Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Seventy-five years ago the Japanese advance seemed utterly unstoppable. Pearl Harbor had been attacked. The pride of the US Pacific Fleet had been sunk or damaged. Singapore had fallen. Most of our Army was either in the Middle East or captives of the Japanese. The Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, was taken. The north coast of New Guinea was taken. Japan's next inexorable advance was to seize Port Moresby, and from there cut Australia off from the United States and take us out of the war. They were dark times. Menzies described that time as the 'hinge of fate' and so it was.

Brave Australian and American sailors and aviators went into battle on the Coral Sea 75 years ago and they turned back that invasion force. They saved Australia in those dark days of 1942, and we have commemorated their heroism and their service in the last few weeks. In Townsville, where I was a week ago, and in New York, just a few days ago with President Trump, we acknowledged the service of those brave Australian and American sailors, who were there in their nineties. They turned the tide of war when they were teenagers. One of them, Norm Tame on HMAS Australia said the Japanese torpedo bombers flew so close he 'could have hit it with a spud.' They were so brave, at the very edge of the abyss of being cut off from the United States and taken out of the war. It set up the victory at Midway.

Those Australian and American sailors and aviators succeeded in sinking one Japanese carrier and disabling two others, at heavy losses on the allied side. The USS Lexington was sunk, an oiler was sunk and the destroyer Sims was sunk. Over 600 Australian and Americans were killed in that battle, but they turned the tide of war. It reminded everyone there on the Intrepid, as it reminds everyone today, of the absolute solidarity between the United States and Australia in freedom's cause. From nearly 100 years ago in the mud of Hamel, when Australians and Americans first went into battle together—led by John Monash—to the waters of the Coral Sea, to the sands of the Middle East—where I was on Anzac Day, thanking our troops for their service—we stand side by side with the Americans, our allies in freedom's cause, as we always have.

On the Intrepid in new York last week Australians and Americans, leaders of our nations, veterans and service men and women recognised and honoured the service of those who saved our nation 75 years ago, just as we honoured the service of those in uniform who defend our freedoms today.

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