Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens believe that Anzac Day is not a day for glorifying war. We believe it is not a day for recruiting Defence Force personnel, as much as we respect our Defence Force personnel. We believe it is not a day for whipping up nationalism. I would point out to Senator Anning that we spent hundreds of millions of dollars around the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Anzac Day two years ago, when you weren't here. A number of veterans made it very clear that they thought that was a waste of money. They thought the money should have gone to supporting veterans who have served this country, rather than wasting it on attempts by this conservative government to whip up nationalism around the commemoration of Anzac Day. My father is a Vietnam vet, and his father and grandfathers were all war veterans; I know he is ambivalent about Anzac Day, as are lots of Australians. As much as anything else, it's a day to reflect on the horrors of war, the sadness that comes with war and the generations that have to bear that burden, and lest we forget that.