Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently attended the Australian War Widows Queensland branch Friendship Day event at the Redlands RSL in Cleveland. It was a wonderful afternoon of fellowship and friendship, and was well attended by Australian War Widow members from across South-East Queensland—including the national president, Jenny Gregory. The event was followed by a white-cross service at Cleveland's Anzac Park. It was a privilege to be amongst so many tireless women who continue to focus on addressing the issues affecting all war and defence widows and families across Australia.

Our war widows aren't a historical memory; they are an important part of Australia's societal fabric. One of the biggest priorities for the Australian War Widows is to continue the momentum to establish a national war widows day annually on 19 October. This date is the birthdate of Jessie Vasey OBE CBE, the founder of Australian War Widows. Mrs Vasey's tireless advocacy for the widows of the Second World War led to considerable breakthroughs in government support.

Queensland became the first state in Australia to recognise War Widows Day in 2022, and New South Wales has followed suit. The official recognition of War Widows Day in these jurisdictions helps to honour the sacrifices of war widows and highlights the ongoing challenges they face in their daily lives. I strongly encourage the federal government to learn from the success of the initiative in Queensland and New South Wales and take the largely symbolic action of formally recognising 19 October.