House debates

Tuesday, 16 October 2018

Statements by Members

Groom Electorate: Veterans

1:31 pm

Photo of John McVeighJohn McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Veterans are a very important part of the Groom electorate community—the Swartz Barracks, at Oakey Army Aviation Training Centre; Borneo Barracks at Cabarlah, north of Toowoomba; the RSLs in the electorate; and of course our proud military history, most particularly in Milne Bay, that Milne Bay campaign all those years ago. It was therefore very relevant and important to have a visit from the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Darren Chester. In the electorate just a few weekends ago, on a Sunday afternoon, we were able to catch up with the mayor, Paul Antonio, and Councillor Geoff McDonald, in relation to the future Soldier's Memorial Hall, to talk to the RSL sub-branch about that hall, and to catch up with various veterans' affairs representative groups in the community, even to talk to those concerned about a DHA development at Mount Lofty.

It was most enjoyable indeed to catch up with the Invictus competitor in archery, Mr Stephen Osborne. Medically discharged in 1999 from the Australian regular Army, Stephen is an Invictus competitor in the field of archery, which has been very important to his rehabilitation. To see the pride, the joy and the optimism of Stephen and his lovely wife, Wendy-Leigh, was certainly something to behold.

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