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

Today I rise to commend Army, Navy and Air Force, the three services that now finally remember those who made the supreme sacrifice by presenting their next of kin with a remembrance or bereavement pin. Army was the most recent to announce this—last week when Lieutenant General David Morrison announced the pin during a visit with Army personnel in Afghanistan last week. In speaking at the Australian War Memorial, he highlighted the need to remember those contributions forever. We acknowledge the valued and dedicated service of Army men and women,' he said, 'who have given their life in the service of our country.' That remembrance pin pays tribute to the sacrifice that is also made by their families. It continues the tradition of the mothers medal, ceased very wrongly in 1945; that injustice has been corrected.

I want to commend the people who continued the dream of these pins being reinstated. That was the shadow parliamentary secretary at the time, Peter Lindsay, now Deputy Speaker Bruce Scott and, of course, Stuart Robert, who took it to shadow cabinet as a coalition policy in 2010. Senior RSM Kerry Danes initially indicated to me in 2008-09 that this policy should be revisited. Air Force did it in 2006. Navy has done it also, presenting these small but highly significant pins. I am grateful that this afternoon Cameron Baird's parents will receive from the Prime Minister this very valued recognition of his service.