Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

A nation that fails to remember is, of course, a nation that fails itself. In tonight's budget there will be a further $35 million in additional funding for commemorative events throughout the remainder of the Centenary of Anzac period. There were 295,000 Australians who served in the First World War; 62,000 died and 70 per cent of those were on the Western Front. There will be additional funding for commemorative events at Lone Pine, Fromelles, Pozieres, Le Hamel, Polygon Wood, Belgium and Beersheba. There will also be a number of commemorative events inside Australia for events that are actually outside the Centenary of Anzac. One of the most important of those will be the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan during the Vietnam War. It is now 50 years. We will be using some of those funds to appropriately commemorate that event. (Time expired)