Eric Hutchinson (Lyons, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure and an honour to be able to speak on the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014, which is probably not the most auspicious piece of legislation that I will have an opportunity to debate, but, nevertheless, remembering the sacrifice that so many over so many years have made for our country in the field of war, in the role of peacekeepers, in support roles and in active service is something that every Australian and future generations would do well to contemplate on from time to time.

The Australian War Memorial is truly an icon in Australia. My family, my brother and his wife and daughters recently visited Canberra and as a family we went to see the War Memorial. Whilst it was a venue to enjoy a lunch, for me it was quite intriguing to watch the reaction of my young boys in particular to the amazing collection they have at the War Memorial. It was interesting to see the vividness of the display at the back of the War Memorial—the lights, the activity and the interactive display they have there—and observe the impact it had on young people. We are often critical of young people about living in a different world and about the way they engage with the community and with others. They move through life perhaps at a faster pace that you and I might have. For me it was truly eye-opening to see the way they were absolutely captivated by the images and the stories they were seeing.

Another recollection I have of that day was the absolutely broken wreck of an aircraft that forms part of a display in the War Memorial. Indeed, it compels you absolutely to contemplate the time and the place and how that came to be. It was special. I think it is something that every Australian should do. They should take the time. We did not give it enough time, but we will make sure that we have an opportunity at some point in time in the future to revisit that amazing memorial to people who served, many of whom have given their lives for the sake of this country.

The bill itself is about ensuring that there will never be the ability to charge parking fees at the War Memorial. It may not seem the most significant thing, but, nevertheless, based on the observations, if nothing else, that I have made of the impact that the memorial had on my young boys, it is a special place in Australia. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country and for every Australian, when they come to Canberra, there should be no barriers to them visiting the War Memorial, because it is a special place and a place for reflection.

Getting back closer to home, no doubt it is true right around Australia, but, within my electorate of Lyons, which covers over 50 per cent of the south island—the island state of our great nation—there are many communities. There are literally hundreds of small communities. Without thinking too hard, I did start making a list last night of all the little towns around my electorate that I am aware of that have memorials to the Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War or the Vietnam war, as well as peacekeepers' memorials or memorials to Afghanistan or other conflicts. Truly, they have been focal points for those communities. I hesitated to complete the list because I was sure that I would miss some communities, but one town that springs to mind, a very, very small community, is Avoca in the Fingal Valley. I had the privilege of speaking at the 11 o'clock Anzac Day service at Avoca last year. Indeed, the work that they have done has been successful in attracting a little funding out of the centenary of Anzac commemoration memorial fund. That has given them an opportunity to do some work that was overdue in upgrading their memorial.

Further south, in the beautiful Derwent Valley, up towards the Florentine and those iconic 'working forests', as they are—or were, at least—within my electorate, there is the town of Fentonbury. Those who take the road up the Derwent Valley through New Norfolk, past Bushy Park and Glenora, end up at Westerway. If you turn off there to go towards Ellendale, you pass the small town of Fentonbury. On the right-hand side as you head towards Ellendale, there is a memorial. It is in a privately owned paddock. This memorial somewhat resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Every time I drive past it, I stop and I ponder. I have had conversations with the local mayor because I would love to see a way of working with the private landowner and, if it were deemed appropriate by the local community, perhaps consideration of moving that memorial to a place where it could once again be a focal point for that community—because we should always remember and reflect and take the time at appropriate moments during the year to contemplate those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

This debate gives me an opportunity also to reflect on the centenary of Anzac program. It is a really valuable program right across the 150 electorates around the country. My observation might be that in an electorate such as Lyons, where every 10 kilometres down the road I have got another little town that has got another little memorial, the capacity to make $125,000 go further is probably more challenging and it may be in a smaller inner-city electorate. Nevertheless, it has been really valuable process. I acknowledge the instigation of same by the previous government and the work that Minister Ronaldson has done subsequently, adding an additional $25,000 to those grants that were available to every electorate around the country.

The process that we went through was one of consultation. We had a committee and the committee was chaired by a former Professor of History at the University of Tasmania, retired, Michael Roe, and representatives from around the north and south of my electorate with people who have a connection either through the Returned Services League or their participation within the armed forces. It was a really constructive process on which they embarked. I have had a number of highlights. We are about halfway through the announcements that we are expecting. Understandably, they are being scrutinised properly by the department, and should be the case when public money is being used. So far we have had some announcements. For example, a little over $1,000 was approved for the very small community at Liffey that had small plaques that had disappeared that were on trees that were planted in 1918. That money will go to re-establishing those plaques and in some cases replacing those trees. It is a small thing for a small community.

I had the privilege of couple of weekends ago of going to the small town of Woodsdale in the Southern Midlands in my electorate for the opening of another very small Centenary of Anzac program that they announced. It was $1,200 for a plaque to remember those people from that community who had gone away and serve their country in the First World War.

One of the things about my electorate is that the same names from different parts of the community keep coming back. No doubt previous members of this electorate—there has only been a few since the Second World War in this seat—when they heard the name 'Wilson' knew they are from somewhere between Parattah and Woodsdale and would start in the Southern Midlands. When you hear the name 'Dare' almost certainly they will be from Woodsdale in the Southern Midlands. It was a special occasion. I think there would have been close to 100 people who came to the opening of the park and the little memorial garden that has been established in that very, very small community there.

If I could in the time that is left I would also comment on the wonderful work that has been done at Sheffield, 'The Town of Murals', which some would know. I would encourage anyone who is visiting my beautiful state to take the time to visit Sheffield. It truly is a wonderful thing. The RSL there have just completed a truly stunning memorial mural and garden. It is almost, if you like, designed to be a three-dimensional image. As you drive in from the eastern side of Sheffield into the town it is in a very prominent place and I think in time will become truly in and of itself a reason for people to take the journey to Sheffield. It is truly a wonderful commemoration of not only people who served in the First World War in this instance but many theatres for since that time.

