Son of ex-minister Joel Fitzgibbon dies in defence parachuting ...

Current Defence Minister Richard Marles said he was close friends with Joel Fitzgibbon and he sent his condolences to the family.

“Whenever a serving member of the Defence Force loses their life, they have loved ones who are impacted. In this instance, Jack’s father, Joel Fitzgibbon, is a close friend of mine. All of Joel’s friends are feeling this tragedy particularly,” Marles said in a statement.

“Every one of Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon’s friends and colleagues in the Australian Defence Force will be feeling the heaviness of this news.”

In Canberra, Kidd read a statement from the Fitzgibbon family, in which they said they were “devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our wonderful Jack”.

“Serving in the Special Forces was Jack’s dream job,” the statement said.

“We take some comfort from the fact that he died serving his nation in the uniform of the Australian Defence Force.

‘Our hearts are filled with sorrow … his loving family, Joel, Dianne and his sisters, are now holding on to his precious memory.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“Jack was a dedicated, highly skilled and courageous soldier. He was an experienced parachutist. Our lives will never be the same without Jack, but we will always remain proud of him and his many achievements.”

Kidd said Fitzgibbon had served overseas and in Australia, including in response to natural disasters, and his fellow soldiers in the 2nd Commando Regiment had paused their training and gathered at Holsworthy to process the news of his death.

“We acknowledge that military training is inherently risky and we remain committed to constantly training at the highest standard to achieve the level of excellence that we know our nation demands of us,” Kidd said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his thoughts were with the Fitzgibbon family.

“Every death in the service of Australia carries the heavy weight of loss and sadness. The tragedy of a life cut cruelly short,” he said in a statement.

“This tragic accident is a harsh reminder that there are no easy days for those who defend our nation.”

He said the “burden of grief” had fallen on a man who was a dear friend to many in the Labor family.

“Our hearts are filled with sorrow for Jack, and his loving family, Joel, Dianne and his sisters, who are now holding on to his precious memory,” Albanese said.

“We think also of all who served with Jack and are now coming to terms with the loss of their friend and mate. May Jack rest in peace.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton issued a joint statement with opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie and assistant spokesman Phillip Thompson, saying Fitzgibbon epitomised the best of Australia.

“Like his father Joel, Jack Fitzgibbon loved his country and felt a calling to serve it. But he chose a different path to his father – the army instead of the parliament,” they said.

“Jack’s tragic death will be felt across the entire Australian Defence Force, especially the 2nd Commando Regiment.”

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