Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

At the outset, I acknowledge the member for Solomon, his service, his recognition of this important motion and the service of all other parliamentarians who have worn a uniform and who have served their country. Indeed, I acknowledge all those who have worn a uniform and served their country in the past, those who do so right at this very minute, and those who will do so in the future. I also note the member Solomon's motion, which includes the 80th anniversary of the battle for Australia, the 80th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Armidale, the 80th anniversary of pushing back the Japanese on the Kokoda Track, the 75th anniversary of the Australian peacekeeping efforts, and half a century since the end of national service. I acknowledge the fact that Wagga Wagga and the wonderful cenotaph in the Victory Memorial Gardens doesn't have too many days when there are not floral tributes on that World War I monument, and that is because in Wagga Wagga we commemorate and we celebrate so much and so many of the good deeds done by our veterans for these important milestone events. In the gardens, there is a derrick from HMAS Sydney and a mark can be seen on the flagpole where it was struck by a shell during the encounter off Cocos Islands in 1914 which resulted in the sinking of the German cruiser Emden. Wagga Wagga's involvement with battles past goes back to Sudan and even before that. Indeed, many men served in the second Boer War of 1899 to 1902. Of course, we had a long line of khaki join the Australian Imperial Force at Gallipoli and other confrontations of the Great War, the First World War of 1914 to 1918—no war is great.

We are very proud of our military heritage. We are very proud of our history as a city. Indeed, there is no other inland regional centre which has bases of all three arms of Defence: RAAF, Navy and Army. If you spend any given time in the Air Force, you end up at Forest Hill. All of the basic recruit training for the Australian Army is done at Kapooka. And we have thousands of veterans who reside in the Riverina electorate. Many of them come to the commemorations at the Victory Memorial Gardens to honour those who went before us. That is why I will continue to fight for a wellness centre for Wagga Wagga, for those veterans.

Ironically and coincidentally, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide will conduct its eighth hearing in Wagga Wagga from today. That will continue until Thursday. I urge and encourage any veteran with a story to tell to take part in those important hearings. The royal commission will accept submissions up until 13 October next year. We need to protect our veterans every step of the way. That's why this royal commission is so important—to hear those stories and, more importantly, to act upon what we do here, to make sure that our men and our women are very much front of mind when it comes to legislation, front of mind when it comes to care. I know the Department of Veterans' Affairs does a very good job in doing that, but there are those who have fallen through the cracks and there are those for whom we need to provide every bit of support that we can as a nation.

We have many milestones to honour in this nation. I told the parliament only the other day that there were more bombs dropped on northern Australia than were dropped on Pearl Harbor. That's a thing that I don't think too many schoolchildren know, but it's a thing that we should teach. The very first New Zealander reported killed at Gallipoli in 1915 enlisted in my electorate. He enlisted at Junee. Wilfred Knight was his name, and he fought for the AIF, but he was a proud Kiwi. I want to make sure that his service, his sacrifice, is honoured with a life-sized bronze statue in Broadway, to have that intrinsic important link that is very much at the heart of Anzac. If ever there was an Anzac story that talked about the spirit of the legend of khaki and the legend of Anzac, it is Wilfred Knight's story—a New Zealander who served for Australia and enlisted in country New South Wales. It's an amazing and remarkable story.

Like the member for Spence, many of us in this place have a family connection. Maurice Joseph Curran is mine. He died in World War I. I honour him just like I honour every single man and woman who has donned the uniform, who has gone out and served our nation.

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