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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-28 Daily Xml
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Condolence

Doig, Brevet Sergeant Jason Christopher

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water) (14:02): By leave, I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the tragic death of Brevet Sergeant Jason Christopher Doig of Lucindale, who lost his life serving our state, and places on record its appreciation of his dedication and service to South Australia Police and our state, and that, as a mark of respect to his memory, the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

I rise to perform an especially sad duty. Less than half an hour north of Bordertown and barely 15 minutes from the Victorian border, Senior is usually a quiet, peaceful community but, at 11.20pm on Thursday 16 November, a property on Senior Road became a scene of horror and tragedy.

Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, the officer in charge at the police station in Lucindale, and two colleagues from Bordertown—Sergeant Michael Hutchinson and Constable Rebekah Cass—attended a report of use of a firearm involving an animal. There was nothing to indicate that this would be anything more than a routine investigation. However, the shocking events that unfolded that night have not been experienced by our state in almost four decades.

After the officers arrived at the property, the suspect opened fire, with Sergeant Hutchinson sustaining non-fatal gunshot wounds. However, Sergeant Doig was not so fortunate. Despite heroic efforts to save his life, in the cold, early hours of Friday 17 November, 53-year-old Sergeant Doig died at the scene. The gunman also sustained gunshot wounds from police, and it speaks volumes for our officers that Constable Cass rendered immediate aid to both of her colleagues and the suspect until paramedics arrived.

The shock reverberated far outside the close-knit community of the South-East, and today our parliament stands with our police and the people of South Australia in grief and sorrow at this loss. Sergeant Doig was well known in the region—an experienced career police officer who had dedicated his life to serving the people of South Australia. His loss is keenly felt, especially by his mother, Faye, and his brothers, Brett and Greg.

Every officer who wears the SAPOL uniform knows that they are taking on a mighty responsibility, and every officer knows the risks that come with doing one of the hardest and most important jobs that society can ask of its citizens. Our police officers make that commitment to us all knowing that, by protecting us from danger, they are volunteering to put themselves in harm's way.

We all recall the bravery of brevet sergeants Ian Todd and Jordan Allely, who faced life-threatening injuries during their investigation of a minor disturbance in Crystal Brook—a stark reminder of the dangers that our police face in the line of duty. Thankfully, they are reported to be recovering well from their injuries and our thoughts remain with them through this process.

Every police officer knows the risks they face each time they answer a call, yet day after day they turn up for us regardless. Our SAPOL officers are there when they are needed, ready to do their duty no matter the situation. Every day they show courage, they show dedication, they represent true public service to the people of South Australia, and sometimes tragically they pay the greatest price of all.

On Monday 20 November, state government buildings and landmarks were lit up in blue to honour the life of Brevet Sergeant Doig, including the police headquarters on Angas Street. We have also confirmed that a state funeral will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Monday 4 December and will be live streamed for those unable to attend in person.

There are condolence books held at many police stations across the state for those wanting to pay their respects to Brevet Sergeant Doig, and there is also an online book at the SA Police website—police.sa.gov.au—so that even more people can leave their messages of support and sympathy. SA Police Legacy is gratefully accepting donations in support of family and friends, which can be made through their website at policelegacysa.org.au.

We are fortunate to live in a peaceful society in which events such as these are so rare as to be truly shocking. It is a great credit to our police forces and the care and professionalism they demonstrate every day keeping the peace and diffusing countless situations that could so easily escalate were it not for our highly skilled officers whose cool heads and commitment to duty make such a vital difference at such moments. Sixty two South Australian police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty, and that is 62 deaths too many. We shall never become complacent about their sacrifices. Theirs is a debt we can never repay.

We grieve alongside the SAPOL family, including Commissioner Grant Stevens, who suffered his own unimaginable tragedy only days later with the loss of his son in a tragic car accident in Goolwa. We grieve alongside the people of the South-East who have lost a family member, a colleague, a neighbour, a friend. Brevet Sergeant Doig shall be remembered. With honour he served. May he rest in peace.

Mr Speaker, I move that this motion be commended to the house.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): I rise on behalf of the opposition, the Liberal Party of South Australia, to make some remarks to complement in the most bipartisan way possible the comments that have just been provided to the house as the Acting Premier moved this motion.

