf of the Australian people. As we know, 10 Australians have been killed in action in Afghanistan. Through this motion the Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges the sacrifices of our Australian forces in Afghanistan. Reference has already been made to the Special Air Service, the commandos, the engineers and other units, and the Royal Australian Air Force detachments that are serving in Afghanistan alongside units from the United States of America, Holland and Britain—although I understand that the British have now withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Why are they in Afghanistan? They are there to restore and maintain democracy. The democratically elected government of Afghanistan may be struggling but it should be allowed to govern and we should do all we can to prevent the Taliban, fanatical militants who want to impose their ideology on the Afghan people, seizing control. There have been many extreme examples of their actions. They threw acid in the faces of young women who were not wearing the garb the Taliban required them to wear on the streets, and by intimidation they stopped young girls from attending school and working. No democratic nation could condone such abuse and exploitation. A similar situation exists in Iran at the moment with, mainly, young Iranians saying they do not want to be ruled by a fanatical authority. They want to be able to express themselves and to have freedom in their nation. Like the Hon. Lynda Voltz and other members of this House who have spoken in this debate, I too am proud of our Australian men and women who are serving in Afghanistan in the pursuit of democracy and security for the people of that country.

The Hon. AMANDA FAZIO [4.48 p.m.]: I am pleased to support the motion moved by the Hon. Lynda Voltz, which extends condolences to the family of Sergeant Brett Till. My father was a naval officer who served in both Korea and Vietnam. We should understand that the contribution of Sergeant Till has a significant impact on his family. It is difficult for families of service people on active duty. As the Hon. Charlie Lynn said, servicemen and servicewomen may be enjoying a happy family activity one day, and the next day they are saying goodbye to their families, not sure whether they will see them again. We also need to recognise that so many of the service personnel in Afghanistan are very young. They have families and many have young children, some of whom, unfortunately, will grow up with memories of their parents but without having had the opportunity to know them properly.

It is very important, especially as the beginning of our commitment to both Afghanistan and Iraq was controversial, to ensure that we say to all the service personnel representing Australia overseas, particularly those fighting to establish democracy in countries that have been denied that opportunity for many years, that we support them and their families 100 per cent. We must assure them that we value the contribution they are making, not just on Australia's behalf but also on behalf of the citizens of Afghanistan and Iraq. They, too, want what we have: they want a free and open democracy; they want the right to choose the people they want to make their laws; they want the right to go about their daily activities in a peaceful and safe environment; they want the right for their children to be educated; and they want the right, particularly in Afghanistan, to have their standards of living restored after many years of fighting, first with the Russians and later with the Taliban in control. They have had devastation and war on their doorstep for many, many years.

I place on record also that the interim government in Afghanistan is very grateful for the contribution being made by all Australian service personnel in that country. I had the privilege last year to meet with a delegation of parliamentarians from Afghanistan who came here as part of the United Nations development program to see how parliamentary democracy operates in Australia. They sought to gain a better understanding of, hopefully, how they will be able to establish parliamentary democracy in their system of government once peace is restored. The one message they wanted to convey to all Australians was their gratefulness for the contribution that Australia was making in shoring up their young and emerging democracy.

Interestingly, a number of those parliamentarians actually saw active war service in the Mujahideen and knew firsthand the dreadful fighting conditions that our service personnel have to confront in Afghanistan. It is very different to what we are used to seeing in news footage of other theatres of war. Most of us have seen Vietnam War movies, Korean War movies and World War I and World War II movies. The fighting for desert positions and the control of ridges by Australian, American and other service personnel is incredibly difficult. The terrain is extreme. Even dealing with the local people is a challenge for service personnel because they are still cowering after years of being under the thumb of local warlords.

