Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for page for his contribution to this discussion this evening and acknowledge his exceptional advocacy for the constituents of his electorate of Page, not the least of which are members and former members of the Defence Forces in his area. There were some 27 local community organisations across his electorate which shared in $124,833 in funding under the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program, and he detailed some of those. I think the amazing thing is that, wherever you go in this country, whether it is a large city or a small town or village—a hamlet in some cases—there is a cenotaph or an honour roll there and you can read the names of, in many cases, dozens of locals from small areas who went off to fight, particularly in the First World War, and the many who, tragically, did not return from that conflict.

Across Australia this program has supported more than 1,750 applications seeking up to $18.7 million in funding, which delivered on the government's election commitment to place community based commemoration at the heart of the Centenary of Anzac. In the most recent budget, the one we are discussing tonight, the government has continued its investment in the Centenary of Anzac to ensure that the centenary of service—the century of service—by our personnel in the defence forces is properly recognised and honoured.

An additional $35.5 million will be allocated for the Australian government's Centenary of Anzac program for the upcoming 2015-16 budget as planning for commemorative events marking the 100th anniversary of major battles gets underway on the Western Front. Of course, the focus of the centenary celebrations this year was, as it should be, at Gallipoli, but that was a relatively short period of campaign—some seven or eight months at Gallipoli. Then many of the troops, as the honourable member indicated, went back to Egypt and then to the Middle East at the great Battle of Beersheba—which he talked about in his contribution—and then of course for some three years or so on the Western Front.

Indeed, 295,000 Australians served with distinction on the Western Front. Of the more than 62,000 Australians killed in the First World War, 75 per cent were killed on the Western Front. The additional funding will provide for commemorative events at Lone Pine, in Turkey; Fromelles, Pozieres and Le Hamel, in France; Polygon Wood, in Belgium and, of course, Beersheba in Israel. I am sure that there will be many Australians who want to be at those events.

I had the great privilege on Anzac Day of being at the dawn service at Villers–Bretonneux and then the town service in Villers–Bretonneux followed by three services in or near Bullecourt and then later on the Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate at Ieper. Of course, great battles occurred across the Western Front, which will be commemorated in the coming events.

There were some 7,000 people at Villers–Bretonneux at dawn in very cold, wet conditions. At Bullecourt there were about 2½ thousand people, mostly Australians. Bullecourt, for those who do not know, is more or less in the middle of nowhere in northern France on the Western Front, yet so many hundreds if not thousands of Australians made their way to those commemorative services, and I suspect in the coming years tens of thousands of Australians will attend these commemorative services.

There is also an opportunity to partner with ex-service organisations to mark anniversaries such as the fall of Singapore and Australian sacrifice at Hellfire Pass and, of course, the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan during the Vietnam War. So it is not just the First World War that we are commemorating over the coming years. It is also significant battles and wars which occurred since then, notably the Second World War and of course the Vietnam War.

As I said, next year significantly marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs has announced that, subject to the agreement of the Vietnamese government, a small mission party of veterans will be supported to return to Vietnam in August 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. There will also be a major commemorative event here in Canberra at the Vietnam Forces National Memorial on Anzac Parade to honour all Australia's Vietnam veterans. As I said earlier, the veterans of that war were, unfortunately, neglected by the country, and it is appropriate that we put things right in this 50th anniversary year of the Battle of Long Tan.

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