Ms GILLARD (Lalor—Prime Minister) (14:00): I move: That the House record its deep regret at the death of Sergeant Brett Wood MG on 23 May 2011 while on combat operations in Afghanistan, place on record its appreciation of his service to the country, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement. As we said yesterday, Sergeant Brett Wood was a courageous soldier. He was also a husband, a son and a friend, and I know that the thoughts of everybody in this House are with his wife, with his family and with his friends as they struggle to come to terms with this dreadful news and as their very dark period of mourning and grieving begins. Their sacrifice and their sorrow is very real, and as a nation our sacrifice and our sorrow are very real too. But the progress we are making on the ground in Afghanistan is real as well and we are determined to prevail. So today not only should the House express its sorrow; it should express its resolve. We will remember Sergeant Brett Wood. We will care for his wounded mates. We will support his mates who are still serving in the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan and his mates who are training with the 2nd Commando Regiment in Holsworthy. We will deny terrorism a safe haven in Afghanistan and we will stand firmly by our ally the United States of America. I want the people of Australia to know we are making progress in Afghanistan. Our troops are making a difference: protecting the Afghan people, training the Afghan security forces, building the Afghan government's capacity, preparing the Afghan National Security Forces to take responsibility for security in their own nation. The momentum of the insurgents has been halted. Security has been extended to areas previously controlled by the Taliban. In Oruzgan province, where we work, the provincial government is extending services to new areas. Our own provincial reconstruction team is conducting activities in areas of Oruzgan untouched six months ago—that is, we are able to work now in places we could not work before and this will see the first areas of Afghanistan begin transition to Afghan-led security. We will see the first transition during this year. Across Afghanistan we have seen progress, and the goal of transition is in sight. We must be very realistic. Transition will take time but it is clear that the new international strategy is making progress. We are making a difference in Afghanistan and Brett Wood made a difference every day: on his first day in uniform in the Australian Army, on his first day on deployment in Bougainville, on the day he won his Medal for Gallantry in the Chora Valley and on the day he died. Sergeant Brett Wood died so that his friends, his fellow Australians and, indeed, the people of Afghanistan could live in peace; so that terrorism could find no continuing safe haven in Afghanistan. He was a man who sought peace for us and peace for the people of Afghanistan. We take this opportunity to wish that he rest in peace and that ultimately, too, his family and friends find some peace as well.