Page 1131 - Week 04 - Thursday, 22 April 2021
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I am encouraging people across Canberra to look at the different ways that they can choose, this year, to commemorate our national recognition of veterans and their sacrifice.
Numbers physically present at the Australian War Memorial’s dawn service will be limited and the ticket allocation is already exhausted. To support all of us to commemorate this day, the RSL has created an initiative called Light Up the Dawn, to allow as many people as possible to participate. As well as being COVID safe, this initiative promotes a deeper understanding of the Anzac Day message and brings awareness to those who might not previously have been involved.
Light Up the Dawn encourages people to stand at the end of their driveway or in front of their residence at dawn on Anzac Day, with a candle, while listening to the last post via local broadcasts, an app or even live. Local buglers among us can register the Canberra landmark or street, or perhaps an aged care residence in their area, where they will be playing the last post. Anyone can turn up to listen.
The ministerial council for veterans and their families will hold an informal commemorative service at 8 am on Anzac Day at Woden Cemetery, which I will attend and where wreaths will be laid on the tombstones of veterans. There will also be an invitation-only “For our Country” Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders service memorial after the Anzac Day dawn service, to honour First Nations Australians who have served in defence forces since 1901. It is an important recognition of their contributions, particularly as many of them served long before they were given the right to vote or counted as equal citizens.
As I have said before in this context, there is unity in this variety and new life has been brought to our old traditions. Anzac Day in 2021 will see tradition and innovation in commemoration side by side, reminding all of us that while there is a will, people will find a way to come together in remembrance.
Municipal services—Ginninderra
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (5.45): Today I reflect upon the commitment of Canberrans. I reaffirm the capacity of the people I have had the privilege to represent and whose ideas and concerns I provide voice for. Since I was given the honour of being a member of this Assembly, my appreciation for the work of the concerned citizens of Ginninderra inspires me every day, and only continues to grow. I would like to mention just a few examples of how their commitment makes Canberra a better place for all of us.
In Melba, two neighbours who believe that young children deserve safe, maintained and inclusive community spaces, have decided to take action. SMILE Melba—standing for Support Melba Inclusive Learning Environment—is a significant, growing community movement in Melba and is asking the government to upgrade recreational space in Melba next to the Melba High School. Currently, the site is neglected and underused, and SMILE is asking this government to act and transform it into an inclusive space for children, parents and community groups to enjoy. I, and some other of the Ginninderra MLAs—including my colleagues Elizabeth Kikkert
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