Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

One flag, true. But they're being told that unless it's within the last two decades it's not worthy of consideration or reconsideration. Yes, there will be bureaucracy involved. Yes, Defence doesn't always like to be told that it might have got it wrong, that their decisions might have to be reviewed, that perhaps there was somebody who didn't get a medallic honour and some new evidence comes to light. That's an important part of the process. But when you sit at one of those investitures, when you see the emotion in the eyes of the families who have lost loved ones, as in Richard Norden, as in Robynn Freeman, the widow of the brave Victoria Cross recipient—and you know what it means to her. You know what it means to her sons. You know what it means to the community of Gundagai, to Abb McAlister, the mayor, to Helen Castles, the journalist at the Gundagai Independent, to Paul Vercoe, who has worked so hard to get a statue—and I do acknowledge the minister and the Saluting Their Service Commemorative Grants Program for the $150,000.

If this legislation passes, if the minister doesn't have the good heart to say, 'We won't worry about it,' I do wonder about whether we should have the people who voted in favour of this making the winding track to Gundagai, on the road to Gundagai, next May, when we unveil that statue. They will have voted for a piece of legislation that will stop the future Richard Nordens from getting recognised, and that's not right. This is a folly.

This piece of legislation is not right. It's not right for those who have received medallic honours in the past through a process. It's not right for those who should have in the future. It's just wrong. Lest we forget.

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