Whilst this is not the most auspicious piece of legislation, the War Memorial is nevertheless absolutely one of Australia's must-visit memorials. The Australian War Memorial in Canberra truly is a national treasure. It is a small measure that this bill enacts to make sure that those visiting are given as easy access as is possible by making sure that there can never be parking or entry fees imposed on the War Memorial. It is also making sure that the Australian War Memorial Act 1980 continues to meet the current needs of the memorial and, most importantly, of the community that it is there to help reflect on those that have given their lives.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to participate in the debate on the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014 and to use this opportunity to speak about the Australian War Memorial, which is arguably Australia's most important national cultural institution—although it is not just an institution; it is a monument and a memorial to Australians who have sacrificed their lives at war.

It is worthwhile, I think, to reflect for a moment at least on the origins of this great place. It arose, really, out of the work of Charles Bean. He, of course, was an official war correspondent for the First World War, and so he visited not only Gallipoli but also the Western Front. After he had been to Gallipoli and seen the horrors of Gallipoli, he witnessed Australia's first big battles on the Western Front, at Fromelles and Pozieres, in July 1916. Bean made some graphic observations about those events. It is worth reminding ourselves, I think, that on 19 July 1916, at the Battle of Fromelles, 5½ thousand Australians were either killed, captured or wounded. Around 1,800 were killed in that one period. It is Australia's highest loss in battle over a short time. In commenting on Pozieres, which followed after Fromelles, Bean made these observations:

One knew that the Brigades which went in last night were there today in that insatiable factory of ghastly wounds. The men were simply turned in there as into some ghastly giant mincing machine. They have to stay there while shell after huge shell descends with a shriek close beside them—each one an acute mental torture—each shrieking tearing crash bringing a promise to each man—instantaneous—I will tear you into ghastly wounds—I will rend your flesh and pulp an arm or a leg –fling you half a gaping quivering man (like these that you see smashed around you one by one) to lie there rotting and blackening like all the things you saw by the awful roadside, or in that sickening dusty crater. Ten or twenty times a minute every man in the trench has that instant fear thrust tight upon his shoulders—I don't care how brave he is—with a crash that is a physical pain and a strain to withstand.

Then a month later, as the Bills Digest informs us, the idea of a memorial museum for Australia was born, as Bean's confidant AW Bazley later recalled. He said:

I remember in August 1916 when after his busy days tramping the Pozieres battlefield and visiting units in the line he would roll out his blankets on the chalk firestep of the old British front line … on the edge of Becourt Wood and Sausage Gully. We used to sleep feet to head—C.E.W.B., Padre Dexter, myself, and others—and although I cannot recall the actual conversations today I do remember that on a number of occasions he talked about what he had in his mind concerning some future Australian war memorial museum.

So the founding fathers of this museum, this great monument, became Charles Bean, our official First World War historian, and John Treloar, who became the director of the memorial between 1920 and 1952. But it was not until 1941 that we finally saw the opening of the basic buildings for this great place. In 1918, Bean conceived how the memorial would appear. He said:

… on some hill-top—still, beautiful, gleaming white and silent, a building of three parts, a centre and two wings. The centre will hold the great national relics of the A.I.F. one wing will be a gallery—holding the pictures that our artists painted and drew actually on the scene and amongst the events themselves. The other wing will be a library to contain the written official records of every unit.

Of course, subsequently, it became a memorial not only to the First World War but to subsequent conflicts—the Second World War, Korea and beyond. As a former Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, I have visited war museums across the world and I have to say that the Australian War Memorial is unique among them. I know the Australians who visit this wonderful place understand the gravitas that hits you once you are there. But it is really very important that we understand the significance both nationally and internationally.

At the beginning, Bean had hoped that the memorial would incorporate a roll of honour, which it does, listing the Australian dead of the war. Now that list is 102,000 men and women. As a result of changes which were made by the War Memorial Council last year, under the leadership of Ken Doolan as chair and director Dr Brendan Nelson, dead peacekeepers have been added to the Roll of Honour, which is as it should be.

The really significant thing, in my view, in those periods post-1941 in terms of the development of the War Memorial is the Hall of Memory, which was completed in 1959. It is inspiring. We recall well Remembrance Day of 1993 when then Prime Minister Paul Keating spoke, as the remains of a soldier killed in the battlefields of the Western Front, name unknown, were placed in a marble covered tomb in the Hall of Memory. At that time, Paul Keating said:

We do not know this Australian's name, we never will … He is one of them, and he is all of us.

That says what it is. When you comprehend those 102,000 names and then all of those missing in action, names unknown, burial places unknown, it really is a really, really significant thing. That Hall of Memory and the Roll of Honour is a repository of our soul. We as a nation are all the better for it.

There are some who would have argued in the past that somehow or other the War Memorial is a glorification of war, which of course it is not. It tells a story of war. It tells a story of our role in past conflicts. It reminds us, if anything, of the stupidity of war—of the need for us, every day, to strive to fight the peace. That, of course, is why we have such great confidence in the men and women of the Australian Defence Force, because that is their role. When we think about this War Memorial and see it as the monument that it is and recognise its role for us, for all Australians, in telling our national story, then we are all enhanced by that knowledge.

There have been significant developments at the War Memorial over the years. I mentioned some. But as the Centenary of Anzac comes upon us, a number of things have happened, one of which I was happily involved in as the former minister responsible for the War Memorial: the former Labor government made available $28.7 million to fund the redevelopment of the First World War galleries within the War Memorial, with $3.82 million from the War Memorial's own financial resources and $1 million from BHP Billiton. Last night members of this parliament had the opportunity to preview those galleries. I was fortunate enough to get a tour around those yet unfinished galleries, as they were last week, and I have to say it enhances the visit to the War Memorial greatly. I want to publicly thank and acknowledge the work of all those involved in these new galleries. I am sure most if not every member of parliament will have been there and will know the dioramas that exist there. Now there is a chronology, so when you walk into those First World War galleries, you start at the beginning of the war and work your way through. It is a fine monument and tells a really significant story, this story of Australians at war in the First World War on the Western Front and elsewhere. I say to those people who have not had the opportunity to visit: please do so. You will walk away with a great sense of pride in what has been achieved.

