Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would just like to thank the member for Menzies for supporting that great initiative.

I was fortunate yesterday and today to have a good chat with Senator John McCain. As this House would be aware, in Darwin we have a great relationship with the US Marines there, being almost 2,000. Also, back in World War II, Australian and American sailors, soldiers and airmen fought side by side when Darwin was bombed.

Senator McCain also likes rugby, so he was happy to hear that we are organising in the near future a rugby game between the US Marines and Darwin's own 1st Brigade. We are going to have marching bands, anthems, hotdogs, popcorn, cheerleaders, fireworks—

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and pies—why not? I commend Rugby NT and the Darwin Basketball Association. There is going to be a US Marines versus Darwin basketball game as well. So it is going to be a great day.

It was also with great pleasure that I told Senator McCain that, as we speak, today, US Marines are digging out of the sand the propellers of a World War II combat veteran patrol boat, the Rushcutter. Members may have heard me speaking about it before. With the Royal Australian Navy, the US Marines are helping us save the Rushcutter, and I want to thank them very much.