JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, a young Australian policeman's been killed in the Solomons, do you have a message for his family?
PRIME MINISTER:
I'd like on behalf of all Australians to express my sorrow and sadness to his parents and the other members of his family. Officer Dunning died on active duty for Australia. He's been doing great work in the Solomon Islands. It's a very sad event, it's a reminder that although that intervention has been remarkably successful it is dangerous. These tragic happenings won't deter in anyway the goals and objectives of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands and every effort will be made to find those responsible and bring them to justice. Senator Ellison, the Minister for Justice and Customs and the Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty are on their way to the Solomon Islands and obviously they'll have something to say further and the operational aspects of the matter will be dealt with by the Police Commissioner, but again I express my sorrow to his family and I say to all Australians, it's just a reminder that there are people in uniform, whether they be police or the ADF who daily risk their lives for us and for the causes we believe in, and they deserve special respect and a special place in our community.
JOURNALIST:
So will security there for Australian personnel be re-assessed?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think that is a matter that can best be left to the police and the military. We have, of course, up until this tragic incident had an intervention that's been free of any significant casualties. Obviously this incident will be investigated but the message that I want to send apart from one of sorrow and sadness, is what's happened in relation to Adam Dunning, I just want to say that the mission goes on, undeterred, unrestrained, unaffected by what's happened.
Thank you.
[ends]