The goal is not just to restore democracy. With greater control in Afghanistan we will be able to reduce the amount of opium poppies that are being planted there, mainly at the instigation of the Taliban to help fund its campaigns. Over the past decade Australia and many overseas countries have been fortunate because, to a certain extent, there has been a heroin drought. We are being told that is about to end because the Taliban has the ability to plant more opium poppies. The work of the Australians, Americans, Swiss and Italians in stopping such activities of the Taliban will benefit not only people in Afghanistan but also people world wide. We must bear that in mind also when we consider the very difficult job our troops in Afghanistan are undertaking.

I know people whose fathers served in the Navy, some of whom had passed away as a result of accidents. I know people whose families were destroyed by deaths and injuries to loved ones serving in Vietnam; I know the toll that can take on families. I am very genuine when I say we need to extend condolences not just to the family of Sergeant Brett Till but also to the families of all service personnel who have lost their lives in Afghanistan. We extend condolences to all the unsung heroes—the ones we really do not hear about. Some of them have suffered pretty devastating injuries while they have been on active service overseas. We need to say to those people: "We value and thank you for your contribution. We value and thank your families for giving their permission for you to go and represent Australia in Afghanistan in the good fight to restore democracy." I commend the motion to the House and particularly thank the Hon. Lynda Voltz for putting it on the Notice Paper.

The Hon. TREVOR KHAN [4.55 p.m.]: I, too, congratulate the Hon. Lynda Voltz on moving the motion. It has had a somewhat chequered history but there could never be any doubt as to the member's best intentions in respect of this and like motions. Clearly these are matters very close to her heart and we all accept that she shares the very strong camaraderie that binds all our Australian troops. The Hon. Lynda Voltz is to be acknowledged for, and congratulated on, the way she deports herself in these matters.

Australian Defence Force personnel have always been known for their basic humanity; their capacity not only to get along with each other but also to proudly demonstrate an ability to deal with civilian populations where they are sent. We saw it in France and the various other theatres of war during World War II. We saw it also in Malaya, Korea, during Confrontasi, more recently in Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Iraq, and we now see it in Afghanistan. In all those theatres of war Australian troops are known for their fundamental decency.

There can be no doubt that the 10 young Australian men who lost their lives in Afghanistan all demonstrated that same basic decency and humanity. It is with great regret that we lose such fine men, such fine Australians. The tragedy is not only that young lives have been lost; it is tragic also that they leave behind families, wives, husbands and children, who bear the scars of this war in a way many others do not. Our hearts go out to them today. It is for them that we should hold ourselves ready and willing to help into the future.

Dr JOHN KAYE [4.57 p.m.]: I will talk briefly in order to allow a vote on this matter tonight. I put on record the support of the Greens for the motion moved by Lynda Voltz. We want to acknowledge the bravery and commitment of our armed forces in the Afghan theatre of war and in all theatres of war throughout the history of the Australian armed services. Regardless of one's opinion of the justice and wisdom of a particular war—and I will not politicise this debate by entering into any issues relating to the Afghanistan war—we want to acknowledge the enormous contribution and courage of our armed forces. I acknowledge also those who come home from these wars with terrible injuries, both physical and psychological, and who live the rest of their lives with the scars of their contribution. I acknowledge the impact of war on civilian populations caught up in conflict zones and how horrendous that has been not only in Afghanistan but also in Vietnam and other places throughout the world. I place on record our condolences to the family of Sergeant Brett Till and to the families of other service personnel who have lost their lives in Afghanistan.

The Hon. LYNDA VOLTZ [4.59 p.m.], in reply: I thank honourable members for their contributions to the debate. I knew that members across the board want to express their condolences through this motion. It is important to remember and acknowledge the families of soldiers who are left behind. The Hon. Charlie Lynn said that when we go off to war often we feel bulletproof. Once you have been through the SAS Cadre course you would certainly feel bulletproof; there is no doubt that that is one of the toughest courses in the world for a soldier. But the reality is that sometimes these soldiers do not come home, and their families are left behind. It is important that they know that we acknowledge the commitment of their loved ones. Once again, I thank all members who have contributed to this debate.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.