CONDOLENCES › Jones, Lance Corporal Andrew Gordon, Case, Lieutenant Marcus Sean
Mr ROBERT (Fadden) (14:10): Two more poppies have just sprouted in Flanders fields, resolute, brilliant in the sun, young men of promise, young leaders of praise, men who put duty first. I join the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister for Defence in honouring these men, Lieutenant Marcus Case and Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, who were tragically killed in Afghanistan on Monday, and to lend our prayers to those wounded. Two more poppies now grow in a field alongside 24 others. They stand as a testimony that we as a people will never submit to tyranny and never flee from terrorism. We will fight it where it stands until it stands no more. This heart-wrenching loss may shake our resolve in the now but it will never break our commitment to the rightness of our cause. So as the ubiquitous Afghan fighting season rises to meet us let all Australians mirror the commitment of our fighting men and women through our support for their service and sacrifice. What we at home offer our troops transcends distance, for it is a chorus of praise that buoys their spirits through the difficult and demanding times ahead. Our troops deserve nothing less. Lieutenant Case and Lance Corporal Jones are the first non-infantry, armour or engineers to be killed in action in Afghanistan. For every single Australian soldier mans the walls, joins the patrols and is prepared to fight regardless of their profession. Combat surrounds all of them every day. As a pilot Lieutenant Case, based in Kandahar with our UAV detachment, worked 12-hour shifts to keep eyes in the sky to support our ground forces. His work meant that Special Forces retained vital imagery of the adversary they fought; his work saved lives. Lance Corporal Jones, a young cook, was serving with men from the 5th Battalion in one of the most remote patrol bases in the Chora Valley, a base hard fought to attain in one of the most dangerous regions of Oruzgan, where temperatures soar to 50 degrees following a winter of minus 20. All the time, this young leader fed the men, patrolled the valleys and manned the battlement. To the loving parents, siblings and girlfriends, the nation grieves with you. Lads, we will remember you as a pilot of daring and a tough soldier of fortitude, men who knew the great dangers, flew the tough missions and manned the tough posts. We honour you as we mourn your loss, for two more poppies have just sprouted in Flanders field today. The SPEAKER: Order! As a mark of respect, I invite honourable members to rise in their places. Honourable members having stood in their places— The SPEAKER: I thank the House. Debate adjourned.