Ms SACILOTTO - 2008-04-29
We have heard the sad news today of the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. What was your reaction to the news?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. It was sad news. Probably, like every member of this House, I immediately asked the question: ‘I wonder if this soldier is part of the Territory’s Defence family?’ The death of 27-year-old Lance Corporal Jason Marks in Afghanistan is an absolute tragedy, and I am sure all of us here send our condolences to Lance Corporal Marks’ family.
It is certainly a sad reminder of the harsh realities faced by our Defence members and their families in the Northern Territory. Every day, Defence spouses will be waking up and turning on the radio, hearing stories coming out of Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. We can only put ourselves in their shoes regarding the nervousness, I suppose, about what the following day is going to bring them.
I wanted to respond today in particular, given the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday where, in part, he said that 2008 will be difficult, dangerous and bloody, and the Australian nation needs to prepare itself for further losses in the years ahead.
Defence members and their families make up around 6% of the Northern Territory’s population. In Darwin and Palmerston, it is over 10%. It is a very sad day today, but I am sure every member of this House will be saying to our Defence families in the Northern Territory: we all know and recognise somebody who works in Defence; they are either neighbours, they are in the workplace with us, they are on the sporting fields with us, or they are in the social clubs with us. We recognise it is a very tough job that our Defence personnel do as they are deployed overseas.
Madam Speaker, on the back of the Prime Minister’s comments yesterday, and the tragedy for Lance Corporal Jason Marks and his family, all the members of this House will be thinking of our Defence community this coming year and into the future.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question. It was sad news. Probably, like every member of this House, I immediately asked the question: ‘I wonder if this soldier is part of the Territory’s Defence family?’ The death of 27-year-old Lance Corporal Jason Marks in Afghanistan is an absolute tragedy, and I am sure all of us here send our condolences to Lance Corporal Marks’ family.
It is certainly a sad reminder of the harsh realities faced by our Defence members and their families in the Northern Territory. Every day, Defence spouses will be waking up and turning on the radio, hearing stories coming out of Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. We can only put ourselves in their shoes regarding the nervousness, I suppose, about what the following day is going to bring them.
I wanted to respond today in particular, given the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday where, in part, he said that 2008 will be difficult, dangerous and bloody, and the Australian nation needs to prepare itself for further losses in the years ahead.
Defence members and their families make up around 6% of the Northern Territory’s population. In Darwin and Palmerston, it is over 10%. It is a very sad day today, but I am sure every member of this House will be saying to our Defence families in the Northern Territory: we all know and recognise somebody who works in Defence; they are either neighbours, they are in the workplace with us, they are on the sporting fields with us, or they are in the social clubs with us. We recognise it is a very tough job that our Defence personnel do as they are deployed overseas.
Madam Speaker, on the back of the Prime Minister’s comments yesterday, and the tragedy for Lance Corporal Jason Marks and his family, all the members of this House will be thinking of our Defence community this coming year and into the future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016