It has not been achieved without leadership. That leadership has been provided by the War Memorial Council. The current members of that council are Rear Admiral Ken Doolan, who of course is the national president of the RSL; Air Chief Marshal Geoff Brown AO, who is the Chief of Air Force; the Hon. Graham Edwards AM, a former member of this fine parliament, a veteran himself and president of the Western Australian branch of the RSL; Mr Peter FitzSimons AM; Vice Admiral Tim Barrett AO CSC, the Chief of Navy; Dr Allan Hawke; Lieutenant-General David Morrison AO, the Chief of Army; Major General Paul Stevens AO (retired); Ms Gabrielle Trainor; Mr Les Carlyon; Ms Jillian Segal and Mr Kerry Stokes.

On Mr Stokes, can I say that he has been a wonderful contributor to Australia's war history. He has been a benefactor of the War Memorial and a benefactor of keeping these memories of Australians at war alive. His purchase of the pictures of Vignacourt, which record Australians away from the front during the First World War and are now on show at the gallery at the War Memorial, is a tribute to his philanthropy but also, most importantly, to his dedication to keeping these things alive.

I want to also talk about Dr Brendan Nelson, who of course is the director of the Australian War Memorial. I was in the fortunate position of being involved in his appointment, and I have to say what a wonderful appointment it has been. To his predecessor, Steve Gower, who spent many years as the director of the War Memorial, I want say: thank you for your contribution, Steve. I have not had the opportunity to publicly say this, but you made a wonderful contribution.

To Brendan and his staff, should they be listening, I say thank you for your leadership, Brendan, but, most importantly, I thank those people you have around you, who make the place work and who provide you with the advice and the insights: the historians, who do such wonderful work, the curators, the guides, the cleaners and the people who look after the landscape around the War Memorial—all of those involved. I say thank you on behalf of a grateful nation for keeping in a proper way this national icon, this national monument, this national museum.

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014, which will deliver our government's 2013 election commitment to amend the Australian War Memorial Act 1980 to prohibit the levying of entry or parking fees at the Australian War Memorial premises in Campbell in the Australian Capital Territory. At the 2013 election, the government committed to legislate to prohibit the levying of entry and parking fees at the Australian War Memorial. If we go back to 2010, it was revealed that the memorial's council was being forced to consider charging entry and parking fees, as well as to consider closing one day a week, under some pressure because of the previous government's failure to properly resource the Australian War Memorial. As a result, in February 2011 the coalition announced that, if elected, it would legislate to prevent the levying of parking and entry fees at the memorial. This is an incredibly important commitment—another important commitment that we are delivering on.

As we heard from the member for Lingiari in his contribution, the memorial must be a place for all Australians to visit free of charge, not only to pay their respects to the fallen but to learn the important story of Australia, and of Australians, at war. If we are to pass on to future generations the story of the Anzacs who served at Gallipoli and at campaigns over a century of service, then we must ensure that these stories can be told and commemorated at no charge. This is particularly important for the hundreds and hundreds of schools which visit the memorial as part of school trips to Canberra each year. We must do all we can to ensure the Australian War Memorial's invaluable collection is not only protected for the future but able to be enjoyed by all visitors to the memorial at no cost.

As we heard in the fine contribution by the member for Lingiari, the Australian War Memorial is the nation's home of commemoration, reflection and remembrance. It is unique as both a memorial and a museum. Its cloisters contain the names of 102,000 Australians who have been killed in action as a result of service in war in the Australian Defence Force. The museum contains a world-class trove of memorabilia collected by soldiers, sailors and air men and women and left in perpetuity to the people of Australia as a reminder of the story of Australians at war. The galleries feature Australia's military engagements from Australia's colonial engagements in Africa in the 19th century through until recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and various peacekeeping operations. As we heard from the member for Lingiari, in February next year a $30 million redevelopment of the First World War galleries will open. This is the first major redevelopment of these galleries in 30 years. The much-loved dioramas depicting Australians at war at Gallipoli, on the Western Front and in Palestine have been upgraded, and this will be an even greater reason to visit the memorial from early next year.

Every year close to one million people visit the Australian War Memorial, including almost 200,000 school students. Of course, around the country Anzac Day services are becoming more and more popular. More and more people are attending Anzac Day services to reflect, to commemorate and to remember. This includes the national ceremony and the national remembrance day at the Australian War Memorial, which in 2014 had unprecedented numbers of people attending.

In fact, in June 2014 the Australian War Memorial was listed by TripAdvisor as the No. 1 tourist destination in Australia. It was also the only Australian institution listed in the world top 20, ranked 17. At this point I also want to concur with the recognition of the member for Lingiari of both Kerry Stokes his incredible contribution to the War Memorial, and the wonderful leadership of Dr Brendan Nelson, who is doing an absolutely outstanding job at this very important time in our nation's history. And of course the Centenary of Anzac next year will be the most significant period of commemoration, I think it is fair to say, in our nation's history. 25 April 2015 will mark 100 years since that first fateful landing at Gallipoli. This will be a very important and special time for every Australian young and old.

Some 15 years ago I visited Gallipoli—not for Anzac day; at another time of the year—but even standing on those beaches and looking up in awe at the cliffs was incredible. I do not think there was a person who stood with us at that time who did not have tears in their eyes. It is a place so many Australians visit, and it is incredible to see that the story of the Anzacs continues to resonate as it does so much today.

In my electorate of Corangamite winds the world's largest war memorial: the Great Ocean Road. As I said in my first speech, this is a journey made possible by the sweat and toil of returned soldiers of the Great War who built this iconic road between 1919 and 1932. But I think that at this time it is also very important not to forget that we must pay tribute over the next few years to the service of all men and women of the Australian Defence Forces who have served our country over the past hundred years. 18 August 2016 marks another very significant day: the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, Vietnam Veterans Day. This will be a very important opportunity to pay tribute to the service of Vietnam vets, a contingent of men and women who were not properly recognised, many of whom were condemned and ostracised and who paid the price for many years. In fact, one of my staff members, Kerry Ridgeway, is a Vietnam vet. We went along to a Remembrance Day service just a few weeks ago, and he came along with me and wore his medals with absolute pride. It was absolutely wonderful to see.

