Page 3308 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 13 November 2007

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The focus of British operations then moved to the Jordan Valley. Early in 1918 the 6th was involved at Amman in February and Es Salt in April. These were tactical failures but they helped to convince the Turks that the next offensive would be launched across the Jordan. Instead, the offensive was launched along the coast in September 1918, with the 6th taking part in the subsidiary effort east of Jordan.

The Turks surrendered on 30 October 1918. The 6th Light Horse were employed one last time to down the Egyptian revolt of early 1919 and sailed home on 28 June 1919. So my grandfather came back to Australia and our family was able to continue.

Mr Mulcahy: And we have the blessing of you here.

MR GENTLEMAN: Yes, indeed. After World War II the Australian government agreed to the United Kingdom’s proposal that Armistice Day be renamed Remembrance Day to commemorate those who were killed in both wars. Today the loss of Australian lives from all wars and conflicts is commemorated on Remembrance Day.

In October 1997 the Governor-General issued a proclamation declaring 11 November as Remembrance Day—a day to remember the sacrifice of those who died for Australia in wars and conflicts. The proclamation reinforced the importance of Remembrance Day and encouraged all Australians to renew their observance of that event.

Housing—affordability

MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (6.15): Mr Speaker, I know that the opposition shares that sentiment in relation to Remembrance Day. It is an occasion that we must continue to keep in mind as we go forward and recognise the sacrifice from earlier generations.

I would like to use my time in the adjournment debate tonight to discuss a couple of issues. First, and most importantly, I want to talk about housing affordability. This, of course, is a hot topic at the moment. It is a serious issue but, as I have said before, I think that it is important not to get carried away. Anecdotally, I know more young people who have entered the housing market over the last few years than at any stage in the past. When I was in my twenties, owning a home was a rare event for a person of that age. I am now finding substantial numbers of young people in their twenties who have got properties, in some cases investment properties, so it is not all bleak out there, and I think we need to recognise that. But clearly there is a problem that needs some measure of addressing and that is why I want to focus on some of the announcements made by the Prime Minister yesterday.

Before I do, however, I want to place on record a quote that was the basis for a question today that the Chief Minister was not able to answer thanks to the intervention of Mr Corbell. In yesterday’s Canberra Times Peter Martin said, “Any mortgagee today will be most likely be better off than a person in a similar position would have been under Labor in 1989, not worse off.”


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