For too long, Australia's kiaps have been largely forgotten from our national story. They were Australian patrol officers who served in Papua New Guinea over the course of a century, often in remote and dangerous conditions. There were around 2,000 kiaps, and their mortality rate was four times that of Australians serving in the Vietnam War. Around 88 lost their lives, but the surviving kiaps I've worked with have never sought recognition for themselves. The Territory's Graham Watts, Queensland's John Hocknull and, here in Canberra, Bill Sanders have always said that this is about remembering the mates who went before them.

For years, we've worked to push for a permanent memorial in Canberra, and, in February 2024, that became a reality. PNG prime minister James Marape paid tribute to Graham, John, Bill and the rest of the kiaps as the Albanese Labor government and Papua New Guinea committed to a memorial. Today, it's under construction here in the Parliamentary Triangle, and soon the kiaps who lost their lives in service will finally have a permanent place in our national capital. It's been a long time coming, and it belongs to the kiaps and their PNG mates that they never stop remembering.