Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I certainly condemn the criminal acts that have occurred at the Australian War Memorial and also on the Vietnam War memorial, the Korean War memorial and other war memorials as well in places like Sydney. I don't know what goes through someone's head in thinking that any cause is advanced by the desecration of what are sacred sites here in Australia. Our veterans and men and women who wear our uniform deserve our respect. The reason why we have those memorials is to enable Australians of different generations to learn from them, to go and to show respect and to honour those who have sacrificed their lives on behalf of us for our freedom, our democratic values and our way of life.

The Governor-General, in her speech earlier today in the Members Hall, spoke about the fact that, from the Prime Minister's office, when the doors are open, with the design of this building, you see right through the Members Hall, through the Great Hall, through the entrance of Parliament House and past Parliament House to the Australian War Memorial. That is not by accident. That is because in the decisions which people make in high office—in particular, governments—to send our men and women into danger we must always think about the impact that that has on those who undertake their duty on our behalf.

There have been a range of, frankly, idiotic criminal actions while the Middle East conflict has been going on. It is one thing, and there should be full prosecution about the denigration of officers and the denigration of other public buildings, but nothing is as bad as the desecration of those memorials. I thank the member for his question, and I hope sincerely that these people who are responsible are found, that they get the full force of the law, that they get the book thrown at them and that they get exposed publicly as well for who they are. We know what they are; they're unworthy, unworthy of having any respect and any leniency as a result of their own actions.

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