The government is rolling out a very important program commenced by the previous government. The Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program is all about recognising the incredible commitment the communities throughout my electorate and, of course, around the nation are making in commemorating the Centenary of Anzac, and $125,000 has been made available to each federal electorate to help fund various commemorative programs. I particularly want to commend and pay tribute to Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC and Minister for Veterans' Affairs, who increased the amount in each electorate by some $25,000. I must say he is doing an incredible job representing our government at this very important time.

I thought I would talk about a couple of the projects which have already been announced. Bannockburn Primary School has been awarded some $3,000, and that will help to enhance their remembrance garden. It was wonderful. I went along when we announced the grant with the children of Bannockburn Primary School. It is actually a school I am a great supporter of. It is wonderful to see that a new primary school is being delivered by the Victorian government. I am fighting very hard to make sure they get their secondary school too, but it is really fantastic to see that school's dedication to commemorating the Centenary of Anzac—a really wonderful project.

Another project we have announced is in Apollo Bay. Some $2,000 has gone to Apollo Bay Arts Incorporated for a literature reading event which has already been held, called Warm Winter Words. Again it commemorates 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War by exploring the Anzac Centenary and its connections with Indigenous Australians. At that event the guest speakers included Professor Mick Dodson, Bruce Elder and Bruce Pascoe. It was wonderful to be able to recognise and support that important event.

Just a couple of weeks ago I went along to Belmont Fire Brigade. Belmont Fire Brigade have received some $3,200 to support a project paying tribute to nine members of the brigade who fought in World War I. It was absolutely wonderful. There were, of course, both volunteers there and also full-time firefighters. How much focus and how much pride they had in celebrating the achievements of previous members of the brigade who had so proudly represented them in the First World War. It was really a very special time for me, I have to say.

There are many other wonderful applications that have been made and they will be rolled out over the next few months. I thought I would just mention some of the great projects that are before us at the moment. The Ceres community organisation is looking to restore its First World War memorial gates. Belmont Primary School has applied for funding to build a special commemorative area and to install a new flagpole. The Colac RSL subbranch is hoping to restore its war memorial site at Cressy Recreation Reserve, including a new flagpole. The money will greatly assist with upgrades to the site, including recording the details of soldiers from both world wars.

The Torquay RSL has been working incredibly hard—another great project—to construct a memorial garden at the Torquay Bowls Club. Recently that has been upgraded. It was a great job, I have to say, by the member for South Barwon in delivering a commitment to see a major upgrade of the Torquay Bowls Club, which is now home to the Torquay RSL. So that is a wonderful project.

In another fantastic project, the Military Historical Society of Geelong does incredible military re-enactments and they are looking to do a very large-scale event next year. Christian College is also looking to invest in a remembrance garden. Then there is the Torquay and District Historical Society, and I want to say something about the Torquay Anzac Day service. It is an incredible service. Some 15,000 people gather at Point Danger on the cliffs at Torquay. The Torquay community and RSL do an incredible job holding a very moving service, as do so many of the other RSLs across Corangamite. They are looking to install a new plaque to commemorate local World War I diggers at Point Danger.

There are other projects by the Lorne RSL. Surf Coast Shire are looking to create a Winchelsea walk, and this particular walk is very significant. It will honour 64 Victoria Cross recipients from World War I. The first recipient was, of course, Albert Jacka, who was born in Winchelsea. That too is a wonderful project and there are some other fantastic projects from the Golden Plains Shire and the Burough of Queenscliffe. The light and sound production service there needs some assistance.

This is just an array of the projects that we are hoping to fund as part of our local commemorative grants program. In relation to Queenscliffe, I want to recognise a commitment from the Liberal candidate for Bellarine, Ron Nelson, who just yesterday announced a new visitors hub and cafe and other facilities at the Ocean View car park, where the Anzac Day service is held. That will provide power and really provide a lot more facilities for that very important service overlooking the back beach of Queenscliffe and overlooking the rip—a very important part of Queenscliffe's history. So that was a great commitment, part of a $3.6 million commitment for the Queenscliffe community made yesterday, as I say, by Ron Nelson.

At this time I want to take the opportunity to thank the members of the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program electorate committee for Corangamite: Graham Rawlins, Councillor Bob Merriman and Keith Hankin. The committee has worked with me to assess these applications. They have done a wonderful job. It is very much appreciated. They have applied great due diligence and I really do want to express my thanks for their work. And very briefly, I would like to congratulate Keith and his wife, Elaine, who have just celebrated 65 years of marriage.

The Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program recognises the importance of local commemorative events at this very special time in our nation's history. This is a very important bill as part of that. For these reasons I would like to commend the bill to the House.

Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to be speaking on this bill today. I note that previous speakers also acknowledge the remarkable role of the War Memorial, and also, quite rightly, the many commemorations around the country that have occurred and are occurring with the Centenary of Anzac. I too will be touching on many of those events in my electorate.

It is certainly case that the War Memorial here in Canberra, in our nation's capital, commemorates the service and sacrifice of Australian service men and women who have died in the wars and conflicts in which Australia has participated. It is, indeed, a cultural institution of great international standing. It is of huge significance to Australians. The primary mission of the War Memorial is to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact upon our society.

In reference to this bill specifically—as we have heard the previous speakers say—it amends the Australian War Memorial Act to prohibit the levying of entry or parking fees at the memorial premises in Campbell, where it is located. This is a very important initiative that I support.

The Australian War Memorial was officially opened on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1941, by the then Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, himself a former soldier whose honours included the Victoria Cross. As we know, the War Memorial is a magnificent institution. It has three very distinct sections. The shrine, which is a commemorative area, includes the Hall of Memory and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is an amazing premises. It is very moving when you are in there and see the whole shrine and the entire area.

It also has other galleries which consist of the museum and the research centre. We have heard some previous speakers talk about some of the wonderful upgrades to those particular areas. There is also an outdoor sculpture garden. These are very distinct areas that provide great information and wonderful areas of reflection for visitors. Indeed, this amazing military museum is widely regarded as one of the most significant memorials of its type in the world, which we should be all be very proud of.

