Thank you Lord Mayor, Administrator, General Cosgrove, Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Brigadier McNarn, ladies and gentlemen.
It is with enormous pride, on behalf of all of the people of Australia, that I welcome you back. I express the pride and the admiration of a grateful nation for the professional way in which you have represented the values and the interests of all of the Australian people, both in Afghanistan in the ongoing war against terror, and in Operation Falconer, the operation that liberated the people of Iraq from great oppression and also has delivered a more secure world, a world which I believe over the years will be more secure because of your great and brave deeds.
You went abroad in a just cause to defend the values of this country. You went abroad with the united prayers and hopes of all of the Australian people, and I join the Lord Mayor in expressing thanks to God that our people returned from Iraq without suffering any casualties, although we do remember your comrade Andrew Russell who died in the service of the SAS in Afghanistan.
You went abroad as part of a great Australian military tradition, a tradition that has never sought to oppress people, a tradition which has never sought to impose the will of this country or the collective will of a group of countries of which Australia is part, on other people and other nations, but rather a tradition that seeks to defend what is good in the world, that seeks to uphold the values for which this nation stands and seeks to deliver freedom from tyranny, from terror and from oppression.
Can I say to all of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force - you have done our nation proud. You have represented the best in the Australian people and the Australian tradition. And I know that I speak for every mother and father, every wife, every son or daughter or brother or sister or lover or mate, in saying we're so glad to see you back, we're so glad to see you back in one piece. We wish you well.
And can I on a very personal note express the great admiration of all of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force for the wonderful leadership of Brigadier Maurie McNarn to the operation in the Gulf. He joins a long line of great and effective and admired and professional Australian military commanders.
To all of you - welcome home, thank you for what you have done for our nation, and thank you for demonstrating the best values of the Australian people.
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