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

The centenary of the First World War armistice is just over a year away. At that time we as Australians will pause and reflect on the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War—the war that apparently would end all wars. It's interesting, as we come to the middle of October, that the first part of the First World War that would seek to finish in the Middle East would start with the Australian 4th Light Horse brigade charging at Beersheba on 31 October 1917 and would lead the way for the Balfour Declaration of 2 November, providing Israel access to their holy land, which has always been their land, that would lead to General Allenby taking the city of Jerusalem on 11 December 1917 and the liberation of the Middle East.

We would see another great Australian general, John Monash, leading forces at the Battle of Amiens, with our Canadian and British friends, starting on 8 August 1918, that began the 100 days until the end of the war on the Western Front. Australia has and always will pull our weight in the conflagration of war across the world, and it's important that we pause and reflect on what Australia has done. As for most Australians, it's an issue close to my heart, and many of us here are descendants of someone who participated or witnessed a significant moment in our national history, many of them on the battlefield. It is important that we remember and honour the heavy sacrifice our young country made in the First World War. That a nation of less than five million could have something like 10 per cent of our nation's eligible sons die in battle and 20 per cent more wounded is simply staggering. I've had the honour of serving these people, as have many of my colleagues here, not only in the House of Representatives but also in uniform. The service and sacrifice is something that resonates strongly within our national consciousness.

Accordingly, the Centenary of Anzac 2014-18 has been one of the most important commemorative periods in our national collective history. This Anzac centenary program commenced in 2014 with the Albany Convoy Commemorative Event, marking the 100th anniversary of the departure of the first convoy of ships to take Australia's bravest sons, and some daughters, to the First World War. Earlier this year the minister announced that the Australian government had committed additional funding to support the 100th anniversary of the First World War armistice. This program will conclude with commemorations marking that 100th anniversary on Remembrance Day, 11 November 2018. A key part of this program is the establishment of a community consultative committee in each electorate to look at how we can appropriately remember that event. The role of these committees will be to assist local MPs to seek the community's view on the best way of doing this commemoration. So I'll be encouraging members of my local electorate to reach out to my office and to have their say, to assist me in reviewing all the proposals that come before applications are submitted to the Department of Veterans' Affairs for their review. This Armistice Centenary Grants Program that has been announced by the minister is $50,000 for each electorate to ensure that the memory of those who gave everything for our values and our freedoms will not be forgotten. This Armistice Centenary Grants Program will allow the community to mark the armistice in a pertinent and real way by establishing a memorial of sorts, within a somewhat wide definition, to remember these enormous events.

So I encourage all organisations and all community groups on the northern Gold Coast who feel they'd like to help or commemorate this important event in some way, to get in touch with my office. We'll provide you with the guidance and the application forms. A consultative committee has also been set up in my electorate to ensure consistency. It's the same consultative committee we are using for the Stronger Communities Grants. I encourage you to get hold of the application paperwork—it will be on the Department of Veteran's Affairs website as well—and put in an application to commemorate and remember these historic events that mark the end of the war to—supposedly—end all wars.