During times of reflection, the Australian War Memorial is quite rightly the nation's central focus. But it is only part of a much wider appreciation displayed right around the country for those brave men and women who served our nation. That appreciation can be seen in towns and other countries, particularly on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

The Anzac Centenary is also very significant. It is a milestone of very special significance to all Australians and one that will be recognised and commemorated around the nation. It is the centenary of Australia's involvement in the First World War. The Anzac Centenary aims to encourage all Australians to reflect upon and learn more about Australia's military history and its impacts upon our nation and our communities and families. During the Anzac Centenary, we will remember not only the original Anzacs who served at Gallipoli; we will commemorate more than a century of service by Australian service men and women. The Anzac Centenary Program encompasses all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations in which Australians have been involved. The program aims to give all Australians the opportunity to honour the service and sacrifice of those who served our country, including the more than 102,000 who have made the supreme sacrifice.

As we have heard previous speakers say today, it was the previous Labor government that established the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board in October 2011 to provide strategic advice and recommendations on the development of a program of commemorative activities for the Anzac Centenary.

An initiative from this was the undertaking to insist and encourage communities right across the nation through the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program to carry out their own Anzac Centenary projects. These projects were to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australian service men and women in the First World War. These particular grants are really a fantastic initiative. I note also from previous speakers today the very strong bipartisanship from the current government and all members in terms of this wonderful program in which we are seeing $125,000 being allocated per electorate for these very important commemorations—commemorations that will reflect each electorate's local communities and the different ways that they wish to commemorate this.

I would like to refer to some of the projects and the committee and the individuals involved to my electorate of Richmond. I had initially contacted the local RSLs asking their organisations to of course play a very vital role on the Richmond electorate committee for the Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The response was immediate and very enthusiastic. The committee, of course, once appointed, met straight away to begin the consultation process with their community and to develop an approach to commemorate the centenary which best represented their communities use.

The electorate committee of Richmond was chaired by Dr John Griffin, Secretary of the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta RSL Sub-Branch. I would like to particularly thank and acknowledge the wonderful work of Dr John not just in the Tweed Heads RSL particularly on this committee. It was outstanding working with the RSLs and other community groups as well. Of course, many applications were received from a whole range of very diverse organisations—schools, RSL organisations, RSL care centres, theatre groups, local artists. It was fantastic to see the diversity.

The RSLs became the focal point to assist community groups with their application and assistance in the promotion of the program. This was also provided by local councils and schools through their newsletters and of course also by the local media. All these organisations and individuals called on to assist did so with great enthusiasm, which is a real testament to their support of what is a very worthy initiative.

I would like to mention some of the wonderful applications and projects the Richmond committee have put forward for consideration, some of which have been announced and some not announced yet. They are a great array and it really shows the diversity of projects and ideas that they have. First of all is the Byron Bay RSL Sub-Branch with the support of the local community put forward their project to refurbish the existing First World War Memorial Gates and build a sheltered cenotaph for ex-service personnel, veterans and local communities to commemorate Anzac Day. There have been extremely generous offers of in-kind support and donations for the project. This demonstrates the high level of support for the project right throughout the local community.

A similar project is the upgrade of the war memorial at Cudgen Public School. Indeed, Cudgen school has a very long and proud association with the Anzac ceremonies and the local community. They have worked very closely with the Kingscliff RSL over the years with respect to this particular project. It has been wonderful to see attendance at this memorial service increase significantly over the years, so they now require a larger and, of course, more focused facility.

The Mullumbimby RSL has put together a proposal for a wonderful art exhibition which engages World War I descendants and local schoolchildren. A local ceramics artist will conduct the workshops and the artwork will be displayed locally for all of the community to enjoy. So it is a great project that will be really hands-on and involve a lot of locals.

Another wonderful initiative of the Mullumbimby community is the application made by the Drill Hall Theatre Company. The Drill Hall itself, it is interesting to note, may possibly be one of the only remaining buildings in the Richmond electorate to have been built for the training of soldiers for World War I. The Drill Hall Theatre Company is commissioning a play called 'The Signaller', which is about a young soldier who enlists in the Australian Light Horse just before meeting and falling in love with his young wife. The play will provide nine evening performances for the general public and four matinee performances for the elderly and also for schoolchildren. Again, another wonderful and very different initiative but it is great to see that happening.

The Murwillumbah RSL have undertaken to compile a Tweed roll of honour before World War I. The roll of honour will consist of those who originated from the Tweed and served with the AIF in World War I. This project will be displayed for the community to view at local service clubs, shopping malls and local shire offices. It is wonderful to have that roll of honour in such an array of different places.

I would also like to comment on the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta RSL and their proposal, which is a very worthy project of quite grand proportions. Their proposal is to re-enact the Gallipoli landing at Jack Evans boat harbour in Tweed Heads. I am very enthusiastic about this project. It is very exciting and has a huge amount of local support. It is a very large undertaking. When we were first talking about this project and word spread about it, early predictions were that more than 10,000 people would be likely to attend. They already have huge numbers at the dawn services. Now some people are saying that perhaps up to 20,000 will be involved because of the size, scale and location, and the interest that people have in attending to commemorate and remember.

The project was conceived to portray the Anzacs by re-enacting the Gallipoli landing, preceding the dawn service, using this wonderful boat harbour at Tweed Heads. It will be a significant event and it has support from a wide range of groups in the community—the local RSL, the surf clubs, all the local clubs, the council and local police from both sides of the border. New South Wales and Queensland police will assist with traffic management on the day. The project is also looking to have a live video feed of the event strategically placed so all those in attendance will be able to properly view the occasion. This reflects the fact that they are expecting such a large number of people and they do not want anyone to miss out on the great occasion. They want a live video feed on a number of screens around the boat harbour.

Congratulations to them and to all the applications that were put together. I think it shows the great array of different and wonderful ideas they have to commemorate the Centenary of Anzac. They are all very significant events for the electorate, as I am sure they will be in all electorates throughout the country. Next year at a variety of times, communities will gather to remember the sacrifices of those who served and died in wars and conflicts. Indeed, there are lots of other wonderful events throughout my community as I am sure there will be in other electorates, with lots of RSLs and groups looking at organising events. All of these ceremonies with their symbols of commemoration will help us remember the sacrifices that have been made.

