Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me much pleasure to support the motion moved by the member for Higgins. I do so with an element of reminiscence because a generation ago some social pundits were reasonably predicting the end of the Anzac Day era. By the end of the 20th century, the 1915 Gallipoli campaign and, indeed, the wider Great War had continued to cast an influential shadow across the Australian social landscape. Predictions of declining interest became louder when the final Australian survivor of the Gallipoli campaign, Alec Campbell, passed away in May 2002. Yet, Australia has not seen the end of Anzac commemoration. In fact, quite the opposite is true. More and more Australians enthusiastically join the growing crowds, replete with every multicultural flavour, heritage and cultural taking part in solemn and respectful services every chilly April.

Last Anzac Day in northern Tasmania I joined a big gathering of veterans, families and supporters at the Georgetown dawn service and then at the mid-morning march and ceremony in Launceston. In Launceston, crowds line the streets two and three deep on both sides of the route as veterans young and old moved between them. Far from declining, the expression 'Anzac' and that for which it stands has been nationally embraced and even revitalised. Despite the fact that Australians are busier now than ever before, I doubt that this vital interest will change in the future. By why has the Anzac legend wrong-footed the pundits? Australians are a hard bunch to label or characterise but above all they are a pragmatic, perceptive, generous and gracious people. They are pragmatic enough to recognise the unfortunate need to fight some wars, perceptive enough to understand the futility and wastefulness of most wars but equally generous and gracious to recognise and honour the sacrifice of those who participate in them and who do not come back or, if they do, are changed by the experience. Most importantly, Australians recognise that such sacrifice is made voluntarily in their name and Australians consciously choose to keep and remain faithful to this recognition. Like the US Marine Corps, they are semper fidelis, always faithful, every loyal. Though they may not say it publicly, the pithy expression 'Lest we forget' has been embraced by Australians as few nations on earth and they continue to demonstrate that they have not forgotten, through their actions by publicly and respectfully commemorating the fallen every year.

It is fitting, too, that Gallipoli and Anzac have come to be the collective catch-all expressions under which Australia's multiple wars, conflicts, police actions, peacekeeping and peacemaking missions have been warmly acknowledged by a grateful nation. This phenomenon recognises that Gallipoli was just the start of 100 years of Anzac sacrifice.

That said, a small minority in our community engage in unfortunate revisionist history. Earlier this year, I wrote an article in response to our national broadcaster, the ABC, giving prominence to those who claim that the story of Gallipoli is 'a myth blown out of all proportion'. A story aired on the ABC on 27 January this year containing commentary from a small group that asserts we should focus on the misogyny, racism, discrimination and exploitation at Gallipoli. Instead of honouring more than a century of service and sacrifice by almost one million men and women in uniform, the ABC on that occasion honoured instead the opinions of those who trawl through the history of 1915 Cairo brothels. The wearing of black armbands started in ancient Egypt, but there are clearly those in the ABC still wearing them, intent on nudging the historical pendulum from pride to guilt.

Australia has a new and younger community of veterans, some 72,000 of them during the last decade—and my daughter amongst them. The fact that many of them have been harmed physically or psychologically by recent war makes the lead-up to the Gallipoli centenary next year even more poignant and relevant. With this in mind, I applaud the Anzac Centenary Local Grants program, which will ensure some wonderful commemorative events in my electorate of Bass and across our nation. I again commend the member for Higgins for her motion which maintains this most worthy Australian commemorative tradition and practice. Lest we forget.

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