Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement) Share this | Hansard source

I also wish to rise today to support the comments of previous speakers and to support the motion. I am speaking today on the Prime Minister's statement on Vietnam Veterans Day, which on 18 August this year commemorated the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Australian troops in Vietnam.

This year, only a few weeks ago, I had the great honour of paying tribute to Australian Vietnam veterans, along with Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, in Anzac Square, Brisbane. I would like to particularly mention and note the fantastic work that is being done by Mr John Smith, the president of the Queensland branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association, who organised the ceremony. John is based in Burpengary, but I see him at a number of Vietnam Veterans Association functions all throughout Brisbane, and a few months back, on the south side of Brisbane, we had the honour of attending a Vietnamese dinner, which some 400 people attended as well. I want to thank John for the incredible advocacy work that he does, and though he is situated in the electorate of my colleague the member for Longman his work extends far and wide.

The association do a great deal of advocacy work. They provide support to those who need veterans' affairs assistance and they continually lend a helping hand to members of the returned service community that need assistance. Just recently, I had the pleasure of having a look at a submission that John had made to improve the facilities where they meet—to put solar panels in and to improve the clubhouse and the headquarters of the Vietnam Veterans Association. His tireless work really should be put on the record, and I commend him and the association for all the wonderful work that they do.

It is very fitting that we honour Vietnam veterans, and particularly Vietnam Veterans Day as a special day on our nation's calendar, where we recognise the 521 men who paid the supreme sacrifice on active duty in the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1972.

The particular parade that I just spoke about was very moving for a number reasons. There were a number of speeches that told about how Vietnam veterans were treated—the scorn, the derision—and how some politicians of the day treated them appallingly. It is something that we must never ever do. I heard, quite literally, first-hand accounts of many of the service men and women, and the pain is something that has stayed with them for many years. We really need to respect and honour them. It is good to see that we have given them the respect and the honour that they deserve. They are a proud part of our Anzac heritage, but as I said, sadly that respect was not given to them upon their return from conflict.

Australian troops were first sent to Vietnam in 1962 and the numbers increased over a 10-year period that saw more than 58,000 serving in the conflict by the end of the war. Vietnam Veterans Day also marks the anniversary of one of Australia's most iconic battles of Vietnam, the Battle of Long Tan. The Battle of Long Tan is best remembered as a classic Australian struggle against a much bigger enemy, and we really need to commend the 108 men of D Company, 6RAR who fought a much bigger and much stronger opponent to win the day and to be nationally and internationally recognised for their tenacity, their courage and their bravery under fire.

I want to make mention of the number of RSL clubs in my electorate, and particularly the United Service Club, which is housed at Wickham Terrace in one of Brisbane's most historic buildings. It is a fine club, and I want to pay tribute to the number of meetings that are held there. Particularly also, I want to acknowledge the Clayfield Sub-Branch, under the stewardship of former senator Bill O'Chee. He would probably have to be one of the youngest presidents that the club has ever known, but he throws himself into his duties with such vigour and such diligence. The Clayfield Sub-Branch also does a lot of community work, particularly with the schools in our area, to make sure that the young schoolchildren of today know of the history and can pay respect to the fine men and women who served in the past. So I want to commend Bill.

Sadly, in January, we had a fire at one of the schools, Eagle Junction School, and one of the beautiful stained-glass windows in the library had been donated by returned servicemen and women.

I was recently with the principal, Principal Justine Botell, and she proudly displayed this wonderful window that had been saved—the stained-glass window that had been given to the school from returned servicemen who had served in Changi. It was wonderful to see that stained-glass window restored to its original position. The veterans' community plays an enormous part, and I want to acknowledge the great work that they do with the Vietnam veterans, particularly the active work in this area.

A fine tradition continues today, but so does the risk that our troops undertake in the name of this great country of ours. Just recently we lost three fine men who were based at the Enoggera Army barracks in my electorate. Much has been said in this place and will continue to be said in paying tribute to our Vietnam veterans and to all of the defence men and women who have lost their lives in the service of our nation—and, quite rightly, much more needs to said in their honour. No words that I say today can express the incredible sacrifice that they have made. No words are adequate to express the pride we should have in the honour that they have bestowed upon Australia. They should not be forgotten. Lest we forget.

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