These events reflect the permanent work that we see at the War Memorial, and the important role the War Memorial plays. It is often a highlight for schoolchildren from my electorate when they visit Canberra and the many other people from my electorate who visit here. It is absolutely one of their highlights. Quite rightly, the War Memorial is regarded as a special and unique place. The exhibitions in the memorial's galleries take advantage of the exceptional and diverse national collection to deliver some very interesting interactive visitor experiences that are engaging, informative and educational. What is also important is the commemorative focus. The memorial provides a very personal link and an emotive experience for those served the nation in times of war. It is important for families and descendants to be able to find out information and to have the time for reflection.

I, like others, have been pleased to speak about the wonderful benefits the War Memorial brings to our nation. I support the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014. It amends the Australian War Memorial Act to prohibit the levying of entry or parking fees at the War Memorial premises. In conclusion, I commend this bill to the House, as we continue to recognise the role that the War Memorial plays within our community and congratulate them for the extensions and improvements to it. I particularly note around the country all those individuals and organisations involved with the ongoing services to commemorate all those who served our nation.

Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For both sides of this chamber to speak about our famous War Memorial is a great opportunity and one that is rarely afforded to us. TripAdvisor ranks the War Memorial as No. 17 in the top 20 tourist attractions in the world, narrowly edging out the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour and the wave pool in colleague's electorate in Western Sydney! This is a magnificent place to visit. I have been visiting World War II and World War I battle scenes and cemeteries for a long time but had not actually gone to the War Memorial as a child. A million Australians and foreign tourists pass through the War Memorial every year, and 200,000 students—but that is not every Australian student. It should be the goal of this place to make sure that every young Australian gets to see the Australian War Memorial.

While this bill is about ensuring that charges are never paid to walk in those hallowed doors or to park there, I do not for a moment think that, however bad we have thought the previous six years of Labor government were, they ever would have fallen to charging for the War Memorial. I acknowledge now that putting it in legislation is a smart move, but I do not for one moment doubt that both sides of this chamber respect the Australian War Memorial for the wonderful job it does, both in commemorating those 102,000 Australians who have given their lives for the democracy and freedoms that we enjoy and in telling the stories. Many of us as Australian families—and I would count mine among them—do not actually have veterans who served overseas, so those stories were not passed through to me directly. So it is so vital. I was a 10-year-old in the 1970s, when turning up to Anzac Day parades was not only optional but probably undesirable. That turned around, and Australia realised what we were missing out on and what we potentially could lose as we saw our veterans becoming older each year. Australia seized that opportunity, and we have successfully grasped it. We have now continued that connection to those who served in the two great wars and before.

What many people do not realise is that the War Memorial covers all of Australia's engagements, right back to 19th century colonial engagements in Africa. It goes all the way through to, obviously, Iraq and Afghanistan and, most importantly, also where Australia's service is increasingly becoming world renowned, and that is in peacekeeping missions. Australia deployed in over a dozen locations around the world in the last 10 years. Peacekeeping missions are just as important. Peace building and peacekeeping with our United Nations partners is increasingly the new order. We can stabilise parts of the world that otherwise would descend into war by prompt responses from an alliance of nations, often those that are most closely bound to it. We need to find local and regional solutions to these challenges. It is not up to the great powers and the advanced economies to be stepping into every internecine disagreement that we find in the far corners of continents often far from our own.

So Australia does a great job, but I would like to take this opportunity that I have to mention one great omission, and that is that since the end of World War II we have not recognised, in the form of a simple medal, those people who gave their lives for our country. It was cancelled straight after World War II. It was known as the Mothers' and Widows' Badge, and I concede that it was not the best conceived plan at a time when Australia really had financial problems postwar. Sending out a mothers medal by sending a letter in the mail saying, 'Please pick it up at the post office,' was simply not good enough. We can do far better than that. The leading democratic nations whom we would call partners and allies have an arrangement where the next of kin are recognised. The people who, on service papers, are identified as next of kin deserve, I think, no less than a palpable physical token of our absolute appreciation for someone who makes the ultimate sacrifice serving overseas. We should be doing what Canada, the US in the form of their Purple Heart, the UK, many European countries and even New Zealand do. I believe that that is—and if it is not it should be—coalition policy. The cost would be infinitesimal. It does not add to the complexity of the military medal system, because it is a medal to the next of kin; it does not qualify as a military medal.

When we take this concept one step further—and I made my references to peacekeeping—perhaps someone in Australia who gives their life in the service of our nation in a peacekeeping role deserves not the same medal but a similar medal, because that sacrifice, for those parents, is no less. If you give your life serving an Australian NGO, for instance, in Africa, in a highly unstable location where there could be either terrorist activity or intertribal disputes where our aid workers are caught up and ultimately also pay with their lives, then I think that we should recognise that in a formal way. The first question that one would be asked is: who should be eligible? That is quite simple. There is the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal, the HOSM, which clearly identifies areas of service that are supported by the Australian government. That lists right back for many decades, clearly identifying the periods and the organisations that are eligible. If an Australian serves in a way that is eligible for the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal, I think they should, if they make the ultimate sacrifice, be formally recognised. It is a great omission in our awards, and I think it is one that the current government could examine.

In conclusion, we are fixing another problem today. I know that those visiting the War Memorial for years and decades to come will go back to Hansard and read the debate that we are having today about guaranteeing free entry, because there is no more important story—not only the commemoration of the service but hearing the stories about people who were just like us. They were coming from families just like ours. As we travel around Australia, many of us who live in the cities often forget the extraordinary price in numbers that regional parts of Australia played. You can visit a town like Scone or Orange or other smaller regional cities in Queensland and see enormous numbers of names—mostly of young men but also women who served overseas and gave their lives. To those country towns that staffed and filled the rank and file of our military in those two wars, I think we who live in the city and now enjoy the dividends of their service should be eternally grateful.

Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014. It has long been recognised that the Australian War Memorial is the nation's home of commemoration, reflection and remembrance. Charles Bean wrote in his immortal words in 1948:

Here is their spirit, in the heart of the land they loved; and here we guard the record which they themselves made.

Charles Bean could not have said it any better. The War Memorial stands today as a legacy to those who served, their friends and the families of all the service men and women—those that fell and those that came home—but, most importantly as well, to all Australians for all time. It is right for us as a nation to recognise their loss and this enduring legacy. It is for this reason that the War Memorial must be a place where all Australians are able to access free of charge, to be able to pay their respects and to honour the fallen. But it is also important to remember the legacy and to teach the foundations of our country to our children and our children's children, and for all Australians to acknowledge the war commitments of our predecessors have gone before us.

