Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are approximately 173,000 people of Vietnamese origin in Australia and census collection data from 2006 tells me that about 8,135 Vietnamese people are in the Oxley electorate. Of course, that number is much larger today. It is the single largest group, behind people of British or Irish descent, in Oxley.

Almost all of these people have come as or are the children of refugees fleeing for their lives after the fall of Saigon in 1975. It was an incredibly brave thing to do and for what in the end amounted to a huge cost of lives for thousands of those who made the perilous journey.

Next year, 2012, will mark the 50th anniversary of the first involvement by Australian troops in the Vietnam War. The media has reported that some individuals within the RSL are considering a march in Vietnam next year of Australian Vietnamese veterans, and former North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong soldiers. This idea came from sections and individuals of the ex-service community and the RSL. I understand that the RSL itself is dealing with this matter at present.

The government acknowledges that there are differences of view in the ex-service community about this idea, in particular those who served in Vietnam during the war. This is not an initiative of the government, nor has it been promoted by the government or any minister. This is properly a matter for veterans and the RSL to determine.

The government and I acknowledge that this is a sensitive and emotional issue for many Australian Vietnam veterans and the Vietnamese community. We also understand the pain and anguish that this has caused for many people. Vietnam veterans and many people in the Vietnamese community have raised their concerns about this proposed march with me and have explained that a number of unresolved issues continue to exist. (Time expired)