Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Conroy for his very generous comments. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of Australians actively participated in the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on Anzac Day this year. In the biggest cities and the smallest towns and farming communities, Australians gathered in extraordinary numbers to pay their respects to all those men and women who have served our nation in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations over more than a century of service.

Since the last election, the government has issued two ministerial statements about the Centenary of Anzac. This statement, the third, looks back at the events of Anzac Day 2015 but also forward to the remainder of the commemorative program until the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day on 11 November 2018.

Community enthusiasm for Anzac Day is arguably at its highest level in a generation. Crowds at dawn services in Australia continued to increase. There were huge crowds in capital cities, including here in Canberra. Major regional dawn services, such as at Torquay in Victoria, Albany in Western Australia and Elephant Rock in Queensland, continued to see large crowds. Marches in many cities saw their largest attendance in many years. I would like to place on the public record my thanks to those responsible for coordinating the Anzac Day activities across the country. I particularly acknowledge the Returned and Services League of Australia, the RSL, for their work. I know that many RSL subbranches were responsible for working with local government, police and other services to coordinate community commemorative events involving large numbers of Australians. To the RSL, in particular, and other ex-service and service organisations who took on this responsibility I say a most sincere thankyou on behalf of the Australian government.

I also wish to place on the record how proud I am of the staff from my department and across the government who worked tirelessly to bring events in Gallipoli together. The people responsible are part of a small, dedicated and highly professional team of staff who bring together these services on Anzac Day. I echo the words of the Prime Minister when he said their planning was 'meticulous'. I add to this by saying, 'Thank you—you have done your nation proud.'

The Gallipoli dawn service was attended by 10,043 people at the Anzac Commemorative Site in Turkey on Anzac Day. On the Western Front, a crowd of 6,100 attended the Anzac Day dawn service at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. Australians also gathered in large numbers in Belgium and in London, as well as at Hellfire Pass in Thailand, Isurava and Bomana in Papua New Guinea, Sandakan in Malaysia, in Vietnam and throughout New Zealand. I turn to the budget.

Budget 2015-16

Funding in this year's budget will deliver the government's commitment to honour not just events on the Western Front and Be'er Sheva, but key anniversaries throughout the century of service.

The government will provide additional financial support for a commemorative event at Gallipoli on 6 August 2015 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine and the August Offensive.

The Lone Pine ceremony will take place at 5pm on 6 August 2015 at the Lone Pine Cemetery. Attendance at this ceremony will not be balloted. The attack at Lone Pine began in the early evening of 6 August 1915 and it is appropriate that, 100 years on, we mark this event at this time.

The August Offensive, which this ceremony will commemorate, was the last great push by the Allies against Turkish forces. Four days of intense fighting cost more than 2,000 Australians killed or wounded. This ceremony will particularly honour them. The service also provides those Australians who were unable to attend Gallipoli on Anzac Day with the chance to visit and participate in a commemorative event.

We have also allocated funding to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Later this month I will announce the details of the government's plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, marking 50 years since Australian forces fought in the Vietnam War.

I view these commemorations as being as important as the commemoration of events during the First and Second World Wars. The Centenary of Anzac is far from over. We have a duty to honour the memory of the men and women who served our nation with such distinction and whose names are listed in the cloisters at the Australian War Memorial. A nation that fails to remember is a nation that fails itself.

I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.