Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 3 November I attended the Kokoda Day service at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concorde West to mark the 80th anniversary of the New Guinea campaign. I felt honoured to meet some of our last remaining veterans from that campaign: Bruce Robertson, aged 102; Reg Chard and Les Thompson, both aged 99; and David Trist, aged 98. They are extraordinary men who played an important role at a critical time in our country's history. Bruce Robertson was gracious enough to speak to me about his experiences. He spoke about the friends he lost. He also spoke about the extraordinary love of his wife, who was his fiancee before he went to war and who patiently waited for him to return. They got married and built a wonderful life together.

The commemoration last week was an opportunity to remember the courage of our diggers and honour their sacrifices. I was pleased the Assistant Minister for Veterans Affairs was able to attend and confirm our government's commitment to providing funding certainty to the memorial for four years so they can continue their great work. I thank the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway board, in particular Jennifer Collins and Alice Kang, for keeping the memory of our veterans alive. Our veterans truly are the best of us. Lest we forget.