I appreciate the sacrifice that you have made to serve our country in this way in this place.
So, compliments of the season, happy new year, your country appreciates what you do for us, what you do for our values and what you do for our interests.
I guess the other thing that I am really keen to say to you is that you are doing absolutely outstanding work. Over the last couple of days I have visited our Special Forces in Baghdad, I was at the base to the north of here where our fighter wing is operating, where our tanker and our early warning aircraft is and the work that all of you are doing is absolutely outstanding and it is a credit to you, it is a credit to the professionalism of the Australian Defence Forces and I have to say that we are winning golden opinions from our partners, from our allies and from our regional partners as well.
So, it really has been an outstanding effort by Australia over the last few months.
Obviously, it is going to continue for quite some time because the last thing any of us would want is to see the ISIL or Daesh death cult continue to embed itself in Eastern Syria and Northern Iraq.
This death cult is a threat to the people of this region, it is a threat to the whole world – including Australia. They have declared war on the world effectively and the incidents that we have seen in our own country have been inspired by people who have made Eastern Syria and Northern Iraq their headquarters.
So, this is an ongoing struggle, it is a struggle for our interests, for our values. So you are fighting for Australia at home as well as abroad.
Again, I just want to say thank you on behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian people. We are very proud of you.
I should finally say that it is a particular thrill to be able to do a PT session with some of you. I have to say that those that I was lucky enough to do the session with all look a lot fresher than I feel. I do note that there were some that weren’t doing it. I presume you were doing an even tougher session at a different part of the base.
I am very conscious of the fact that as Prime Minister there is much that you do that I cannot share. I regret that I cannot share some of the difficulties and dangers which you face but it is something at least to be able to sweat with you even if I can’t exactly work with you.
Certainly, while I can’t exactly work with you, I can absolutely work for you and that is what the Australian Government is determined to do to ensure that we give our armed forces all the support that you need in the vital work that you do for us, for our values, for our interests and for the wider world.
So, thank you so much and I look forward to enjoying your company over the next little while.
[ends]