Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, and all over Australia Australians will be moved to remember, honour and respect those Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years and remains to this day a special, poignant, annual moment in our lives. At 11 am tomorrow Australians all over the country will observe one-minute silence to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.

In my electorate of Chisholm, schools businesses, communities and church groups and RSLs will be commemorating Remembrance Day. Organising and participating in these events requires the goodwill and hard work of many people. And they are an important part of the fabric of our lives. For example, John Saunders and the team at the Clayton RSL will be coordinating and organising a Remembrance Day event to commemorate the fallen.

The dedication, passion and commitment of the committee and broader team at the Box Hill RSL in the Chisholm electorate are evident as soon as you walk through the doors of the RSL and/or congregate in the adjacent parkland at the Box Hill Gardens. Box Hill RSL President Tony Bowden, Vice-President Trevor Sykes, Secretary Ray Wall and Treasurer Arthur Merryweather, John Haward, Brian Tateson, John Sheehan, Judy Coates and Ray Spokas all give of their heartfelt time and effort to enable this to be a continuing and enduring tradition in the heart of Chisholm.

The Box Hill RSL have coordinated significant events this year, including Battle of Long Tan-related events and the annual school event prior to Anzac Day, Anzac Day events and the gunfire breakfast as well as, of course, their planning for Remembrance Day. In addition, and importantly, a magnificent memorabilia display in the Box Hill RSL is significant not only in its presentation but also in its value to the broader community, which has the privilege of viewing it, including those of younger generations. Additionally, a student, Emma Gilbert from Mount Waverley Secondary College, read a beautiful essay about the nurses during the war. It is critically important that the significance of this day stays with generations to come such that they understand the sacrifices those before them made.

Tomorrow our country stops and remembers in silence those wonderful Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. Lest we forget.

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I proceed, I understand it is the wish of the House and the members that constituency statements be able to continue for a further 30 minutes. There being no objection, the chair will follow that course.