Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Our veterans served and sacrificed for our national flag, our country and our democracy, and we stand here today in this House and look up at that same flag, which flies above this building. It is displayed proudly at the entrance of the House and is mounted in every corner of the floor of parliament. We have the privilege to stand here to debate laws and discuss the ways forward for our future as a free nation. And we must never forget that we stand in this building in peace to debate our future because our veterans stood on the front line to protect it. And to our veterans our flag represents the promise of a future they fought for, a future that thousands of service men and women never got to experience.

That's why I was honoured on Sunday to present Lilydale RSL President Bill Dobson and the members at the AGM—and I'm a member of the Lilydale RSL as well—with an Australian flag that has flown here at the heart of the democracy that is Parliament House. The flag will now proudly fly at Lilydale Cenotaph, which stands as a permanent reminder of the sacrifices of those who served our nation. It lists the names of those who once called our community home but left to defend freedoms that they never had the opportunity to enjoy. It symbolises local lives cut tragically short in the pursuit of a cause greater than themselves and a sense of courage and bravery that is difficult and impossible to comprehend. I'm looking forward to seeing this flag fly in my local community as a fitting tribute to our beautiful nation and the many selfless veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.

I'm proud to say that nominations are open for the 2026 Casey Community Awards. These awards were established as a way to give back and say thank you to the incredible volunteers who make our community stronger. Our region is made up of volunteers who go above and beyond to help others, through protecting our community, running food banks and op shops, protecting our environment, keeping local sporting organisations running, and bringing our community together.

If you know someone who volunteers with Rotary, the guides, the RSL, Probus, the men's shed or Inner Wheel, or perhaps someone who coaches a team, mentors students or otherwise volunteers in our community, I encourage you to nominate them for a Casey Community Award. These people deserve to be recognised and celebrated for the service they provide to our community. They are great examples of the true Australian spirit that deserves to be celebrated.

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