Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on an issue that is absolutely outrageous. In Queensland the RSLs have put forward a proposal with a COVID-safe plan to the Queensland government for a very modest Anzac Day dawn service in Anzac Square and a small march at the RNA showgrounds. It has been weeks, and they have received absolutely zero response—crickets—from this Queensland Labor government. It seems that, if you're a member of Extinction Rebellion, you get more help from the Queensland Labor government to march in Brisbane than if you are a veteran. That is just crazy.

We should be doing everything we can to see the Anzac marches go ahead, with Brisbane residents in attendance so they can support our veterans and, more importantly, so our veterans can feel their support. For goodness sake, if the Queensland government can find a way to have a ticketed event for the AFL grand final, with tens of thousands of people there, they can find a way to have a ticketed event for our veterans, so that our veterans can come together and feel the support of Brisbane residents. It is not that hard.

I am concerned that COVID is being used as an excuse to simply cancel events when it's all getting too hard for the Queensland Labor government. Whether it's Australia Day—where this federal government had to step in to support those events in a COVID-safe way—or, now, Anzac Day, we need the Queensland Labor government to stand up and support our veterans so we can have a proper Anzac Day march go ahead under the current arrangements. This federal government and certainly I, as a local member, support it wholeheartedly. (Time expired)