Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Ronaldson. Can the minister please update the Senate about the preparations for the Centenary of Anzac, particularly at the Australian War Memorial?

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

I thank the honourable senator for her question. Yesterday was a great day for Canberra and a great day for this nation because the Australian War Memorial threw open the doors to the new $32 million redevelopment of the much loved First World War galleries. This is the first redevelopment of those galleries for nearly 30 years. It has been a major work. I congratulate everyone at the Australian War Memorial, Dr Brendan Nelson, Rear Admiral Ken Doolan and all the staff for doing a fantastic job. I have had the opportunity to look at these galleries, and my only disappointment was that I did not have long enough. They are magnificent, and everyone listening and in this chamber will be very proud of that work when they see it.

These galleries will give all Australians the opportunity to learn more and to better understand Australia's history in the First World War. The Centenary of Anzac will undoubtedly be this nation's most important commemorative period ever. It is always important for all Australians not only to remember what is represented in the First World War galleries but to understand that the next four years are going to be a centenary of service and sacrifice not just 100 years ago in April but 100 years since, and we should never forget the level of that sacrifice. This gallery redevelopment combines with other projects at the memorial, including the Roll of Honour soundscapes, which are, again, quite magnificent, and the Roll of Honour name projection project. I actively encourage honourable senators who have not seen that to do so. The memory of those Australians, of course, is forever immortalised on the Roll of Honour in the memorial's cloisters. (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of the role the Australian War Memorial plays in telling the stories of Australians at war?

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

I again thank the honourable senator for her very good question. Last year 900,000 people visited the Australian War Memorial and, of those, nearly 200,000 were students. This week I will launch the Anzac Portal and the We Remember Anzac education resource, which has been distributed to all schools across Australia. Honourable senators might be interested to know that TripAdviser has named the memorial as Australia's No. 1 tourist destination. Even more impressively, the memorial is the only Australian institution listed in their top 20.

Why this effort in relation to Australia's children? Because this nation's young people need to understand that, when they go to the Australian War Memorial, there are 102,000 names in those cloisters. They are men and women of this nation who gave their lives to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy today. They are the freedoms they paid for in blood. (Time expired)

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister inform the Senate what other actions the government has taken to further strengthen the Australian War Memorial?

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

(—) (): Again, I thank Senator Reynolds for her question. Last Thursday the Senate, as you would be aware, Mr President, saw the delivery of the coalition's 2013 election commitment to legislate to ban the levy of entry and parking fees at the Australian War Memorial. At the time the coalition promised to ensure that no future government could charge Australians to visit our own memorial. I am very pleased that the Senate saw fit to do this. Mr President, it is absolutely essential that as many Australians as possible, over the next four years and beyond, are given the opportunity to attend the Australian War Memorial. Despite the threat that was potentially there to the finances of the Australian War Memorial and what that might have led to, we have ensured in this legislation that car parking and entry fees will never ever be legislated. (Time expired)

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper .

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