I would also like to pay tribute to the many representatives of the South Australian police force who are here today, including Acting Commissioner Linda Williams and, of course, the President of the Police Association of South Australia, Mark Carroll, as well as other members of PASA and other members of SAPOL.

Fifty-three-year-old Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was lost in the line of duty on Thursday 16 November 2023 during a fairly routine call-out to a property at Senior, 15 kilometres north of Bordertown in our state's Limestone Coast region. The loss of Sergeant Doig and the impact of that on the South-East community, on his friends, on his family and on the SAPOL family cannot be overestimated.

Sergeant Doig was the officer in charge of the Lucindale Police Station about 140 kilometres south of the crime scene, and he was one of three officers to attend a property at about 11.20pm. His attendance at that property would have been seen by all involved as completely routine, completely normal. He and the officers who accompanied him would have turned up with the same sense of duty as they would have when undertaking the countless jobs, the hundreds of call-outs that they would have been involved in over an extended career—a career, in the case of Sergeant Doig, which had extended back since joining the police force in 1989.

This was a long-serving officer. This was someone who had given his entire working career to the police force. In doing that, he gave his entire working career over to public service, and that public service meant keeping South Australians safe. It meant turning up at crime scenes, but it also meant being a first responder at the scene of vehicle crashes across rural roads. It meant turning up on the doorsteps of people he knew to tell them that loved ones had been lost as a result of such accidents. This was a police officer who had spent his career in service and who lost his life in service.

No police officer has lost their life in South Australia as a result of a firearms incident since 1985, and so the seriousness of this incident and the pain that must be reverberating through the Limestone Coast community and the SAPOL family simply cannot be overestimated.

Sergeant Doig was not the only officer involved. He was the only one to lose his life, but we must also turn our minds to the pain and suffering and the scarring, both physical and mental, that will afflict Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, who was also a victim of a firearm wound, and Constable Rebekah Cass, who bravely provided assistance to both her colleagues. While she may not have been physically injured, let us not for one moment think that the memories and experiences that she had at those moments in Senior will not stay with her for the rest of her days. Her bravery must be recognised by each one of us in the House of Assembly today, and I know that her bravery will be recognised by the families and the communities that Jason Doig and Michael Hutchinson called home.

I want to take this opportunity to say a sincere thank you on behalf of the opposition of South Australia for the huge level of public service that our police officers give day in and day out. It is so easy to say that: those can be just words, they can be just lip service. We need to go beyond that in this instance. It is with sincere gratitude that I say on behalf of the opposition—and I know that the Deputy Premier's words were meant with exactly the same legitimacy and authenticity—we are incredibly grateful for those who put themselves out there to serve our state, to keep us safe, who respond to 99 per cent of incidents with the likelihood of something happening to them being next to zero. But there is then that 1 per cent when something might go wrong, and in the case of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, and the incident that occurred in the South-East, something went horribly wrong.

It has been a hard couple of weeks for the police force in the state of South Australia. The loss of Sergeant Doig followed by the incredible tragedy inflicted on the Stevens family have really elevated in the consciousness of South Australians exactly what our police officers do. Whether it was, in the case of Sergeant Doig, turning up to an incident following a call-out, or whether it was the long-serving duty that Commissioner Stevens has given to our state in a way that elevated him to a position of leadership, respect and affection across our state's population, the incidents of the last fortnight have given us as a state, as a parliament, as the police family here in South Australia, the opportunity to pause, to reflect and to give thanks for those who undertake the ultimate public service.

Occasionally—ever so occasionally, and we hope it does not happen again in our near history—that public service can lead to the sacrifice of one's life in the interests of the safety of South Australians. We extend our sympathies to the South Australian police force. We provide our love, our prayers and our support to the families and friends of the impacted officers, and we remember the service of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig. Vale, Jason Doig.

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS (Cheltenham—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services) (14:16): We come together to pause today in consideration of this motion and the enormous tragedy that has beset the police family in South Australia, and with an outpouring of emotion from our entire community in support of our police family. Since the tragic loss of the life of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, I have had the privilege to speak to his colleagues, and his community, and to learn of the man Jason was, of the police officer Jason was. Their stories, their memories and their anecdotes have painted a picture of a man full of dedication, full of commitment, full of humility, of generosity of service to his community, his beloved community of Lucindale.

