Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate the opportunity to speak. It is an absolute privilege to rise and speak on this motion today. We as a people and as a nation owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women who have served this great nation, no matter what ensign they served under, be it the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Regular Army, the Royal Australian Airforce, the Merchant Navy, the Citizen Military Force, the Reserve or, for that matter, those who have served our nation in various agencies but can never speak of their service.

Military service, national service and veterans' issues are causes that are particularly close to my heart. In my first speech in this place I mentioned that my father, John Gosling, is the son of a World War II veteran and that when Dad was called up for national service at the age of 20 he chose the infantry and joined the fight in Vietnam. My dad's birthday, 21 December 1948, came up in the national service lottery. You can see the barrel that they used to draw the marbles, each imprinted with a birthdate, at the National Vietnam Veterans Museum at San Remo in Victoria. Dad felt that national service was the result of a democratic process and that there was some good that came of the training, if not much good from the war. National service created a significant impression on my dad and gave him lifelong friends. I remember meeting Dad's nasho mates coming to our house in the seventies, and I have seen the strength of those bonds. Dad joined the 6th Battalion on their second tour and he lost some good mates in firefights in the Nui May Tao Mountains. Dad knew nashos who were killed and of course, as mentioned earlier, there were many nashos who paid the ultimate sacrifice at the battle of Long Tan in the 6th Battalion's first tour.

My dad instilled in me a deep sense of respect for service to our nation and the virtue of public service. The National Service Medal includes the stars of the Southern Cross, representing national service being influential in the machinery of the Defence Force during a time of need and its broad impact in Australia. Surrounding the central device on the medal is a cog, the traditional symbol representing the spirit of cooperation between the Australian Defence Force and the Australian community. I can clearly remember when the National Service Medal was introduced in 2001. I remember thinking: 'Well, that's about time.' Four years later, on 17 July 2005, the National Servicemen's Association of the Northern Territory in Darwin was formed, and it currently has 22 members.

Members of the National Servicemen's Association of the Northern Territory are active in my electorate of Solomon, including in the Pensioners Workshop in Winnellie, which is a Men's Shed that, amongst other things, produces works of art such as a wooden Territory plaque that will soon welcome people to my parliamentary office. The Northern Territory association was instrumental in the campaign to rename the path on Darwin's Esplanade to 'Anzac Centenary Walk', complete with a plaque, and also at the Darwin North RSL earlier this year they laid a plaque. The Darwin North RSL is home to the National Servicemen's Association of the Northern Territory. The Darwin North RSL is currently in a battle to stay afloat and I am confident they will succeed with much community support. I really want to thank all of the people who have pledged support to help Darwin North stay afloat. If you want to help at all in that effort, please get in touch with me. When the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, Amanda Rishworth, visited Darwin last week we met with Kaz from the NT veterans' centre at the Darwin North RSL. I think it is a location that is ideally suited for a physical NT veterans' centre that will be built.

I just want to quickly acknowledge my friend Tony Sievers on his election to the NT parliament and his appointment as the Assistant Minister for Veterans Affairs, Men’s Policy and Sports and Community Events under the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner.

The National Servicemen's Association NT holds a remembrance day every year at the Adelaide River War Cemetery. The Darwin North RSL, with the National Servicemen's Association, put on a cracking Anzac Day service each year. Most members of the NT National Servicemen's Association were a part of the earlier intakes of national service, including the president, Ivan Walsh.

National servicemen were called up at a time of great uncertainty for our country and, should we not be able to meet future force requirements, the issue may again enter the Australian experience. To our national servicemen: thank you for your service and your ongoing contribution to the community. I salute you for your service and your concern for the protection of our land, our freedoms and our way of life. Thank you.

Debate adjourned.

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