Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—It is with great pleasure that I rise to deliver this ministerial statement—my first as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC—to apprise the House of the government's continued commitment to commemorating the Centenary of Anzac. This significant period in Australia's history commemorates the centenary of the First World War and, indeed, a century of service. It provides an unprecedented opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice of past and present generations of Australian service men and women, who have defended our freedoms and values since Australia's Federation. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the role of those on the home front. Its objective is to leave an improved understanding of Australia's military experience, its impacts and lessons for current and future generations so that the sacrifices made by our young nation and her people is never forgotten.

Though there was understandably a significant focus in 2015 on the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on Anzac Day, this does not mark the end of the Centenary of Anzac national program that will continue until the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day on 11 November 2018. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to reflect not only on the program's great many achievements to date, but also to outline a number of the key future components of the program, particularly the commemorative events planned for the coming year.

2015 Events

The government recognises the significant community wish to participate in domestic commemorative events and I am in no doubt that the Anzac Centenary period is a time when Australians will want to engage in commemorative activity in substantially greater numbers at home. This year there have been a number of events to commence the Centenary of Anzac, with the highlight, of course, being the amazing service at Gallipoli. Millions more Australians gathered at local services right across the country in what was an extraordinary display of commemorative spirit.

I personally spent Anzac Day with the men and women of the special forces task group in Iraq before joining our ambassador in Baghdad for a service that included the diplomatic corps. I finished the day with an Anzac evening service with our air task force component and commemorated the start of the Mesopotamia campaign in the Middle East 100 years earlier that saw the start of the Australian air arm—what is now the Royal Australian Air Force.

Domestic commemorative events in 2016

The program for 2016 reflects this growing need and enables solemn, dignified and respectful commemoration of more than a century of service and sacrifice by the men and women who have served and continue to serve Australia during war and on peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. In addition to services that will be held at memorials on Anzac Parade in Canberra, some of the key domestic activities in 2016 will include:

International commemorative events in 2016

Gallipoli

The dawn service held on Anzac Day in Turkey this year at the Anzac commemorative site, and the Lone Pine service later that morning, were significant milestones in the Centenary of Anzac national program. They poignantly commemorated the centenary of the Gallipoli landings and the extraordinary bravery of troops from both sides. Following the successful conduct of these services, this is an appropriate time to reconsider the approach to Gallipoli commemorations.

On reflection, as there are risks to Australians and New Zealanders in attending multiple services, often over two days with little sleep, with the Lone Pine service held in an exposed and isolated location, a review of the continuation of the Lone Pine service is appropriate. The government takes its duty of care to attendees to all services very seriously. The review of the Lone Pine service will be made in consultation with Turkish agencies.

The Anzac Day dawn service at Gallipoli will remain one of Australia's most significant commemorative events each year, and plans are well underway for the 2016 service. Our commitment to maintaining a very close and productive working relationship with the Turkish government in providing a solemn and dignified dawn commemorative service at Gallipoli will continue.

France

Despite the special place that Gallipoli holds in our nation's story, Australia's greatest achievements and greatest losses of the First World War were on the Western Front, in France and Belgium. Between 1916 and 1918, more than 290,000 Australians served on the Western Front. Of these, some 47,000 died and more than 130,000 were wounded. They shaped the course of history in a way that Australians had not before, and have not done since. This story deserves to be better known both in Australia and in Europe.

When complete in April 2018, the Sir John Monash Centre will commemorate the extraordinary achievements of the 1st Australian Imperial Force in France and Belgium. It will provide a focal point for visitors of all nationalities to the Somme battlefields, and educate a new audience about the costs and outcomes of Australia's early involvement in that conflict.

During a recent visit to France, I had the opportunity to meet with my counterpart, Minister Todeschini, in Paris, as well as with local officials in the Somme region. I thanked them for the strong support national, regional and local French authorities have given and continue to provide to the centre. As a result, construction of the Sir John Monash Centre will commence in late January 2016, with a sod-turning ceremony planned for 20 January 2016.

When it is completed, the centre will anchor the 12 sites of the existing Australian Remembrance Trail. Comprising museums, interpretive walks and memorials, the trail has built on the efforts of local communities over many years to commemorate the service and sacrifice of the 1st Australian Imperial Force. I thank the people of France and Belgium for their unflagging effort to ensure the legacy of Australian achievements and losses on the Western Front is not forgotten.

