Dunne Peter: Motions — Afghanistan Bamian—Withdrawal of Provincial Reconstruction TeamText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDunne Peter: Motions — Afghanistan Bamian—Withdrawal of Provincial Reconstruction Team[Sitting date: 09 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9115. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future): I want to join with other members who have spoken to commemorate the contribution made by New Zealand forces in Afghanistan in the last 10 years. I am very pleased that this House is debating this motion today because it has not always been our tradition to recognise in a timely way contributions made to conflict situations around the world. It was a very long time after the conclusion of hostilities in Korea for instance before this House early this decade acknowledged the contribution of New Zealand forces in that conflict. The Viet Nam veterans will tell you with a lot of passion about how they felt overlooked and ignored when they came back to New Zealand at the end of their time in Viet Nam. So it is good that we are debating and supporting this motion today.This has been our longest period of engagement anywhere any time. I think many New Zealanders find that surprising. The 10 years have crept up on us very suddenly. But it has not been without cost and reference has been made by others to the 10 New Zealand fatalities and the other injuries. Although it might appear infelicitous to single out any one of those casualties I am sure the House will forgive me for doing so and I explain my reason. One of those young men who died was Lance Corporal Leon Smith. I know Leon’s mother Mary well. They are local people in my electorate. I recall Leon as a young boy in the late 1980s early 1990s growing up and mixing with a group of kids who were in a circle of people whom we associated with. When you start to think about the fact that someone like him is not just a statistic but a real person who gave his life in a field of conflict it brings home to us what it is we are talking about today. This is not some abstract situation that took place over a period of time in a far-off land. This is something that very dramatically touches the lives of many New Zealand households many New Zealand families and many New Zealand communities. While I am speaking on this point can I also observe because again it affects one of my sons the New Zealander Jack Howard who was killed fighting with British forces in Afghanistan.Young people have a sense of invincibility—that they can go on for ever that they can triumph over adversity. It is a situation like this that brings home that unfortunate other reality. So it is good that we are acknowledging and thanking those who served in Afghanistan for their contribution. But there is one step further that we must take and I believe my colleague to the right was alluding to this as well. We honour the campaigns New Zealanders have fought by the shields around this Chamber. I hope it is not too long before somewhere in this increasingly cluttered space an Afghanistan shield takes its place in this Chamber because that would be—Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: It’s happening.Hon PETER DUNNE: —it is happening; I am delighted to hear that Minister thank you—the ultimate tribute that this nation could pay to those who served so valiantly for so long.Motion agreed to.