Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of the Australian War Memorial annual report for 2011-12. I am sure that all honourable senators who are listening tonight will be aware that since 1947 there have been 48 peacekeepers who have died during non-warlike service who nonetheless were looking after this country and serving this country. At the moment, those 48 men are not on the roll of honour at the War Memorial.

All sides of politics respect the independence of the War Memorial. It has been such a successful organisation because of being above politics. But the Council of the War Memorial is in the process of reconsidering a previous decision in relation to these peacekeepers—young men who died in the uniform of the military of this country.

I am sure honourable senators are aware that there are two books at the War Memorial—and I must acknowledge that I got them wrong in a press release that I put out recently; and I apologise for that—there is the Commemorative Roll and the Remembrance Book, and it is the Remembrance Book that has in it those young men who died in the service of this country since 1947.

I have spoken to a number of families of these young men and one of the most poignant comments that was made to me was a father talking about his son: 'His service and memory are put away in a cupboard and virtually forgotten. This really hurts.' No family should be left to feel that the ultimate sacrifice of their son or daughter, brother or sister is forgotten. What he is referring to in relation to the memory being 'put in a cupboard' is that the Remembrance Book is effectively locked away.

This has been a very difficult issue for the ex-service community and there is a variety of views about whether the roll of honour should have peacekeepers on it.

On the back of that conversation with the father of that young man who died serving this country, I wrote to Rear Admiral Ken Doolan, the Chairman of the Australian War Memorial, and Dr Brendan Nelson, the new Director of the AWM, a man who of course was a defence minister, indicating to them I was not in any way wanting to impose our—as in the coalition's—will on the council and was acknowledging that ultimately they have the responsibility for these sorts of decisions. I did however, on behalf of the coalition—and this is in the letter to Rear Admiral Doolan and Dr Nelson—indicate that indeed at this forthcoming council meeting if the decision were made to reverse this decision and put these young men on the roll of honour it would have the full support of the coalition. I believe that with the Centenary of Anzac coming, as we all know, in 2014, there is a great opportunity—indeed, a unique opportunity—for the council to ensure that the roll of honour remains relevant and central to the story, understanding and commemoration of Australians at war. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted.