Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian War Memorial stands as one of our nation's most sacred institutions. It's not simply a museum; it is a place of remembrance, reflection and national identity. Every Australian schoolchild who walks through its doors learns what service and sacrifice truly means. We owe it to those who served to ensure their stories are told properly, completely and without political distortion. The War Memorial combines a shrine, a world-class museum and an extensive archive. Its purpose is clear: to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war or on operational service and those who have served our nation in times of conflict. Its mission is leading remembrance and understanding of Australia's wartime experience.

That mission traces all the way back to Charles Bean, Australia's official war correspondent in the First World War. Bean did not want a monument to victory. He wanted a place that honoured the ordinary Australian—the digger, the nurse, the airman, the sailor—and he wanted it to record their stories faithfully. His concept of a shrine, a museum and an archive was uniquely Australian.

More than a century later, that founding vision still guides this incredible institution, and the scale of the memorial's impact is extraordinary. It attracts around a million visitors each year, even during what is a huge redevelopment. More than 100,000 Australian students participate in its education programs annually. Its national collection contains over 40 million items. The Roll of Honour commemorates more than 103,000 Australians, one of whom was my great uncle Murray Davies, men and women, like him, who have died in service under our nation's flag. The Last Post Ceremony that is conducted every evening at the War Memorial has been conducted more than 4,000 times since 2013. Those figures are not just impressive; they reflect the central place the memorial holds in our Australian story.

The character of Australian service has evolved. Since the Second World War, more than 100,000 Australians have served in modern conflicts and operations, including Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and in numerous peacekeeping missions and humanitarian missions. Their service deserves to be recognised with the same dignity and space as those who served in the First and Second World Wars. That's why the coalition, when we were in government, committed more than $500 million to the redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial.

Early works commenced in 2020, with completion scheduled for 2028. The purpose was straightforward: to provide additional exhibition space to properly tell the stories of contemporary service in a timely and appropriate manner. This was about ensuring that veterans of Afghanistan, those who served in Iraq, those who've deployed on peacekeeping missions or those who've provided disaster relief at home and abroad see their service acknowledged within the national narrative.

I want to specifically acknowledge the leadership of the current director, Matt Anderson, and the leadership of the former director, Brendan Nelson, in their work guiding this complex redevelopment and safeguarding the memorial's mission throughout this process. The professionalism of the memorial's leadership and staff has ensured that even during construction, the institution has continued to operate at the highest possible standard. The Australian War Memorial must remain above politics. Its council was established as an independent statutory authority. Its role is to preserve history, not reinterpret it through the lens of the government of the day. Remembrance must unite Australians, not divide them.

This redevelopment was a clear commitment by the former coalition government to honour contemporary service. It was funded. It commenced. And it is being delivered. It is important that the historical record reflects that commitment accurately.

The memorial belongs to the Australian people—especially to those who served and, importantly, their families. Lest we forget.

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