Graham Edwards (Cowan, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary (Defence and Veterans' Affairs)) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank you for your kind words earlier and note also those of Julia Gillard, which I really appreciated. I must say, after listening to the member for Ryan speak, that that is probably the best speech that he will ever make in this House but, having heard it, members might understand why I really will not miss this place when I go!

In talking to the amendments to the APEC Public Holiday Bill 2007 and in making probably my last speech in the House, I want to take the opportunity to cover a range of issues. Firstly, as this bill relates to APEC and as I will be attending APEC at the invitation of the Prime Minister in my capacity as deputy chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I want to comment on some of the activities of that committee—a committee, Mr Deputy Speaker Hatton, of which you are a notable member.

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is probably the most interesting committee in the parliament. As a joint committee, it is a busy one; not only does it require attendance at an additional seven meetings in a sitting week but it also requires attendance at a number of meetings outside of sitting times. The committee has been fortunate enough to travel to and visit our troops on the ground in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed, it has become somewhat of a tradition for committee members to visit our troops in the field.

Whilst we on this side do not agree with our involvement in the Iraq war, I have had the opportunity to tell troops in Iraq that the parliament gives them strong bipartisan support and that we on this side stand behind them and their families during their service and on their return. In that respect, I think our nation has learnt much following the Vietnam War. Our committee has also produced a number of well-researched reports, and we are about to finalise our report on the air superiority gap issue, which has come from an inquiry requiring much work. I want to recognise the staff of the committee and give particular thanks to the Defence attaches we have had over the years. I thank the committee staff and those personnel for the kind personal support they have given me over the years. I know that without that support I would not have been able to visit Iraq and Afghanistan.

Being a Vietnam veteran has given me a responsibility to pursue veterans issues. I have done so willingly and sometimes aggressively. I make no apology for that, as I firmly believe that, if this nation has the capacity to send young men and women overseas to fight in foreign wars, it certainly should have the capacity to support them when they return and in later years.

Back in 2000 I brought to the attention of this House the suicide of Ken Freeman, a former member of the Special Air Services in Perth. His widow did not want his suicide to pass without something being done to try to help veterans with similar issues. Tragically, suicide within the veteran community has continued. I recently raised the issue of the suicide of another former member of the SAS in Perth on behalf of his partner. She too did not want his suicide to pass without something happening to assist other veterans who may be facing similar problems. The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, facing pressure from a number of issues relating to that suicide, announced an inquiry but neglected to consult with the veteran’s partner. She was only advised of the inquiry through the thoughtfulness of a member of another ex-service organisation.

Who can forget that the same lack of courtesy and consideration was extended to war widow Kylie Russell when the President of the United States laid a wreath in honour of her husband at the National War Memorial but this government neglected to advise or invite her? Here was a young mother grieving the loss of her husband, tragically killed by a mine in Afghanistan. She felt a great sense of injustice and pulled the government on over the treatment of war widows. She sought nothing for herself but to win improvements for other widows who would face similar issues in the future unless changes were won. Because of her strong stand and because of the strong support she received from many sections of the veteran community, the government backed down and did indeed make changes.

I have been prepared to confront successive ministers and the government on a number of these issues over the years. I have done so in the knowledge that I have had strong support from people like Blue Ryan, National President of the TPI Federation, a man who has done an immense amount of work for the veteran community. It is beaut to see Blue in the gallery of the chamber tonight. I have also had strong support from the Vietnam Veterans Federation, particularly from blokes like Tim McCombe and Graham Walker and it is beaut to see Graham here tonight as well. I have an immense admiration for Graham. I have appreciated all the support and I know that these ex-service organisations—these two in particular—believe that they exist to represent the needs of their members, they do so without fear or favour and they do so regardless of the politics of the government of the day.

I have been a member of the RSL since I joined the Scarborough branch in Western Australia in 1971, the branch that my father was a member of. I am currently a member of North Beach branch. I have great respect for much of the work done by veterans on behalf of veterans in the branches of the RSL. What has disappointed me over the years, however, has been the deafening silence of the RSL at the state and national levels over some of the issues which go to the heart of the wellbeing of the veteran community. Perhaps the time is coming when the RSL needs to elect its national president from the rank and file of its membership.

I also believe it is imperative to re-establish the national veterans advisory council to ensure that the veteran community does have direct and clear lines of communication with the minister of the day. It is also important that the minister has the capacity to consult with the veteran community in a transparent and accountable way. I hear the minister of today saying, ‘I have consulted with the veteran community over a whole range of issues.’ But I know many veterans heavily involved in the veteran community who have never been consulted. Indeed, most of them wonder whom it is that the minister has consulted. We need to make the actions of the minister accountable and transparent.

