Canberra Investiture - Commissioner's Honours and Awards Program
Address by Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty APM
The Great Hall, Parliament House, Canberra
19 July 2006
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His Excellency Mr Hamzah Thayeb, Ambassador for Indonesia;
His Excellency Mr Bandhit Sotipalalit, Ambassador for Thailand;
Senator Chris Ellison, Minister for Justice & Customs;
Senators Gary Humphries, Kate Lundy, and Joseph Ludwig;
Bill Stefaniak MLA and Steve Pratt MLA;
Assistant Commissioner Robert May;
The traditional owners of this land the Ngunnawal people, and as always the presence of Ngunnawal Elders Mr Don and Mrs Ruth Bell;
AFP staff and your families. In particular I’d like to welcome a number of award recipients who have not been available to attend previous Investitures due to national and international operational commitments;
The Patton family - Ron and Carol Patton, and their son Mark. The tragic death of your daughter Janelle in March 2002 on Norfolk Island is a sombre reminder of the human cost of crime. There is no greater level of recognition for the work police do than that provided by the community. Your presence here today to see the members involved in the investigation into Janelle’s death receive a Commissioner’s award will mean a great deal to those concerned.
Distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen.
It is a pleasure for me to join you here at the Great Hall for this Commissioner’s Honours and Awards Investiture.
Aristotle once said:
‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit’.
Today we are here to acknowledge and celebrate the ‘habits’ of some exceptional individuals – people who strive to be good police and good citizens, not just of this nation but with today’s demands upon the AFP – they are both good Police and good Citizens of the world.
Although I am now in my second term as Commissioner, I continue to be impressed with the extraordinary efforts of our staff and their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
Just in the past few months we have seen:
- One of the largest international drug investigations in Australia in Operation ASHBURTON involving the discovery by Australian Customs of about 1.2 million ecstasy tablets, with an approximate street value of $40 million; leading to the arrest of five people.
- AFP members deployed to Malaysia to assist in the investigation of one of the world’s biggest clandestine laboratories with the drugs seized destined for local, Japanese, Hong Kong and Australian markets;
- Last week working with our NSW Police counterparts the arrest of 13 people in one of Australia’s largest identity fraud cases;
- The pending deployment of bomb data technicians and disaster victim identification specialists to Mumbai to assist Indian authorities following the recent bombings;
- The rapid deployment of 130 AFP and 70 State Police members to East Timor to help restore law and order; and
- RAMSI’s third anniversary this month, which is proof of our long term commitment to capacity building, and the need for the AFP to contribute to the work of Australian and Pacific Island forum, continues towards stability in the Region as part of our role in translating the Australian Government’s White Paper on Aid into action.
It was also announced last week that Federal and State Governments had agreed to a new National Indigenous Violence and Child Abuse Task Force, which will see AFP involved in yet another new area of combating crime in support of the ACC.
The AFP continues to be called upon to help provide strategic solutions to complex crime issues – because we are recognised as an organisation that can deliver results in short time frames and under difficult circumstances.
None of these recent achievements would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of all our staff both sworn and unsworn.
And this is what we are here to celebrate today, a committed workforce that continually goes beyond the call of duty - be that on the frontline, or behind the scenes developing the tools required for policing.
Today’s awards will acknowledge 86 individuals who have shown great commitment and whose efforts have been judged to be outstanding.
You will hear from Paul about their individual achievements when the awards are presented shortly, but it is important to remember that today’s recipients represent just a snapshot the work being carried out by our staff.
In essence, we are acknowledging staff who assisted with international terrorism investigations, as well as investigations into organised people smuggling; intercepted major illicit drug importations; pioneered forensic and evidence collection technology to promote cutting-edge techniques in policing; and worked in numerous offshore capacities – including hostile environments - to protect and promote national and regional security.
These awards are a reflection not only of outstanding professional behaviour, but individual acts of bravery, with some staff putting the protection of others before their own safety, and a determination and commitment to duty that is considered extraordinary.
Members will be recognised for their courageous efforts during riots in the Rove prison in the Solomon Islands – an incident which did not receive the same level of media coverage as more recent riots in this country. This is another example of where our members sometimes work in dangerous and difficult circumstances just ‘doing their job’.
For the first time we will also see 10 Humanitarian Overseas Service Medals awarded to members of the AFP. This medal honours members of recognised Australian groups which render humanitarian services overseas in hazardous circumstances in times of natural disaster.
These awards will go to AFP members involved in the response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004, which I think is a reflection of our increasingly important work in the region and internationally.
Recognition of the AFP as a truly global organisation is reflected in this year’s recipient of the Commissioner’s Medal for Excellence, who has developed medical and health protocols that have aided the AFP’s peace keeping efforts, and now been adopted by the United Nations as “best practice”.
And as demands in the area of humanitarian efforts and capacity building increase, we will rely on the innovation and creativity of our workforce to enable the most effective response. The medals for excellence and innovation today are being awarded for the development and implementation of information management solutions which were used in a Disaster Victim Identification database.
The importance of such work is put in context when we think about the resources required for victim identification after incidents such as the Bali bombings and the Indian Ocean Tsunami. For families who have to wait to identify their loved ones, this innovation is very important.
This year’s awards also recognise long standing commitment to the AFP, with members receiving awards for 10 and 15 years diligent service.
In such an outstanding field it is dangerous to highlight individuals because everyone is deserving of their award today. But with your permission I will also mention two other cases which remain uppermost in my mind. The first is the tenacity and commitment required to painstakingly and methodically solve the murder of Janelle Patton Norfolk Island. The continued investigative and forensic effort in that investigation captured the attention of the nation.
The second mention I want to make is my own Deputy Commissioner who on the night of the Canberra Bushfires I found him manning the forward command post on Hindmarsh Drive having minutes earlier rescued his mother and farther from their burning home in Duffy. Humility prevents him from being more highly recognised and he is and remains an inspiration to me and the rest of the workforce.
In today’s society with all of its competing demands it is inspiring to be part of an organisation that continues to give so much to so many in a way that truly reflects the values of the AFP Integrity, Commitment, Excellence, Accountability, Fairness and Trust.
Despite the difficulties of policing, the ever changing environment, and increasing demands on our workforce, we continue to see a high demand from people who wish to be part of our organisation.
We have hundreds of potential applicants who, as a result of your efforts, recognise the AFP as a progressive and professional organisation which attracts the highest level of skills and experience in policing.
On behalf of the Executive Team and the organisation as a whole, I’d like to congratulate and thank all award recipients for their respective contributions and for their role in making the AFP the great organisation that it is today.
I’d also like to recognise and thank families and friends who play an essential role in supporting members as they go about their daily work.
On that note I would like to leave you with some images of our members going about ‘their daily work’… this collection shows retrospective and current images of the work recognised in the awards today…because sometimes words alone can not describe the exceptional talent of our workforce.
Thank you.