E&OE
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
I commend the Prime Minister for his fine and very touching and moving words.
An honourable life is forged by one’s values, choices, and deeds.
Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon loved his country.
That love saw him choose to serve his country.
That choice saw him defend his country as a soldier.
Because of Jack’s values, choices, and deeds, today we honour an honourable man who lived an honourable life.
In the tragic death of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, our nation has lost a principled, personable, and promising young Australian.
Greater than the national loss is the profoundly personal loss.
A dedicated father has lost his only son.
A devoted mum has lost her only boy.
A dear partner has lost her life’s counterpart.
And two sisters have lost their darling sibling.
A band of brothers have lost one of their own.
Our hearts break for Joel, for Di, for Kass, for Caitlin and Grace – and for the soldiers of the 2nd Commando Regiment.
In Jack’s tragic death we are again reminded that the military service of selfless individuals comes with risks.
Risks not only on the battlefield, but in training too.
In 1996 – and Jack would want us to remember this today – eighteen Australian families paid the price for their loved ones’ service when two Black Hawks collided.
Last year, four Australian families paid the price for their loved ones’ service in the Taipan crash.
Now, the Fitzgibbon family is paying the price for their beloved Jack’s service in the Special Forces.
Jack was only 33 years old.
And his was a life cut tragically short.
But in the short life of a marvellous man, we see qualities which define our nation’s longevity.
Patriotism, duty, and courage.
In our tears for Jack, we recognise the noblest traits which make our country tick.
In our grief for the Fitzgibbons, we express our gratitude to those families whose stoicism in their loss speaks to a hallmark of our national character.
In Jack Fitzgibbon and his family, we see and we know the very best of Australia.
That is why our mourning today bestows meaning for our tomorrows.
On behalf of the Coalition, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Fitzgibbon family, and thank them for the honour of sharing Jack’s funeral service with us at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cessnock – as the Prime Minister pointed out before.
There was an emotional outpouring, particularly from Jack’s mates, and I acknowledge those in uniform who are with us today and those who will be mourning the loss for a long time to come.
They spoke so fondly and so warmly of him, their times together, and the social occasions that they caught up, and the larrikin nature that Jack had, which his mum and dad and sisters spoke so fondly of.
I look forward very much to sharing a glass and raising a toast soon to the life of Jack and to Joel and to the family.
As the Prime Minister pointed out, Joel is Labor Party royalty, but he’s held very dearly in our hearts as well – a person for whom we have a great deal of respect.
May Jack Fitzgibbon rest in peace.
[ends]