Shortly after I learned of the death of Jason, I travelled to the South-East, where I found a community in loss, a community that was still coming to grips—as they remain today—with the senseless act of violence which took the life of their friend, of their colleague, of their local cop, Jason. Whilst I was in that community, in Lucindale that evening we also learned of the tragic news of the passing of Charlie Stevens. It was horror, and it was a compounding horror for that community who were already grieving so immensely.

This may well in fact be the toughest weekend that SAPOL have had to endure. I wish that I could stand here, and I am sure that all of us wish this, and give the guarantee that there will not be more tragedy that is faced by the SAPOL family but, as the Acting Premier and as the Leader of the Opposition have already remarked, this is part of policing: the risk, the service and the potential tragedy are omnipresent factors in the service that our police give to our community.

In Bordertown, in Naracoorte and in Lucindale—some of the communities that were so impacted by the loss of the life of Jason—I found a stoic community. I found people, his colleagues, who were getting on with the job. As is so often the case with policing, there is a tragedy and then within mere moments, in this case in mere hours, the job of service to our community once again takes hold and is given the primacy and the dedication we know our police undertake their service with every single day.

I recognise that grief takes many shapes and that while we condole today, the grief and the loss will be felt for some time to come. In fact, the grief will never go away for those who loved and knew Jason. In Lucindale, there was a beautiful outpouring of support from the local community to drop flowers at the Lucindale Police Station, which was adjacent to Jason's home, where just one night before he was roused to go to a call, an incident, in support of the community and in support of his colleagues.

At this beautiful memorial that remains at the police station were letters from the community, notes from the community and a beautiful picture drawn obviously by a child expressing her condolences to Jason, to his family and to the entire police community. It was beautiful. It was a reflection of the extraordinary outpouring of support and emotion that has accompanied this tragic loss and the cascading tragic losses that the police family have been living through in the last week.

In Lucindale, I met with Mayor Patrick Ross, who knew Jason very well, and also the member for MacKillop, who knew Jason well. I know he is grieving the loss of his constituent, his local cop and his friend. The Lucindale community told me over a couple of beers and a counter meal at the pub that Jason loved his dogs, and he had a special relationship with a local dog breeder. He, of course, loved his motorbikes, always safely, I was told, which is a testament to some of the commitment that Jason Doig had to road safety. I was told that Jason was a regular at the footy club on a Thursday night. He would be there for the meal—a great meal I am told and one that I hope I can return to pretty soon with the member for MacKillop to enjoy myself.

One thing that really struck me and remains with me and I hope will inspire all of us is that I was told that Jason was never happier than when he would get up on a Sunday morning and see 30 cars parked in the footy club car park, because Jason knew that he had done his job, that he had convinced those 30 people not to drive home, and to get home in a safe manner. Jason saved lives. Jason and cops right across the state, particularly in regional communities, constantly save lives on our roads.

Just 24 hours before that, 53-year-old Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was killed. The trauma that his colleagues, Sergeant Michael Hutchinson and Senior Constable Rebekah Cass, will live with will be significant. They were heroes on that day. They responded in a brave way, and I know and trust that their heroism will be recognised. They not only served their fallen colleague but they sought to save the life of the man who took the life of Jason Doig. That is service.

The risks faced every single day by our police are known. It was just earlier this year that officers Ian Todd and Jordan Allely were stabbed in the line of duty in Crystal Brook. We could so easily have been standing in this place doing the same thing as we are today but for the intervention, the heroism of first responders and, if I can say, a bit of good luck on that day.

I recognise the extraordinary support that serving officers have received from SAPOL and also from the Police Association of South Australia. I thank SAPOL and PASA for their support and their leadership during this time. I recognise and acknowledge the extraordinary leadership of Acting Commissioner Linda Williams. Linda is an outstanding individual, and she has had an incredible weight and cross to bear in these past days. I thank Linda for her extraordinary leadership during this time.

