Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is Vietnam Veterans Day. Ex-service men and women around the country today and on the weekend will be conducting ceremonies to mark this occasion. This will happen in my seat of Page in the memorial park in Grafton today at five o'clock and in Lismore on Saturday. In my seat there are some wonderful veterans and their families who do really good work to support all veterans in the community, not just Vietnam veterans. Sheldon Maher, the secretary of the local sub-branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association, said that they were expecting a good crowd on Saturday and that is likely to include veterans who have shied away from the event in previous years. He also said:

Each year we have someone come who's never appeared before. They've stayed away partly because of the way the troops were treated when they came home from the war.

An article in the Northern Star quotes Lismore padre Graeme Davis as saying that the hostility shown to the returning soldiers was 'a blight on our history'. He was 20 years old when he was wounded at the Battle of Long Tan. He later became a major and went on to become a Catholic deacon. He is a good man. They both are. Padre Davis said:

We must never again as a nation allow our defence force people returning from active duty and/or peace-keeping duty to be treated as Vietnam veterans were.

We do not. As a nation we treat our veterans accordingly and properly. I know all people in this place are with me on that.

I also want to talk about a local issue in my electorate—that is, the Pacific Highway. Today the member for Richmond and I called on the O'Farrell-Stoner government to turn their pre-election words into action and significantly increase the New South Wales government funding for the Pacific Highway. Andrew Stoner in the Coffs Harbour Advocate on 30 March stated:

The NSW Liberals and Nationals are committed to road safety and plan for the upgrade of the Pacific Highway to be completed by 2016.

Mr Andrew Stoner also said in a media release in February:

… the NSW Liberals & Nationals will immediately fast-track the upgrade of the Pacific Highway if elected in March.

They have been elected, so we are waiting for the fast track to happen. Mr Andrew Stoner said in February 2011 on ABC mid North Coast radio:

We've committed an additional $5 billion … to fast-track vital projects. And I can't think of any more important than the Pacific Highway. Both Barry O'Farrell and I are absolutely committed to getting the job done on the Pacific Highway.

The member for Richmond and I also today launched a petition calling on the New South Wales coalition government to significantly increase their funding to the Pacific Highway and at the very least stump up an additional $750 million in their first budget, due on 6 September, to ensure that work can continue to ensure that the highway is fully duplicated by 2016 as agreed.

The Gillard government is doing the heavy lifting to fix the highway and make it safer for all motorists. Our 2011-12 federal budget announced an extra $1 billion in funding for the highway upgrade. We are now making a record $4.1 billion investment in the Pacific Highway over seven years, more than triple the $1.3 billion the former, Howard government contributed over 12 years. The question now is: will the New South Wales coalition walk the walk after years of talking the talk? The New South Wales government is contributing only $500 million towards the Pacific Highway compared to the federal government's $4.1 billion. When in opposition the now Premier, Deputy Premier and New South Wales Minister for Roads all claimed they would make the Pacific Highway a priority in their first budget if elected. We are waiting. The budget will come down soon. The time has now come for them to put their money where their mouth is.

This issue is too important to play politics with. The New South Wales government needs to step up and match the Gillard government's record investment for this road. This upgrade is about saving lives and making the Pacific Highway a safer road for motorists. Both governments working together can achieve this.