To further recognise the service of those on the Western Front, two commemorative events will take place in France in 2016 to mark the 100th anniversaries of the Battle of Fromelles and the Battle of Pozieres. The services will be held on 19 and 23 July 2016 respectively, with Australia also likely to be involved in the 14 July Bastille Day celebrations in Paris. All of this is in the planning stage.

Given the significant public interest in attending the Fromelles and Pozieres events, a registration system to attend one or both of these services will soon be launched. National advertising will commence in December to inform Australian citizens and permanent residents on how they can apply to attend the commemorative services. Those wishing to participate in one or both of the commemorative services will require an attendance pass to gain entry to the commemorative sites. The system will allocate passes on a first-in basis until all passes have been allocated. Once all passes have been allocated, anyone registering will be placed on a waiting list. If passes are returned, then they will be allocated to the next person on the waiting list. There are 3,200 places available for the public at the Fromelles commemorative service and 3,500 places available at the Pozieres commemorative service. For those who do not receive an attendance pass, there will be an alternative site close by where the commemorative service can be viewed on large video screens.

Vietnam War commemorations

18 August 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, Australia's single most costly engagement of the Vietnam War, with the loss of 18 Australian soldiers. I am pleased to announce a number of commemorative activities planned to honour the service and sacrifice of our veterans of the Vietnam War, in 2016. These include:

The Department of Veterans' Affairs is working closely with representatives of the Vietnam veterans community on the arrangements for these events, and to ensure that Vietnam veterans who wish to attend the reception and the services receive appropriate support to do so.

Discussions are currently underway with the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on a small and most appropriate way to mark the shared sacrifice of both our nations on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan service at the Long Tan cross site in Vietnam. It is envisaged that the Vietnamese government will permit Australia to run a small commemorative service at the Long Tan Cross site with access to those Australians and Vietnamese who may wish to attend. Discussions are ongoing between both governments.

Korean war commemorations

2016 will mark the 65th anniversaries of two significant Australian military campaigns of the Korean War—the Battle of Kapyong on 23 to 25 April 1951 and the Battle of Maryang San on 3 to 8 October 1951. To commemorate these anniversaries, and more broadly, the service and sacrifice of Australians in the Korean War, the government is planning for a veterans' commemorative mission to the Republic of Korea in October 2016, with a particular focus being the commemorative service at Busan at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea on United Nations Day on 24 October.

This commemorative mission will conclude an era of commemorative missions, dating back to their commencement in the 1990s. It will be the last mission run from Australia by the government. The veterans' commemorative mission to Papua New Guinea in September 2015 to commemorate Victory in the Pacific, was the final commemorative mission for the Second World War. The magnificent men and women who are the surviving veterans of the Second World War and Korean War are now mostly in their 90s and the rigours of an overseas mission, with its demanding schedule and often testing locations, are no longer the most suitable way for acknowledging their service and the sacrifice of their comrades.

It is essential, however, that their service and sacrifice continue to be acknowledged by a grateful nation. Commencing in 2016, the government will conduct commemorative services at memorials on Anzac Parade in Canberra, and other relevant military memorials of national significance, to mark significant anniversaries from the Second World War and the Korean War. The first of these will be commemorative services at the Rats of Tobruk Memorial, Anzac Parade, on 10 April 2016 to mark the 75th anniversary of the siege of Tobruk.

Commemorative events in 2017-18

As I noted early, the Centenary of Anzac commemorative period extends through to Armistice Day on 11 November 2018. Planning for commemorative events in 2017 and 2018 to recognise a number of significant battles has commenced and will include services at the following locations:

An event will also be held in France on 11 November 2018 to commemorate the end of the First World War. There are also plans to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore on 28 February 2017 at the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial in Ballarat.

Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience

On 4 September this year, the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience was officially opened in Albury-Wodonga by the then Prime Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott MP. Created to be the flagship community event of the Anzac Centenary national program, this travelling exhibition will visit cities and regional centres across Australia until April 2017. The exhibition utilises a mix of visuals, over 200 artefacts usually housed at the Australian War Memorial, audio and film to provide visitors with an interactive experience that guides them through the chronological Century of Service time line spanning from pre-First World War Australia to the present day.

In the short time since its launch, in excess of 50,000 people have visited the exhibition in Albury-Wodonga, Launceston, Hobart, Ballarat and Bendigo. A community zone is created in each location in close collaboration with the communities being visited to tell the stories of local servicemen and women. I would like to acknowledge the significant contributions made by the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience's corporate supporters, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Telstra, which have allowed this exhibition to be brought to life.

I believe the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience will leave a legacy of increased understanding of Australia's wartime history and, through this, help carry forward the Anzac spirit and values. I encourage all those who have the opportunity to attend to do so.

Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program

I turn now to the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The government is committed to ensuring that the Anzac Centenary was not just about large-scale commemorative services at iconic international and national locations, such as Gallipoli and the Australian War Memorial, but also leaving a legacy in communities right across Australia. The Australian Centenary Local Grants Program was instrumental in enabling this local engagement, as many members from all sides have already attested when reporting the scope and resonance of community commemorative activities and projects that have occurred in their electorates. I remind members that of the over 1,800 applications received, 1,651 grants totaling $16.8 million (ex GST) across 150 electorates have been approved for projects demonstrating high levels of community engagement, innovation and educative value.

I thank once again the members of the many communities who have collaborated to devise these varied and ingenious projects, who joined local electorate committees, hosted by members of this parliament, to assist in the assessment of projects, and who, once the funding had been provided, volunteered their time and energy to ensure their delivery. It was the involvement of ordinary Australians, with extraordinary vision and commitment, who have made the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program the outstanding success it has been.

Anzac Centenary Public Fund

The Anzac Centenary Public Fund was established to collect donations from the public and the business sector to pursue a range of Anzac Centenary initiatives. I am pleased to report that, to date, the fund has received approximately $35.7 million in donations. This result would not have been achieved without the assistance of the fund's private fundraiser, Mr Lindsay Fox, and I would like to thank him for his efforts. He is an extraordinary Australian and has done a great job. I would also like to thank several of the corporate donors who have made significant contributions to the fund, including: ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the National Australia Bank, Telstra, Woodside, BHP and Rio Tinto.

The Anzac Centenary Public Fund Board, which is chaired by Mr Gary Humphries, provides advice to the government on the merits of proposed projects seeking funding, and I thank them for their work. Based on the recommendations of the board, some of the projects that have received funding include:

Australian War Memorial World War I Gallery

Australia in the Great War is the Australian War Memorial's new permanent exhibition on display in the First World War galleries, created in recognition of the centenary of the First World War and as part of the memorial's key contribution to the Anzac Centenary.

The exhibition presents the story of Australia in the First World War chronologically, covering all major theatres of operations, including Gallipoli; the Western Front; Sinai and Palestine; and the war at sea. The events taking place on the home front and the immediate and enduring legacy of the war are also included.

The First World War galleries integrate a wide variety of items, including dioramas and other works of art; uniforms; medals; technology such as artillery and firearms; photographs, film and personal items such as letters and diaries. Since the opening of the memorial in 1941, the First World War galleries have undergone several major alterations and many smaller updates.

The new state-of-the-art galleries now occupy the entire west wing of the memorial's ground level and contain ready-made content for the media to draw upon for the centenary years from general overarching themes down to individual stories from Australia's service men and women.

The $32.5 million redevelopment of the galleries received $28.7 million from the federal government, $3.82 million from the memorial's existing capital reserves and an additional $1 million donation from BHP Billiton Sustainable Communities. It provides a world-class display and presents the story of the First World War in a unique, memorable and relevant way for all Australians.

Conclusion

The delivery of the Anzac Centenary Program constitutes a major national effort involving all facets of the Australian community, and I would like to acknowledge the effort of all those who have contributed. I am confident that the initiatives that have already been delivered by the program, and those that are planned, will ensure that the Centenary of Anzac period will leave a legacy of reinvigorated national awareness and increased knowledge of Australian's military history and the service and sacrifice of all those who have served.

David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to respond to the ministerial statement by the Minister for Veterans Affairs, the Hon. Stuart Robert, and I take this opportunity to formally congratulate him on his appointment to that important role. The opposition, the government and all other members of parliament recognise the significance of the centenary for the nation, and we continue to offer our bipartisan support for the Centenary of Anzac national program. In my capacity as shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs I had the very great honour of attending the Anzac Day commemorations in Turkey this year with the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten; the former Prime Minister, Tony Abbott; the former Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson; and many thousands of Australians and New Zealanders, including 10 widows of Australian First World War veterans. All the commemorative events were remarkably moving and powerful, all of them were brilliantly organised and all of them kept faith with our nation's resolve to commemorate those events 100 years ago in a way that does service to the men who went ashore a century ago and the resonance that that moment has had for contemporary Australia and our identity as a modern Australia. I thank all of those who worked so hard to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landings.

