Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was an honour and privilege for me to present to the Clayton RSL and Remembrance Space, just down the road from my office, on 11 November to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice. Every year Australians reflect on the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in World War I. The scale of human loss in that war is unfathomable. With a population of less than five million at the time in Australia, approximately 400,000 Australians enlisted. Of those 400,000, more than 60,000 were killed, with 46,000 of those dying on the Western Front.

The RSLs and Rotary clubs in my electorate have taught me a great deal about the legendary and remarkable service of Sir John Monash. I want to say some words today to express my very strong support for the posthumous promotion of Sir John Monash to field marshal. I am not one for hagiography but, doing the proper research into the story of Sir John Monash has confirmed to me that he was an extraordinary man—the sort of leader who perhaps we have one of, maybe two, per generation. Sir John Monash was and is recognised as having been one of the most effective allied generals in the First World War and the most respected commander in Australia's history so far.

In May 1918, Monash was appointed commander of the Australian forces and, in that year, he led attacks that had a significant impact on the outcome of that war. It's extraordinary to think in today's times that this one person, with his incredible genius, lateral thinking and ability to see the big picture, was able to do so much to save so many Australians' lives and to push that war effort so far forward.

One of the incidents that's often cited is the Battle of Hamel on 4 July 1918, when Monash demonstrated his genius. His skilful planning and astute tactics helped Australian and American troops capture this town from the Germans in just two hours. It's widely believed that many thousands of lives could have been lost if they hadn't conducted that attack under his guidance.

A month later, on 12 August 1918, Monash was knighted on a battlefield in France by King George V in recognition of his service to our nation. As you well know, Deputy Speaker Laundy, Monash then returned to Australia to begin what, for anyone, would have been an extraordinary career on its own, doing some remarkable things for the state of Victoria, including the establishment of the Shrine of Remembrance and being the head of the state's Electricity Commission and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Had Monash been promoted to general prior to July 1919, there would have been a reasonable chance that King George V would have promoted him to field marshal. Indeed, Prime Minister James Scullin was publicly supportive of this and was going to do so by November 1929. It didn't happen.

There's a lot more to say about this extraordinary man, but can I say, as a Victorian and an Australian, it is time to give appropriate recognition to Sir John Monash.