Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on a matter of ongoing interest to my electorate in relation to Papua New Guinea and the Kokoda Track. This year I have met with many concerned residents from my electorate who have visited Papua New Guinea, walked the track and seen the sites of Kokoda where Australians fought in World War II. I note that this week the Senate passed a motion for official recognition of the fuzzy wuzzy angels, a group of people to whom we owe an immense debt of gratitude—people who we, indeed, ought to be recognising. I met with Sergeant Danielle Cameron from the New South Wales Police, who walked the Kokoda track recently; their experience tells me that people who go to Papua New Guinea do recognise that we have a debt. Brent Caisley, another from my electorate who undertook the trek across the Kokoda Track to recognise and remember those Australians who fought so valiantly in World War II, also shares a great concern about the need for us to perform this act of recognition. Even though these events occurred 65 years ago, we still have not officially recognised these people.

Australia does have a role as a regional leader. We have a role in aiding our friends and neighbours in Papua New Guinea and ensuring that their ongoing development is successful. Indeed, I know that the constituents of my electorate who undertake this trek—and there are an increasing number of them each year who do; indeed, I head a forum which encourages young people to trek the Kokoda Track—want to see a greater contribution from Australia in relation to Papua New Guinea.

When Papua New Guinea achieved independence, we assisted them with their new parliament. It is a very successful parliament and that building is a wonderful place to visit. However, it is stunning to understand that we have not officially recognised these wonderful Papua New Guinean nationals who saved the lives of Australian servicemen in World War II. I want to commend the motion passed this week because it calls for the immediate determination of a new award and medal to be presented to the fuzzy wuzzy angels, who carried stretchers, stores and wounded diggers directly on their shoulders over some of the toughest terrain in the world. Without them, I do not think the Kokoda campaign could have been the success that, indeed, it was.

I had the privilege of trekking the Kokoda Track with some of my constituents some years ago, and it was an immense exercise in understanding our obligations and gratitude to the people of Papua New Guinea. On behalf of all of the members of my electorate who trek the Kokoda Track, I call upon the government to immediately determine this award. (Time expired)