I offer my condolences to Jason's family, those by birth, those by in-law and those family in blue. Every worker has the right to go to work, to be safe and to come home. What compounds the tragedy of this loss is not only did Jason not return from work but he did not return because of a senseless act of violence. Rest in peace, Jason Doig.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (14:26): I, too, rise to pay my respects and pass on my condolences following the very tragic events of the past two weeks. I rise also to acknowledge the tremendous work of the whole South Australia Police family that are represented here today. To the acting commissioner, representatives from PASA—Mark and your team—Police Legacy and other representative bodies, I sincerely pass on my deepest condolences to Commissioner Stevens' family and also the family of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig of Lucindale.

Jason was the officer in charge of Lucindale, about 140 kilometres south of the crime scene where these tragic events unfolded. He had been called to the property with his colleagues, Sergeant Michael Hutchinson and Constable Rebekah Cass, as we have heard. Rebekah was thankfully uninjured, and whilst Michael has suffered some injuries he has been able to recover. We have heard today of the trauma that these officers will continue to experience, and that will never leave them. I do want to thank and acknowledge the bodies that help in dealing with that. The South Australia Police family has gone through an extraordinary amount of trauma. These people were known to many right throughout the force, their community and the state as well.

We all understand the importance of our police force in South Australia. We know that they work tirelessly day in, day out. To SAPOL, we say thank you for all that you do. We are sincerely sorry for your loss. There is no more noble profession than one working in the service of others. These officers are some of the most revered, loved and respected officers in Australia—some would say even the world—and the courage that they display, the professionalism that they display, is second to none.

Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig will never be forgotten. The South Australia Police officers who have lost their lives serving our state, who have lost their lives on duty, will never be forgotten. To the family, to the friends, to the colleagues of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig: our thoughts and our prayers are with you, and may he rest in peace.

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (14:28): I rise today to speak to the motion moved by the Acting Premier to express my deep regret at the death of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, who on Thursday 16 November tragically lost his life in the line of duty. I acknowledge his bravery, sacrifice and service to SAPOL. I acknowledge the bravery of Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, who was wounded during the incident, and the bravery and heroism shown by Constable Rebekah Cass, who also attended.

Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig (or Doigie, as he was affectionately known) was a highly respected police officer who has been the officer in charge of the Lucindale Police Station for 12 years. Lucindale is a town within my electorate of MacKillop. It has a population of 637 people but still has its own police station, a building adjoining a house that is just a stone's throw from the local pub, post office and deli. As the town's only officer, Jason was a much-loved and respected member of the community. He was an important part of our cultural and social functioning of the district. He was also someone I called a friend, someone who over the years had invited me to go fishing, motorbike riding—invites I sadly, due to other commitments, was never able to accept.

On Friday 17 November, like many people I woke to the news of the horrific accident that unfolded at Senior, near Bordertown, the night before. I had been asked to do a radio interview on local ABC to talk about the death of an officer and injury of another, both of whom had been shot while responding to an incident. My first instinct was to call Jason to see if he could give me more insight about what had unfolded. He never answered. Just hours later I would learn why.

The death of a police officer in a regional community hits hard, especially in a town like Lucindale. Jason was the type of officer who would turn up at the local pub to tell those inside that he was on duty, with the intent of giving people the opportunity to make good choices. His position as a police officer was never clouded by friendship, and he administered his police work without fear or favour. He was big on prevention policing. He liked nothing more than to see a line of cars at the local footy oval on a Sunday morning, as the minister alluded to, evidence that people had the night before found an alternative way home rather than risk it and drive after having a few drinks.

He was there in the region that was impacted by bushfires, like at Keilira, Blackford and others. He put his community first, and he wore his uniform with pride. As is often the case, tragedies can be the catalyst for really learning about a person. Since his death, people in Lucindale, Naracoorte and Bordertown and surrounding areas have come together and shared stories about Jason, and those stories have made people laugh, and cry. At Lucindale last Tuesday, a wreath laying ceremony attended by the Assistant Commissioner, Linda Williams, and other dignitaries drew hundreds of people. This was a testament to the high regard in which Jason was held.