Although the dawn service in Gallipoli in April this year was central to the significant commemorative events, there will of course be many important dates to commemorate over the four-year period of the centenary, including Armistice Day in 2018. For Australia, the Great War was tragic, profound and transformational. From a nation of some four to five million people at the time, over 400,000 Australians volunteered for that war and more than 330,000 served overseas. Of those, more than 60,000 never came home. Alongside the carnage and the suffering, we were witness to courage, tenacity, resilience and mateship—values that helped shape a young nation. Indeed, echoing the point made by the Minister for Veterans, Affairs, one of the most redeeming qualities of our commemoration of Gallipoli in particular is the tribute we paid to the bravery of troops who fought on both sides of that struggle, and it is of course a Gallipoli that we find the birth certificate of not just Australia but also the modern republic of Turkey.

During the Anzac Centenary, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice of those Australians who permanently linked these values and qualities with the name 'Anzac'. The Centenary of Anzac national program to date has achieved just that. We have commemorated more than a century of service and sacrifice by Australian service men and women in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has participated and continues to participate. The program honours generations of Australia's service men and women, past and present, and shows the continuity and strength of the Anzac inheritance.

Planning for the Anzac Centenary was begun by the former Labor government on Anzac Day 2010 with the establishment of the National Commission on the Commemoration of the Anzac Centenary. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the vital contribution made by two former ministers for Veterans Affairs—Warren Snowdon and Alan Griffin. The commission, led by former prime ministers the Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser and the Hon. Bob Hawke, reported to government in March 2011 and recommended the establishment of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board to carry the baton forward by developing a blueprint for a program of Anzac Centenary initiatives.

Since its establishment in October 2011, the board has provided regular advice to the government on the development of a blueprint for the Anzac Centenary Program. The board has also undertaken extensive consultation with the states and territories and local communities. On 21 April 2013 the former Labor government released the board's report on a program of initiatives to commemorate the Anzac Centenary. The board report put forward 25 recommendations, all of which we were accepted. I would like to thank the board and its chair, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC, AFC (Ret'd), for their excellent, well-considered document—and I know that he continued to work with the former minister, Senator Ronaldson, in setting up and implementing the architecture for the commemorations.

The desire of Australians to participate in commemorations marking the centenary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli is great and we welcome the minister's commitment to a program of domestic events in 2016 that will establish solemn, dignified and respectful commemoration. We also appreciate the update of international commemorative events for 2016. It should never be forgotten that we Australians are invited to Gallipoli, each year, to commemorate Anzac Day thanks to the government and the people of Turkey. It is by the goodwill of the government and the people of Turkey that so many Australians are welcomed so warmly each year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank, on behalf of the Australian people, the Turkish authorities and people who help us stage Anzac Day services. I also congratulate the Australian embassy in Turkey and our consulate in Istanbul. Their work is extensive and vitally important to the success of these occasions. I extend our appreciation to the government and the people of Turkey for the ongoing cooperation, support and even enthusiasm for allowing us to hold commemorations, on a yearly basis, on Turkish soil. Our longstanding relationship and combined dedication to preserving and protecting the Gallipoli battlefields is paramount to the commemoration of the service of our forebears.

In France and Belgium we find the sites of some of the most significant Australian battles fought during the First World War, the battles of the Western Front. In April 2013, the former Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, signed a memorandum of understanding with French minister Kader Arif that laid the groundwork for Australia's participation in commemorations in France. I welcome the minister's update to the House, today, regarding the commemorative events scheduled to mark the 100th anniversaries of the Battle of Fromelles and the Battle of Pozieres as well as the 14 July Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.

I also welcome the government's update on commemorations planned for both the Vietnam War and the Korean War. On 18 August 1966 the Battle of Long Tan was fought primarily between Delta Company of the 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, supported by other Australian task force elements, and a force of up to 2,500 men from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army. Starting in the afternoon, the Battle of Long Tan was fought in a rubber plantation and lasted until the early morning of 19 August. The Australian Forces—remarkably—were able to repel the enemy assaults and inflict very heavy losses on the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army.

It was, arguably, the most significant action of the Vietnam War for Australian forces. It is certainly a battle that has captured and held the imagination of the Australian people and become one of the emblematic moments of that war for our nation. Eighteen Australian soldiers died and 24 were wounded. The Vietnam War took a heavy toll on our nation. As ever, the Australian soldiers serving in Vietnam upheld the very high standards of the ANZAC tradition and remained faithful to one another and their duty to the nation.

