MP honours lost mates
HERBERT MP Phillip Thompson has delivered a powerful maiden speech in Federal Parliament, bringing tears to the eyes of fellow MPS and Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he paid tribute to mates lost to war – both on deployment and following personal battles at home.
The MP and Afghanistan veteran choked up as he spoke about his fallen mates, on the anniversary of laying a friend to rest.
“While on deployment to Afghanistan, on July 18, 2009, a warrior was killed in action,” he said. “His name was Ben Ranaudo and I honour him in this place. My good friend Paul Warren lost his leg in the same blast and I honour his service and sacrifice in this House today.
“It’s a day I will never forget. It was a sickening feeling hearing over the radio that an improvised explosive device had detonated and that an Australian was killed and another critically wounded.”
Just three months later, Mr Thompson would be critically wounded in another IED blast and evacuated home.
While he suffered severe physical wounds, he said the traumatic brain injury and psychological troubles which followed him home from war were his next battle.
“I like many others went to a dark and terrible place after war,” he said.
(“My wife Jenna), at the age of 21, nursed me back to life and literally saved my life.”
But he spoke of mates who were not so lucky and lost their own battles, as he called for more to be done to help veterans’ mental health and suicide prevention across society.
“Today is the anniversary of when I buried a close friend who had died by suicide. His name was Jesse Bird and I honour him in this place today,” Mr Thompson said.
“But I have buried too many of my mates, mothers have buried too many of their sons, wives have buried too many of their husbands and fathers. A nation has buried too many of its veterans. With difficult topics there can be an out-ofsight, out-of-mind mentality.
“I will ensure in this place, we never forget that there’s always more we can do to help.”
But it was his tribute to his daughter, 1, that really warmed hearts.
“I have had some extremely proud moments in my life, which included being the youngest Member of this House, being the 2018 Queensland Young Australian of the Year and serving this wonderful nation as an infantry soldier,” Mr Thompson said.
“However, no title or award compares or comes close to my greatest achievement, being called Dad.”