Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) | Hansard source

I thank the member for Leichhardt for his question and acknowledge his outstanding nine-year record of service with the Royal Australian Air Force and also his role as patron of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club.

Yesterday was National Servicemen's Day, when our nation paused to honour and remember the enormous contribution of Australia's nashos, including the more than 15,000 who served in the Vietnam War, the over 1,200 who were wounded and the 200 who lost their lives in that conflict. Today, we also remember the fall of Singapore and those tragic events of this day in 1942. Tomorrow we'll pause to remember the Bangka Island massacre where 22 women, including 21 Australian nurses, and up to 60 Commonwealth servicemen and merchant sailors were brutally killed after Singapore fell. Only Sister Vivian Bullwinkel survived the war. It's a reminder of the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of the men and women who have served our nation in uniform.

One living example of service and sacrifice is Bill Wilcox, a proud nasho from Oberon. As a young man, he had one dream, and that was to play for South Sydney. He got to play one trial game in the red and green before duty called. He got a call back but had to report for national service. On 21 July 1969, the same day that Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon, Bill was hit by a mine in the jungles of Vietnam. It was part of the tragic chain of events that is referred to in that iconic Redgum song I was only 19. To this day, he has dozens of pieces of shrapnel in his body. He was read his last rites at the time. He pulled through, but his mate didn't.

The responsibility to care for the men and women of the ADF, veterans and their families currently rests with our generation, and we have to do everything we can to give them the best possible care and treatment our country can provide. That's why tomorrow I'll be introducing legislation providing an expanded support package for vulnerable veterans and their families and the widowed spouses and partners of ADF members. It includes child support, home assistance and also wellbeing and counselling support. I encourage all members of this House to get behind this important legislation.

I also ask members of this House and the Australian public today to pause just for a moment to remember the extraordinary sacrifice of the men and women who gave so much during those dark and desperate days during the fall of Singapore and also the shocking and tragic events of the Bangka Island massacre. Lest we forget.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

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