Page 89 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2019
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I had the pleasure of presenting the long service awards: Reena Wati, for five years of service; outgoing general manager, Torrien Lau, also for five years of service; and a third award went to Luz Morris for her 20 years—that is right, 20—working tirelessly with Focus ACT to support people with a disability. The night was full of celebration, with of course a bit of dancing and carols and cake. I had the pleasure of seeing a truly amazing croquembouche for Francis, who was celebrating his 60th birthday that night as well. Francis has been a client of Focus ACT for 30 years, and his sister, Mary, represents all Focus ACT client families on the board.
I thank Focus ACT for inviting me to their Christmas party. Particular thanks go to the board chair, Wilhelm Harnisch; to Torrien, whom I had the pleasure of meeting; and to Francis himself, who was a very enthusiastic, happy and vocal ambassador for the great work that Focus ACT does. I am sure they will go from strength to strength in 2019. The family and community feeling I got from that room has stuck with me over the Christmas period and I am very happy to be able to share the great work that Focus ACT does with the members of this Assembly.
History—world wars
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (4.23): It is certainly not my usual practice here to give an account of my annual leave, but this one time I hope to make at least a partial exception. During January of this year I was privileged to spend some time on the World War I and World War II battlefields in the north of France and Belgium. It is only in recent years that the history of the Western Front, including the Somme Valley, Flanders and the area of the Hundred Days Offensive, has become more recognised here in Australia.
But it does not take long when reading our history to realise its significance. Nor does it take long at all when present on the battlefields and at the many memorials across France and Belgium to feel the weight of the significance. That significance was clear to me from the commencement of our tour at the Adelaide Cemetery in Villers-Bretonneux, where 960 commonwealth soldiers are buried. It was from this cemetery, of course, that the remains of the unknown Australian soldier were repatriated in 1993. And this site is indeed strongly representational. So many Australian divisions fought in this region that, of this veteran, it could truly be said:
He is all of them. And he is one of us.
Important in the context of a visit to the World War I battlefields and the site of this grave are the words from Prime Minister Keating’s speech in 1993:
This Unknown Australian is not … to glorify war over peace; or to assert a soldier’s character above a civilian’s; or one race or one nation or one religion above another; or men above women; or the war in which he fought and died above any other war; or of one generation above any that has or will come later.
These are words which continue to ring true today. And the significance of the time built as we journeyed to the Australian national memorial, to the Victoria School and
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