Last Friday Alan Griffin and I visited the Pe-ac-ed With Love quilting exhibition here in Canberra. This is an exhibition put together by widows, partners and families of Australian war veterans. What a moving exhibition PVA have put on, with the partners’ theme being unity, love, peace. It was a wonderful exhibition, I congratulate PVA for the tremendous work that they are doing, and I wish them well for the future. Indeed, under a Rudd Labor government I hope that they will be given a voice in national veterans issues and it is a delight to see some of the members of the PVA here tonight. I hope, at some stage in the future, that the wonderful exhibition they put on might be displayed at the War Memorial. I think it is one of the best exhibitions of veterans paraphernalia that I have ever seen.

I also want to take this opportunity to recognise the great work done on behalf of veterans by my mate Ric Giblett. Ric and I joined up together and he has worked with me for one day a week on veterans advocacy. I want to say thanks, mate, and well done, cobber. The first bill I spoke on in this House was the bill introduced by the government to ratify the Ottawa Convention. For me this was the continuance of a journey started as a member of the Pioneer Platoon in the 7th Battalion, RAR where we were taught to lay mines. Having stood on one in Vietnam and been lucky enough to survive and then to have joined the movement to campaign against them is a continuing part of that journey. I am currently patron of the Australian Network to Ban Landmines and I want to recognise their wonderful work and pay tribute to their commitment. I know that their priority now is to extend the ban to cover antivehicle mines. I wish them well in their work and I assure them of my continuing support in the future.

Today I want to direct some comments to the people of Cowan. I simply want to say thanks. I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to them for the privilege, courtesy and opportunities afforded me over the past nine years as their federal representative. I hope I have returned the trust placed in me. Australia faces many challenges into the future beyond the current mining boom. It is recognised that the Prime Minister, John Howard, is a clever politician. However, like many Australians, I am not convinced that he has a vision for the future of this nation beyond the next election. As a proud Australian, a father and a grandfather, I have a number of concerns for the future. These include mortgage stress brought about by high interest rates, despite John Howard’s pre-election promise to keep interest rates at record lows. They also include the high cost of living, lack of provision of health services, declining aged care, lack of job security, high home rentals and the declining opportunity for young Australians to achieve the dream that my generation grew up with—that is, the dream of homeownership.

As the only veteran in the Australian parliament, I also have taken a strong interest in defence and security matters, including the wellbeing of Australia’s veterans past and present. Australia’s involvement in the Iraq war has been shrouded in lies and deceit. I fail to see how sending young Australians overseas to fight in that war has in any way enhanced the world’s or Australia’s security—indeed, I fear the reverse. I look forward to the time when our political leaders no longer require young Australian men and women to be sent overseas to fight in unnecessary wars that do nothing to improve security in our own country or our own region.

I believe Kevin Rudd does have a vision for the future of this nation, a vision which includes a fair go for all Australians, and I will be strongly supporting his bid to lead Australia into the future. This is a view shared by Liz Prime. Liz has been selected by Australian Labor to replace me as the ALP candidate for Cowan. Liz is currently director of nursing at Joondalup hospital. Liz has a proud record of involvement in community organisations in our northern suburbs. As a mother she knows the challenges facing families as they struggle to balance family commitments, work responsibilities and making the family budget stretch from one payday to the next. Liz is a fine person with a commitment to the future of this nation, and I will be working hard to see her elected.

I have spent most of my life living and working in Perth’s northern suburbs. In retirement I intend to continue to work with and support a number of voluntary organisations that are doing great work in our community. To all of the people in Cowan: I wish you and your family peace, security and a fair go into the future.

In Cowan we have a number of wonderful organisations. One of them is Wheelchairs for Kids. This organisation constructs wheelchairs for kids and sends them to many overseas countries including East Timor, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Bosnia, Vietnam and Iraq. I recently attended a ceremony to mark its 10,000th wheelchair. It has now sent 11,402 wheelchairs overseas to 57 different countries. Wheelchairs for Kids is run by a group of former Christian Brothers with the support of Scarborough Rotary and other volunteers, including a group of Vietnam veterans. Wheelchairs for Kids have 150 wheelchairs ready to go to Iraq. The wheelchairs are demountable and take up little room. Wheelchairs for Kids have approached Senator Ellison’s office in Perth to get government support to send these wheelchairs to Iraq to the 150 kids who have already been identified. The government has told Wheelchairs for Kids that it is unable to assist. I find this incredible, and I call on the Minister for Defence, Minister Nelson, to review this decision. I want to congratulate Brother Ollie Picket, Bob Sheridan, Gordon Hudson and all of the volunteers at Wheelchairs for Kids, who do a tremendous job. I say to them: you really do epitomise the spirit of volunteers, and I salute you.

