Page 2960 - Week 08 - Thursday, 17 August 2017
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biggest amphibious ships, along with HMAS Adelaide. HMAS Canberra is currently the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy and carries as part of its badge our coat of arms. It is significant and poignant to think of the sailors, soldiers—as it is an amphibious ship—and others that will be on that ship bearing our name and our coat of arms who will be putting themselves in harm’s way, particularly if there is a conflict.
I make these points because there is no doubt that there are significant linkages between us, the ADF and the veterans community in this town. As the national capital, we are the home of the headquarters of the ADF, the Army headquarters, Navy headquarters and Air Force headquarters. We have the Russell Offices, which we all know, Campbell Park offices and, of course, Duntroon and ADFA as the training establishment for officers.
I think it is appropriate that, as we have this position, we do what we can to look after those currently serving or ex-service personnel. We have many thousands of them here in the ACT. I note that tomorrow is Vietnam Veterans Day, commemorating the Battle of Long Tan, where 18 Australians died. There will be an event tomorrow at the memorial on Anzac Parade, at 10 o’clock. I may see you there, minister.
Mr Ramsay: Indeed.
MR HANSON: Yes, I will see you there again. We should share a lift again. There is no doubt that our Vietnam veterans—as with veterans of World War II and World War I, but particularly the Vietnam veterans—were treated very shabbily when they returned. I am very glad that our community is better. I served in a very unpopular war in Iraq, but when I got back no-one condemned me for that. They blamed the politicians, and rightly so. They did not blame the service personnel. It was different for the Vietnam veterans. I think that is a poor episode in our history, and I am glad that history is not being repeated. It is important that we commemorate, remember and acknowledge the service of those veterans who have paid such a heavy price.
Against that backdrop, some of the work that has been done with the establishment of the veterans’ affairs portfolio and the Veterans Advisory Council—which were Liberal initiatives, but I am glad that the government took them on—is a positive thing. There is this lingering problem of the speech from Ms Cody. I have given the minister the opportunity on a number of occasions to resolve it. I did so in estimates. I asked him to deal with this issue. Instead of doing so he accused me of being disrespectful and refused to answer the question. He said, “You need to move on; you’re just like a hammer on this issue.” I will continue with it because it is important.
Ms Cody came in here earlier and talked about how, with the CFMEU and unions, it is “touch one, touch all”. That is not the language of Defence and veterans, but certainly, if you attack our mates, if you attack one veterans organisation and say such heinous things about the RSL, you can understand how that resonates throughout the veterans community. Veterans across this town are still flabbergasted—and I am deeply connected with a lot of organisations—that those words have gone unchallenged and are not being condemned either by the minister or by the Chief Minister. They remain hanging there.
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