The night before, landmarks here in Adelaide were lit up in blue, a sign of respect that Jason would never have believed or expected. Jason was, quite simply, a genuine, kind bloke. He loved his motorbikes, his boat, fishing and his beach house at Robe. He loved a chat, particularly if it involved talking about his motorbikes, a trait that led to many an eye-roll from the person on the receiving end of his passionate discussion. He was always the first to help out, even if he was in his casual clothes and not officially on duty. He was a fierce advocate for the country cop and the role they played in keeping our community safe, and we know he did that to the very end.

Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was a cut above the rest. His death and the injury to Sergeant Michael Hutchinson and the bravery of Constable Rebekah Cass serve as a powerful reminder of the risks associated with being a first responder. They serve our community, they put their lines on the line every day for us, and we should be forever grateful.

To Jason's mother, Faye Edwards, stepfather, Robert Edwards, and brothers, Brett and Greg, the MacKillop electorate sends its deepest sympathies for the devastating loss you are all feeling. But you should also feel incredibly proud of your son and brother and the indelible mark that he has left on the people and community of the South-East. Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, may you rest in peace. I commend the motion to the house.

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (14:34): I want to add a very brief word of condolence to the family and friends of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig. While I know a few of the police officers in the South-East, I did not know Jason, but I now know something of his character. As well as being a terrible tragedy for his family and friends, this was also clearly a great loss for his local community.

I do not know the exact circumstances of the hours that led up to this tragedy, but I do know that police officers—what we used to call general patrols, in particular, but not exclusively—almost never know what is going to confront them when they go on a job. Often, the job will appear on the dispatch as a disturbance, with very little detail. Although the communications people try very hard to furnish those patrols with as much detail as possible, there is often very little to work on by way of background.

As a result, every house they visit, every car they stop, every person they meet on the street is a potential risk and, indeed, could be the difference between life and death. As has been said, every copper knows this is the case going into every job, and still they go in. They do it for us. Jason Doig did what he did because it was his duty to his community, and his community now clearly are feeling it because, as has been observed, country cops are a breed apart again, from all the other observations we make about police officers.

They usually, more than most metropolitan cops, are individually pillars of their local communities. They make it their business to know everyone. They support local events and charities. They absolutely embed themselves in that community, both to keep that community safe and to provide cohesion and a focal point for that community so that, when things go wrong, people know who to look to. By all accounts, Jason Doig was that sort of copper, as are Michael Hutchinson and Rebekah Cass.

Beyond Jason Doig's family and friends and the community he served, there is the broader police family. Police officers look after each other on the job, often with a view that they are all in this together. It is a culture of strong camaraderie so that, when something tragic like this happens, it is felt very deeply by those who did not even know Jason personally. I have met and spoken with several of these police officers over the past week.

As has been observed, Brevet Sergeant Doig's death is the first we have seen on active duty in more than 20 years and the first firearms incident of this seriousness for nearly 40 years. In our state's short history, 62 of our police officers have died on duty. Again, when we say 'on duty', we have to remember what that means. It means they are out there going into places and talking to people the rest of us might choose to avoid, and they do it every day to keep the rest of us safe.

There will be a funeral next week to honour the life and service of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig. There will also be a live stream from the event, and members of the public wishing to pay their respects can sign condolence books placed at police stations, including one in my community at the Elizabeth Police Station. Finally, members of the public are encouraged to make a contribution to support police officers and their families through Police Legacy, which is a charity that I know does a fantastic job supporting South Australian police families by offering financial support and emotional and social support in situations like this and others.

Again, my very sincere condolences to the family of Jason Doig, to all those who worked with him, to the community in the South-East and to the broader police family, who have all suffered such cruel and unnecessary loss. Vale, Jason Doig.

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:37): I, too, rise to pay tribute to Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, who was fatally shot while attending a property late on 16 November at Senior, north of Bordertown. He was a man who was simply doing his work of keeping our community safe, a job which he had been committed to for decades, and he was cut down in such a brutal fashion.

Collectively, our hearts and thoughts have been with those who love Jason the most: his family, his friends, his work colleagues. I acknowledge the members of SAPOL and the Police Association in the gallery. I know how hard that community has been hit. What the police officers faced that night was unimaginable to those of us who have not served in the police force. In talking with many police officers around the state, it is a real and present danger that is faced regularly by those who have the responsibility of keeping our community safe.

