Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is Battle for Australia Day. This has been commemorated in various parts of the country since 2001, but today is the first day it will be a national day of commemoration. It is appropriate to commemorate in a national way all those who have fought in defence of our nation in our darkest hour. At the outset I would like to acknowledge the role of Smithfield RSL. Smithfield RSL subbranch was one of the first, if not the first, in the country to commemorate Battle for Australia Day many years ago. It has played a significant role in ensuring that the nation realises the importance of this day. I specifically recognise the contributions of Alex Peken and Fred Fisher, as well as of the subbranch president, Bill Newell.

It gave me great pleasure, as a matter of happenstance, to be briefing His Excellency the Governor-General as a member of the Executive Council about the government’s legislative program. As it happened, the day that I was scheduled to be the minister performing that function was the day that we briefed him on Battle for Australia Day and the national commemoration. I was pleased to be able to tell him about the role of Smithfield RSL. Smithfield RSL are holding a commemoration today, as they do every year. As usual, I will not be able to be there because the House is sitting. I was able to go last year when the House was not sitting, but generally the House is sitting on the first Wednesday in September. So I have sent my apologies and I send them my best wishes.

The Battle for Australia Day will be officially recognised on the first Wednesday in September each year. It commemorates the service and sacrifice of all those who served in defence of Australia in 1942 and 1943. Close to 6,000 casualties occurred on the Kokoda Track, 243 people were killed in Darwin and 161 were killed in the battle for Milne Bay. There were direct attacks on the Australian mainland, particularly in Darwin, and of course New Guinea was at that time part of Australian territory. Battle for Australia Day ceremonies recognise a small group of men and women who can say, with justification, ‘I saved my country.’ There are very few people around the world who can say that, but people who were involved in the Battle for Australia can. It is appropriate that we take this day to mark that service. Kokoda, of course, in recent years has become as important nationally as Gallipoli and Tobruk as part of our recognition of our heritage, and it is appropriate that it does so. Of course, it is wonderful that we have so many people young people in particular travelling to Kokoda every year to recognise that service.

Locally, my office, in conjunction with Smithfield RSL, has developed a Battle for Australia kit, which is being sent to every school to help schools commemorate the Battle for Australia Day. Some commentators say that there was no Battle for Australia, that Australia was not under threat. I happen to disagree with that view but, at the end of the day, what is important is that the men and women who were fighting were certainly of the view that they were fighting for the defence of Australia. That was certainly the national view at the time and it was certainly the view of the Australian government and our then Prime Minister, Prime Minister Curtin. Today we all pause to recognise their great service.