Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

VP70 commemorations went off with a bang in Townsville as well. My congratulations to the Townsville City Council and all their partners who did such a fantastic job in bringing this fantastic function to a peak. It has been a busy year in Townsville for commemorations, but this one, VP70, was fresh but respectful, and it was fun but it was reverent, and I think that the people of Townsville City Council have a lot to do with the way that it came off. Our mayor, Jenny Hill, led the commemorations and celebrations. Her words were a perfect blend of history, the present day and forward thinking. We hosted the Governor of Queensland, Paul de Jersey AC, and his wife, Kaye. Brigadier Roger Noble from 3rd Brigade spoke absolutely brilliantly about the military history. Tokyo based Lieutenant General John Dolan, Commander, US Forces Japan, and Commander, 5th Air Force, was in attendance, and we saw a magnificent fly-past from a B-52 bomber and a C-17 that nearly touched our heads. It was fantastic.

I was proud to convey the message from the Prime Minister, and his words, as per usual, were absolutely spot on. But it was all about the veterans who were there and the men and women who had served and held our city so well during that time. We thank you for your service. We thank you for your sacrifice. We are a greater country because of what you gave to us.