As we enter into a period of remembrance and reflection like never before—as we enter the year of the hundredth anniversary of the Great War, the Centenary of Anzac and the 70th anniversary of World War II, taking place in 2015 and in 2018 and significant dates in between—I would like to take this opportunity to place on the record my sincerest gratitude to all our Australian Defence Force personnel, men and women, both past and present, and those that are playing an important role in shaping our nation's rich history.

In 1915, recruiting committees were formed in nearly every town throughout Australia. In the central west of New South Wales a movement began which became known as the Gilgandra snowball. Under the leadership of WT 'Captain Bill' Hitchen, 20 or so men marched off to Sydney. Gathering other recruits along the way, they numbered about 300 by the time they reached Sydney. This was known as the Coo-ee March. The Coo-ee March marched right through my electorate of Lindsay. Their example was soon followed by other marches from right around New South Wales and Queensland: the Waratahs, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Dungarees, Men from Snowy River, Kurrajongs, Kookaburras, Central West Boomerangs and North Coast Boomerangs. They all relied on the support of the communities they passed through, which was often very enthusiastic. The total number of men involved was only 1,500, but the marches attracted wide publicity and may have encouraged fundraising and enlistment more generally. The commemoration of the Centenary of Anzac is a re-enactment of the Coo-ee March and is expected to arrive in the seat of Lindsay on or around 8 November 2015. These ex-servicemen will have spent 25 days walking from Gilgandra to Penrith and eventually on to Sydney in time for Remembrance Day.

If we are to pass on to future generations the story of the Anzacs who served at Gallipoli and the campaigns over the century of service, we must ensure that these stories are available at no cost. This is particularly important for the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of school students that come past the memorial as part of their school trips to Canberra each and every year.

I have spoken to the two RSL clubs that are within the seat of Lindsay. They have both provided statements, which I would like to read to the House. From the City of Penrith RSL Sub-Branch, the president, Mick McConnell, wrote:

The AWM—

the Australian War Memorial—

is to remind the community that it was built on the blood of our nation and you cannot put a price on that.

It is a monument to our Australian (military) history and it displays a myriad of records and all types of memorabilia for community members to view and reflect on our history from the beginning of our nation.

Australians who went to war helped to provide us with a free world.

The collection of records, mementos, collectables and relics that are placed on display is paramount to all members of the community so they can pass on—

their legacy—

to … other family members—

and—

the memories they gained from their experience.

People travelling from all regions of Australia who have already paid for travel and accommodation do not deserve to pay for parking or entry into the AWM, particularly those who wish to have access to the Research Centre where they can research their family's military history.

It is a place where it provides first hand education for Australian school students and a place—

to—

enhance the development of teachers.

The AWM holds an abundance of unreplaceable artefacts, which is unique to this country, and they belong to all Australians, the tax payers of this nation.

Every family has a history of some member of their family having served our country or have lost their lives defending it.

The AWM is … like a Mecca to our Australian people where it becomes a central location to pay homage to our fallen.

When commemoratives services and parades are conducted on the grounds, politicians and guests do not pay for parking, so why should members of the community, the tax payer, attending these events have to pay?

The new parking arrangements that were introduced on 1st July 2014 seem appropriate but 4 hours limit can be a restriction to those enthusiastic visitors.

The Government of the day has always provided funding, but maybe the Members of Council could look at—

other ways of funding the Australian War Memorial. His recommendations include:

… to encourage more organisations to become Friends of the Memorial,

… perhaps increase the membership fee to Friends of the Memorial,

… maybe enhance the content of the AWM shop,

… entice more organisations to place advertisements into the magazine (quarterly issues I think),

… actively seek more funds and regular donations by way of additional sponsorship from larger business corporations, mining corporations, RSL Clubs and the like …

Finally, he recommends:

… maybe have a government policy introduced that all clubs and registered organisations donate a small % of poker machine profits.

I would like to thank Mick McConnell from the Penrith RSL for his contributions.

I also had feedback from Tony Fryer, the honorary secretary of the St Marys RSL Sub-Branch. He says: 'I believe that the members of the St Marys ESOs, St Marys Outpost of the Vietnam Veterans Association and St Marys RSL Sub-Branch fully support the maintenance of free access to parking at the Australian War Memorial and free entry to the Australian War Memorial so that ESO members and the general public alike can continue to be exposed to the reality of Australia's past conflicts and Australia's rich military history and culture and to truly understand the price paid by our forebears in maintaining the freedoms that all Australians enjoy today.' I would like to thank Tony also for his contribution.

As you can see from the service men and women in the RSL clubs that I represent in Lindsay, it goes without saying: to keep the War Memorial free to all Australians is absolutely paramount. I would like to thank my RSL clubs for their support. I would like to also thank my RSL clubs for the work that they are doing to have a wonderful Dawn Service for Anzac Day. Both Penrith and St Marys do phenomenal jobs. In that vein, I would like to commend the bill to the House.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are some things in our lives that should be sacrosanct. The unconditional love of your children and the love of your country are two that spring to mind. The ability to pay your respects to those who so loved their country that they gave their lives in defence of it should be another. It is well know that the idea of the Australian War Memorial came from Australia's official war correspondent and official World War I historian, the great Charles Bean, one night while talking with others after days of inspecting the battlefields of Pozieres in August 1916. His confidant, AW Bezley would later say:

I cannot recall the actual conversations today I do remember that on a number of occasions he talked about what he had in his mind concerning some future Australian war memorial museum.

Bean was among those who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was well aware of the human sacrifice men were making for their country. To him it seemed fitting that such sacrifice was properly and respectfully memorialised.

Bean's vision for a memorial was given life by another who landed at Gallipoli that fateful and nation-defining day, Captain John Treloar. In 1917, Treloar was appointed head of the Australian War Records Section in London and it is the work of his team that provides the Australian War Memorial with so many of the relics from World War I that give life to the collection today. With the aid of his team and orders given to soldiers to do their own collecting for the envisaged war museum, 25,000 pieces were collected and formed the backbone of the first collection of the Australian War Memorial.

