Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to speak a little about a concern that I have. I am probably not so much aggrieved by specifics other than my concern and frustration for the memory of veterans in our community. As you know, on many occasions I have spoken in this chamber and the other chamber about our veterans and about the areas of huge significance in my region. Tonight I want to talk about the motion by the member for Pearce, who spoke about the Kokoda Trail, the commemoration and how we recognise and remember in history the achievements and the sacrifices that our military people have made.

Tonight, I bring the attention of the House to the area of peacekeeping. The functions of peacekeeping and peacemaking are very important to our military, and a long history is associated with peacekeeping. My frustration is that, like the Kokoda memorials and like our quickly vanishing history, the living history of our veterans disappears year by year. If we do not capture and understand our past—in this case, the military and our veterans—we will lose the history in time.

It was very interesting for me to have hosted very recently our Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, Dr Mike Kelly, a man who has had a much esteemed military career. I brought him into the region to show him what is currently the only peacekeeping memorial in the country, and it sits in the seat of Forde, very close to other areas of significance that I have spoken about in previous times. As you know, I have sung the praises of Canungra, a well-known military installation within the electorate of Forde, and not so very far up the road we have the memorial to the peacekeepers and the peacemakers.

I would like to draw the attention of the House to the dedication of Australia’s peacekeepers. We must recognise their dedication and commitment and recognise our military history. Australian Peacekeepers Day was held on 14 September 2008. This year marks some 61 years since Australian peacekeeping operations began. Many may not be aware that Australian peacekeepers have served in more than 26 areas of operations since the Second World War and more recently in the Middle East, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. In fact, about 2,000 Australian Defence Force personnel are presently deployed on more than 10 operations around the world. A number of defence personnel are also deployed on exchange, third-country deployments and special tasks, such as support to border protection operations. Some of those peacekeeping missions have been Operation Catalyst, Operation Slipper, Operation Paladin in the Middle East, Operation Citadel in East Timor, Operation Anode in the Solomons, Operation Osier in Bosnia, Operation Mazurka in the Sinai, Operation Palate in Afghanistan and Operation Pomelo in Eritrea and Ethiopia.

I would particularly like to bring attention to a certain constituent in my electorate who has been working very hard to ensure that we remember and pay tribute to those peacekeeping missions that many of our Australian personnel have been involved in. At this stage I would like to acknowledge Bob Whiley, an ex-serviceman in my electorate who is very passionate about ensuring that peacekeeping is acknowledged in a memorial. Bob’s passion started when his son was deployed on a peacekeeping mission in East Timor. It is fitting that there is a memorial to remind the community of those brave men and women who served in peacekeeping missions. Bob is a member of the south Queensland branch of the Australian Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Veterans Association. The only memorial currently in the country—until, as I mentioned before, a national memorial is established next year—is located in my electorate, in Carl Heck Boulevard in Windaroo. It is the only peacekeeping memorial in the country. This government has committed to establishing a national memorial in Canberra.

Just over a week ago, the member for Eden-Monaro and Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support, Mike Kelly, visited the peacekeepers memorial. Mike was certainly impressed with the hard work and effort that Bob Whiley put in towards the establishment of this memorial back in 2000 and his ongoing enthusiasm to support and commemorate veterans. It was significant and fitting that Mike Kelly was able to name the peacekeeping missions that he himself had been involved in—and there were some four or five that he recognised on the plaque. I know that he was impressed by the fact that we have established this memorial. We probably need to consider how we can do this across the country.

There are peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we should continue to be reminded of their service. Peacekeeping is an often forgotten aspect of war. It is planned that on 14 September 2009, next year, there will be a national memorial unveiled in Canberra—all things being equal and taking into account some of the fundraising that has to occur—to honour all those who have served and those who continue to serve in peacekeeping operations. The proposed memorial will include those from the Australian Defence Force; from federal, state and territory police forces; and from government agencies who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice in peacekeeping operations commanded or authorised by the United Nations or sanctioned by the government of Australia. The memorial will commemorate and recognise the courage and sacrifice of Australian peacekeepers in the same spirit as other conflicts that are remembered by other cenotaphs. It will also celebrate Australia’s contribution to international peacekeeping since Australia’s commitment to the first UN peacekeeping mission on 14 September 1947.

I am pleased to note that one of the donors to this project is RSL Queensland. I implore all organisations that have some understanding of the work of the peacekeepers, through their veterans organisations, to support the establishment of other peacekeeping memorials. I would also like to acknowledge the Australian Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Veterans Association. I look forward to working with Bob Whiley and the Australian Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Veterans Association and to helping them in their journey to get some of these memorials recognised.

We also need to ensure that our military memorials are maintained and woven into the fabric of our local history. I have spoken on a number of occasions in this House about areas of significance in my electorate. I have talked about Canungra and there is also Tabragalba, where the Z force trained during the Second World War. Commandos trained in that very region. These areas are disappearing very quickly without any recognition, and for me it is about trying to establish that these are precincts in the electorate of Forde but probably, spearheaded by the notion of our future engagements, it will be more about peacekeeping and peacemaking. I think it fits very well and I am pleased that today I can bring attention to this particular issue. At Camp Cable, 20,000 American troops who were stationed there during the war were mobilised for the Battle of the Coral Sea. We heard speeches this evening about Kokoda and what occurred on our doorstep. Most people know that areas in the north of Western Australia were under attack and so was Townsville. Townsville was considered a front line one month before the Battle of the Coral Sea raged out in the Pacific. The mainland of Australia was actually bombed and Townsville was one of the targets.

I would like to sum up by saying that, while I have identified my region as a significant military precinct, General MacArthur drew the so-called ‘Brisbane line’ from where Australia was going to be defended. If we were attacked we were going to ultimately defend from Brisbane, because the logistics would allow us to mount a great defence and wear out the logistics and the supply lines of the invading Japanese.

This history is very significant for our region for all the reasons that I have given tonight, particularly in light of my concern about getting recognition for the peacekeepers and ensuring that the national memorial goes ahead. We should continue to raise funds to provide a very fitting memorial for those people who have served in the capacity of peacekeeping and peacemaking. It is a very important part of our military role in this day and age. To be part of a combat force in another country is not necessarily the way we need to go. It is about peacemaking, peacekeeping and the dedication to that. In closing, I would like to say that I am going to continue to push this. Hopefully, on 14 September 2009 we will be able to unveil that national memorial. People like Bob Whiley in my electorate are working very hard, and I will be supporting them to ensure that we do not forget the courageous contribution that the peacekeepers and peacemakers of this country have made.