I also congratulate the minister for speaking to the Korean War. I know if former Prime Minister Julia Gillard were here she, too, would be delighted to see the Australian contribution to the Korean War given the substance and significance it deserves. In April 2011 Julia Gillard travelled to South Korea to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the very significant Battle of Kapyong. Fought in 1951, the Battle of Kapyong witnessed the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, side by side with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, withstand an advance of many thousands of People's Liberation Army soldiers, enabling our allies to withdraw to Seoul. It was a desperately fought action. Many lives were lost. So extraordinary was the Australian effort in that action that 3RAR was secured a US presidential citation. Perhaps in contrast to Long Tan, this is not an action that is well known in Australia but it deserves to be. That is why I am so pleased to hear it spoken of, today, by the minister.

We see greater and greater attendances at our commemorative events. While there is the occasional commentary about the appropriateness and place of these in our national life, Australians are voting with their feet. We see the crowds, gathering with dignity and solemnity at these events, grow year on year at local events and, centrally, at the major events here at the Australian War Memorial and elsewhere. Community participation is the way to ensure the Anzac legacy is passed to our next generation.

This is one of the main aims of the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program, which was an initiative introduced by the former Labor government to offer every Australian electorate the opportunity to commemorate the immense sacrifice our Anzacs made at the local level. The program provided grants to each of Australia's 150 federal electorates to support communities commemorating the centenary in ways of their own choosing. I congratulate the government on overseeing 1,800 applications, with 1,651 approved grants totalling $16.8 million, and I thank honourable members—on all sides of this House—for working with their communities to generate the ideas and make the most of this initiative.

In my home electorate of Batman, the program has made it possible for a wide range of local organisations and schools to pay tribute as we commemorate the centenary of World War I. Like every community, the community of Batman has its own unique Anzac story to tell, and this program ensured it was heard. The very first Australian casualty of World War I, Able Seaman Billy Williams, was a son of Northcote in my electorate. He was killed in the Battle of Bita Paka as a member of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force that successfully expelled the Germans from, what was then, German New Guinea. It is a deep privilege to have been able to work with so many members of my community to ensure that we have honoured our Anzacs, and I know that has been replicated in 150 efforts around the country.

Although the government made a number of significant funding commitments to the Anzac Centenary, to supplement this funding the former Labor government established an Anzac Centenary public fund to collect corporate donations. The minister has paid proper tribute to that today. I join with him in commending the significant role played by Mr Lindsay Fox, who has left no stone or high-wealth individual untouched in his effort to encouraging corporate donations and private philanthropy. I thank him for his remarkable efforts. I also join with the minister in acknowledging those Australian companies that have made very significant contributions to this fund: ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank, the National Bank of Australia, Telstra, Woodside, BHP and Rio Tinto.

I would just like to touch on the recent attacks on World War I graves that we were saddened to learn of just last week. Labor condemns the mindless vandalism of the Australian war graves in West London at St Mary's Churchyard Cemetery in Harefield. A quarter of the 112 graves of Australian soldiers killed in World War I and laid to rest there were targeted by vandals for the second time this year. This deliberate attack on Australian war graves is disturbing. Australian war graves are sacred places for all Australians, and attacking these graves is a cowardly and obscene act deplored by us all. These soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and their graves are honoured by every Australian and, indeed, by thousands of Australians every year visiting Europe and visiting those places.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission not only for their swift work in restoring these graves and ensuring they are returned to their original condition but also for the work they do every day of the year. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission does an outstanding job, caring for and maintaining Australian war graves right around the world, and one cannot help but be affected by the sight of these carefully nurtured places in various places around the world, and by knowing that this fine and upstanding organisation, backed by Australians, does the job it does.

I also acknowledge the many other organisations that partner with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which do an outstanding job. I was pleased to host, on 13 November, a visit to Australia by Warrant Officer Didier Pontzeele, head of the Belgian war graves service, who gave a wonderful series of speeches around the country and in my own electorate of Batman about the work he and his colleagues do, tending Australian graves in his country. It was a deeply affecting contribution but also very heartfelt, and it is a fine thing to know that people of his calibre look after these places right around the world, including of course, in his case, in Belgium.

In conclusion, the centenary is one of the most significant periods of commemoration in our nation's history. It is a time to reflect on the Anzac values of mateship, courage, sacrifice, loyalty and resilience, and on how these values are upheld by Australia's service men and women today. It is a time to reflect upon the impact that these struggles and fights, these failures and successes, have had in shaping modern Australia.

I thank the minister for his update and I thank all those who have ensured, and will continue to ensure, that our Centenary of Anzac national program achieves a series of commemorative events that allow us to reflect on our history as well as our future as a nation and to thank all those who have served and sacrificed for their country. I thank the House.