Jason Doig served the South Australian community for decades, most recently, as has been mentioned, in the South-East and Lucindale but before that on Eyre Peninsula, in my electorate, predominantly in Cleve on the eastern Eyre Peninsula. That is where I met Doigie and knew him, from his time in Cleve. Regional policing roles such as these, in single-officer towns, are unique and challenging. Each officer handles that challenge differently and balances out their responsibilities and community involvement differently.

It is a challenge indeed when you might be chatting with a community member at the bakery at one time and then pulling them over for a DUI the next, when your children could be joining in with other families and kids as part of a team playing community sport and then later that week you could be working through a family dispute with one of the parents of those kids.

A regional police officer plays a unique and incredibly important role in our regional communities—often isolated, self-sufficient, motivated and driven, and with the best for their community's safety at their heart. That was the sort of officer that Doigie was. He was a man of faith, a man of integrity and a man driven by the great responsibility of keeping his community safe.

The tragic circumstances we saw play out on the night of 16 November are a stark reminder of the sacrifice and the spirit of service our police force live out in their work every single day. The people of South Australia and especially we, as elected representatives, join together in condolence, recognising the ultimate sacrifice that was made by Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig in keeping our community safe.

I want to finish with a scripture verse, which is used by SAPOL regularly when recognising such sacrifice, from the Book of John 15:13, 'Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.' Vale and thank you, Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig.

Ms HOOD (Adelaide) (14:41): I, too, rise to pay tribute to Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig. I grew up in the South-East in the Naracoorte community, so my heart breaks for them, for Jason Doig's family and for the SAPOL family.

My best friend from Naracoorte High School lives in Lucindale with her husband and three young children, so I want to pass on a few words from a local who knew and loved Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, as follows:

Doigie always got involved in supporting the community and local activities. He was known to have a meal at our local footy club every Thursday night to support the local footy and netty teams. He pretended to breatho the kids in the car to see them laugh. When on official duty, he would always tell the locals he was by presenting himself in uniform. Doigie did everything by the book and made our community feel safe. This makes it even harder to accept the way his life was taken. Doigie was always there to help out and volunteer in our community. We will miss him.

My heartfelt condolences to our families back home in Lucindale and Naracoorte and Bordertown, to Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig's family and to his SAPOL family. Our sincere condolences. Our hearts break for you. May Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig rest in peace.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:42): I rise to give my sincere condolences on the sad loss of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig, thinking of his family, his police family and all the people of the South-East he worked with. My thoughts are with Michael Hutchinson and Rebekah Cass, who were both on duty that night and suffered their own injuries, whether physical or mental.

I just want to reflect on country policing, and it has been talked about a bit today, and especially single-operator stations. There is one down the road from me from Coomandook, at Coonalpyn, and there are ones around the district at Pinnaroo, Lameroo, Karoonda and other areas. You get a real insight into how local police operate.

You meet those police for a range of matters, for better or worse to be frank. They are firm but fair, whether it is guiding you through, back in the day, getting your licence when you are 16 and helping you get your special truck licence when you are 17 so that you can cart your grain to the local silo, giving you a bit of advice through that process when you are crunching the gears, whether you are at the local footy and you happen to be sitting next to, for instance, Justin from Karoonda while you are doing the time keeping for the Senior Colts. That is what local police do in their community.

Also, as has been said—and I did not know Brevet Sergeant Doig personally—they keep their community safe, as he did, letting people know that they should not be driving home and making sure that they made those right decisions. In some cases, country police give people the option and take them home, and say, 'Well, if you don't take up that offer, I will be back on the street in three-quarters of an hour and you will be booked,' and that is exactly what they do: they give people that option in those far-flung communities when they do not have an easy option to go home.

My heart goes right out to the police community, to Jason Doig's family and also to the Stevens family on the sad loss of Charlie soon after that terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to everyone involved. My thoughts are with the Doig family. May they know that he worked as a community man. He worked as a man who was working towards his retirement at Robe to live in his beautiful beach house down the track and he never had that opportunity. Vale, Brevet Sergeant Doig.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

The SPEAKER: The house will stand suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Sitting suspended from 14:47 to 14:57.

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