One of the important issues facing Australia is the need to foster and increase the spirit of volunteerism. Many adults, facing increasing uncertainty in the workplace and a lack of job security, coupled with longer working hours and rising costs, are turning away from community involvement. P&Cs, sporting groups, service clubs and a host of other community organisations are feeling the pinch, with a lack of volunteers making their time available. Often the same family groups are involved in more than one community group, which means that they face burnout. I want to encourage the Labor Party to look at incentives to keep families involved in community groups.

I often say that the three most important principles of sport and recreation are participation, participation and participation. As young people seem more vulnerable to obesity or spending more time in front of personal computers and less time exercising, and as parents work longer hours, it seems to me that participation in healthy sport or recreational pursuits is declining or at least becoming more expensive for families to maintain—indeed, prohibitive for many. Being involved with your children in the community is crucial. I urge Labor to look at incentives to help keep families involved in community sporting and recreational clubs. The future health and wellbeing of young Australians depends on this participation in healthy lifestyles, and that practice needs to start from a young age. I say to parents that the time spent with your children in community groups is important for them and you. I also believe that young children like to see their parents involved and helping out in a volunteer way with the club or group they are involved with. I believe that we must look at tax incentives to help break down the cost of family involvement in junior sport. We must also take steps to rekindle the wonderful spirit of volunteerism which is the backbone of all community groups in this nation.

In conclusion, I want to thank the staff of Parliament House for the tremendous support afforded me since my election. Indeed, the friendliness of all staff here, including the security people, guides and Comcar drivers, has gone a long way to making my job here so much more enjoyable.

I am not the sort of bloke who makes friends easily, but I have appreciated some great friendships in Canberra. I particularly want to say thanks to Gibbo for his mateship. Steve is a committed member for Bendigo, and I doubt that there is a more dedicated local representative in this place. To Annette Ellis, who is indeed a fine and delightful lady, I also say thanks for your friendship and advice from time to time. To Kevin Rudd: well, all I can say, mate, is that it is all in front of you and the party, and I wish you well. I listened to your speech to the Christian group, replayed last night on the ABC. Kevin, you certainly represent the values of the ALP and our hope for the future of this nation. To Jenny Macklin I also say: many thanks for the advice, for the many times you have been to Perth and for the friendships you have extended to me and my family over the years. To Kim Beazley, a great man and a great Australian: it is my privilege to have served with you, Kim, and I wish you all the very best for the future. I know that you will continue to make a great contribution to this nation. To Ruth Webber: thanks very much for doing me the honour of coming here tonight. I also want to thank Roger Price and his staff for their consideration and support since he has been in that position. To all of my colleagues I say: thanks for your support, and I wish you well for the future.

We all know that our reputations and electorate offices depend on the calibre of the people involved. My electorate office does have a good reputation. This is a reflection of my staff, and I want to thank them. I thank Maurene, who has been with me for over 20 years and has carried the brunt of many issues and many difficult constituent problems. That she has lasted so long is testimony to her professionalism, dedication to the job and enduring capacity to put up with a grumpy boss. My thanks to Lisa, who is as quiet as a church mouse in the electorate office but who has a tremendous passion for righting the wrongs of the world and pursuing a fair go for people, particularly in areas of migration. To both Tony, the Dockers supporter who has stuck his head into the lions den, and to Simon, who came, left and returned, I also say thanks for your professional approach and your conscientious care of constituents. You have both been great assets to this office. I know that this has been a challenging time for my staff, with some uncertainties in the future, but you all have well-deserved high reputations, and I know that your futures will be secured.

Lastly, to my family: you simply cannot do this job without the love, support and encouragement of your family. To Noelene, who has been with me every inch of the journey, I say thanks. Our marriage has survived Vietnam, politics and her support for Collingwood Football Club. Hopefully we can look to the future, enjoying our family and our retirement for many years to come. To Kerryn, our eldest daughter, her partner, Paul, and our delightful little grandson, Jake, I say g’day. I know that they would like to have been here tonight, but that was simply not possible. Likewise to Jaynie—who would also like to have been here, but who has just started her prac as a teacher and is unable to be here—I send all my love. To Rosemary and Billie, my sister and her partner—my brother-in-law, a Kiwi—who are here, I also send my thanks.

The most important structure in our society today is the family. I know that the ALP goes into the next election with a leader with policies that recognise this. For the future of my children and their children, and thousands of other Australian families, I know that a Rudd Labor victory at the next election is imperative. Just as I have lived my political life loyal to the principles of the ALP and loyal to the catchcry that I grew up with—’A fair go for all’—so will I end my political career with my strong commitment to see a Rudd Labor government elected.

I thank the ALP for the opportunities they have given me. I thank my colleagues who are here tonight for their support. I look forward to the future. I look forward to future challenges. I look forward to a world which will be better for my grandchild and all the grandchildren in the world. If I could leave with one thing in this House, it would be that which the Partners of Veterans Association captured in their quilt show. It is simply this, for all the kids in the world: unity, love, peace.

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