Page 3056 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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I note and support a number of grants that have been allocated throughout the year. I encourage the government to continue and expand this program. This was an initiative that we proposed at the last election. The government has copied it and is rolling it out. That is a good thing; I welcome it. I recognise some of the groups and the work they do. They include the Legacy Club of Canberra. I am a legatee and I understand intimately the work that that organisation does for widows and for families. There is the Woden Valley RSL. Again, I am a member of that organisation and I recognise the fantastic work that they do. They have received a grant to purchase a new computer to help with their publishing and administration.
There is also Buddy Up Australia, which received a grant to manage PTSD in the ADF and emergency services by providing education and psychological and social support. Other grants include the South Canberra Veterans Shed, Vietnam Veterans and Veterans ACT, the Ex-Defence Integration Team, Soldier On and Lifeline. All of these groups do outstanding work. I support them and I acknowledge the government support for them.
I look forward to seeing more detail on these programs in this portfolio area. I look forward to seeing reports on advisory council meetings and the outcome of community engagement meetings in due course.
I want to slightly deviate from the budget. The minister is regularly at the Australian War Memorial, as am I. I acknowledge today that the Director of the Australian War Memorial, Brendan Nelson, has indicated that he will be retiring at the end of the year. I think it would be appropriate for me to say a few words to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution that Brendan Nelson has made to the War Memorial. I acknowledge the work that was done through the centenary of World War I events. In my view, and I know it is a view shared with other veterans in the ACT, there has been no greater servant of the Australian War Memorial since its inception and its founder, Charles Bean.
I am sure that the Liberal and Labor members of the Assembly, though I am not quite so sure about the Greens, would join me in acknowledging and thanking Brendan Nelson for the great work that he has done in recognising the service of those who have died for our country and keeping their memory alive—very alive—not just through commemorative activities but through the great displays at the War Memorial and in raising the profile and understanding of veterans of contemporary conflicts.
I am delighted to be able to acknowledge that the ACT government is doing good work in this area and acknowledge the contribution of Brendan Nelson on the occasion of his imminent retirement. I thank him on behalf of, I am sure, all members here for his contribution to the Australian War Memorial.
MS ORR (Yerrabi) (5.30): I am proud to be part of this ACT government that supports our city to be the most inclusive in Australia. Our cultural landscape is populated and shaped by people who have migrated to Canberra from more than 180 countries across the globe. As it currently stands, Canberra is home to more than 400,000 people, with roughly half of our city’s residents having at least one parent
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