Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we approach Remembrance Day 2018, I wish to congratulate the government, together with Dr Brendan Nelson, the Australian War Memorial, the local councils, the not-for-profit groups, including the RSL and Legacy, and our veterans, their families and descendants around the country who have made the Centenary of Anzac not only a commemoration of great courage and sacrifice but also a fitting tribute to the spirit of freedom that burns hot in the hearts of Australians today, as it did for that generation a century ago. I was recently invited by the Maroochy RSL to inspect progress on the construction of the eternal flame—the memorial that will sit at the Cotton Tree cenotaph in Maroochydore. As part of the Armistice Centenary Grants Program, the Commonwealth has provided over $37,000 towards the development of that eternal flame for the Sunshine Coast to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the day that the guns fell silent on the Western Front. This is money well spent, not to glorify war but to ensure that future generations never forget the tragedy and the terrible high price paid for the freedom we enjoy today.