Like the design of Canberra itself, a competition was run for the design of the Australian War Memorial in 1927. However, no single entry was able to fulfil Bean's vision for the memorial which he stated as:

… on some hill-top-still beautiful, gleaming white and silent, a building of three parts, a centre and two wings. The centre will hold the great national relics of the A.I.F. One wing will be a gallery—holding the pictures that our artists painted and drew actually on the scene and amongst the events themselves. The other wing will be a library to contain the written official records of every unit.

Two designers were asked to submit a joint entry and it is this design by Emil Sodersteen and Jon Crust that was constructed and opened in 1941. Prior to the opening of the Memorial building, the collection was displayed first in Melbourne from 1923 to 1925 and then in Sydney until 1935. The memorial building was expanded with the addition of the wings in 1971 to house the growing collection. Prior to this, some of the memorial's collection had to be sold due to space constraints. The most recent update is a new World War I gallery which was only opened last night in time for the centenary of ANZAC. Through all these many years, the Australian War Memorial has been open at no charge to all those who wish to come and pay their respects to our country's fallen. This bill ensures entrance and access to the Australian War Memorial will always remain free.

Since 1860, from the Maori Wars in New Zealand through to current engagements, 102,787 Australian men and women have given their lives in defence of our country. Among them are members of my own family. There are 102,787 reasons the Australian War Memorial should be free forever for everyday Australians to go and pay their respects to the people whose blood gave us the country we have today. There are 102,787 reasons why this government believes it is important enough for parliament to legislate free access to the Australian War Memorial and not just leave it to fate. This is a matter close to my heart. My family has a long history of service to our nation through the ADF and its predecessors, and I understand their desire to serve.

I have heard people say that the Australian War Memorial glorifies war. I would respectfully say to those people that they have never visited the Australian War Memorial and sat by the reflection pool on a sunny morning, or attended the extraordinarily moving Last Post service conducted each evening. The Australian War Memorial does not glorify war. It remembers and recognises the struggles we have faced as a nation and those brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. And I do not believe that a child visiting this hallowed place is any more likely to grow up to become a soldier than anyone else. A visit reminds them that the privilege they enjoy in their lives lies at the feet of those who have gone before them and those who had the courage to stand up for what is right.

A schoolchild visiting the Australian War Memorial as part of their year 7 Canberra trip should not have to pay to enter what is a special place. As well as the museum and war records wings, the Australian War Memorial contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The remains of this Australian soldier, killed on the Western Front, were interred in the Hall of Memory in 1933 to serve as a symbol of the sacrifice given by all who served and died—a man that Prime Minister Keating referred to in his 1993 eulogy as 'all of them' and 'one of us'.

I believe that visiting the Australian War Memorial gives children a greater sense of the world around them and emphasises just how fortunate we really are. Yes, 102,787 lives are a lot for such a small nation, but when compared to other countries we are fortunate. We are indeed fortunate that evil leaders like Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin and Idi Amin have never held power in our country. We are fortunate that our allies share our beliefs and our ambitions not only for our countries but for the whole world. And we are fortunate that we have men and women who choose of their own free will to don the uniform of the Australian Defence Force. We should all be grateful to every man and woman who dons the uniform. I am grateful to their families who support them. And I am grateful that, because of this bill, honouring our fallen heroes will remain the right of every Australian until the end of time.

May I finish with a further quote from Mr Keating about just what the unknown soldier and all those honoured by our War Memorial represent:

We have gained a legend: a story of bravery and sacrifice and, with it, a deeper faith in ourselves and our democracy, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian.

It is not too much to hope, therefore, that this Unknown Australian Soldier might continue to serve his country—he might enshrine a nation's love of peace and remind us that in the sacrifice of the men and women whose names are recorded here there is faith enough for all of us.

I commend this bill to the House and trust there is not one person in this House or the Senate who will vote against it.

Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her contribution. The debate has been very interesting and respectful, and I am sad in one sense that I have not been able to contribute today because I have been sitting in the chair for the roster. I also take the opportunity to encourage everybody to visit the new World War I gallery. I note that the member for Wills is in the chamber; both he and I were there last night at the invitation of the War Memorial. It is absolutely fantastic and I encourage all members. Given that the minister responsible for this bill is not in the chamber to sum up, I am going to move to suspend the Federation Chamber.

Sitting suspended from 11:24 to 11:28

Tony Smith (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join in speaking on the Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014 and supporting the very important measures in it to ensure that there are no parking fees at the War Memorial. I want to very briefly associate myself with the remarks of members on this side who have spoken on this bill.

The War Memorial is one of Australia's foremost institutions. It has the names of 102,000 Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice. My friend and colleague the minister and I have spoken about this in the centenary of Anzac. The memorial bears the names that are on all the cenotaphs in all the local towns in my electorate down in the Yarra Valley, and in the towns of the minister's electorate in Queensland. Over these four years it is going to be a focus like never before, with school groups going to the War Memorial and looking up the names that they have seen on their local honour boards. This bill is an important bill. It is one that was foreshadowed some years back by our Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Ronaldson, when he was the opposition spokesman—he carried it through in a clear policy prior to the last election. It has my strong support that we are dealing with that today.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me thank all members of the House that have made contributions here this morning. I thank the member for Ryan and the member for Casey especially for their contribution not just to the debate but also to our service men and women and our veterans throughout not just their electorates but the country.

The bill gives effect to the government's election commitment to prohibit the imposition of parking and entry fees at the Australian War Memorial. Every year close to a million Australians visit the memorial to pay their respects to the fallen and to visit the world-class museum. As I say to all guests that come here internationally, be they presidents, prime ministers, foreign dignitaries or diplomats, you will never understand Australia and its people unless you have been to the cauldron itself—the Australian War Memorial. At the memorial, visitors can see and experience the Roll of Honour, the Hall of Valour, the dioramas and the Hall of Memory containing the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.

The bill amends the Australian War Memorial Act 1980 to ensure that entry to and parking at the memorial remain free so that everyone has access to a world-class shrine, a museum and an archive that commemorates and remembers the unique Australian military service that has so defined the nation.

I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.