COMMEMORATIONS

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:13): Today I would like to speak about recent commemorations I have attended. On ANZAC Day, along with the members for Newland and Makin. I attended the Tea Tree Gully RSL's Dawn Service and, as has been the case each year in the past few years, the crowd was bigger than last year's. We are indeed fortunate to have the services of the Tea Tree Gully Redbacks band, a fine group of musicians all under the baton of David Gardiner. They appear at our function before they go off to the city for the ANZAC Day parade. We also now have a wonderful choir to lead us in the singing.

President Jim Thomson welcomed the gathering after the honour guard under the command of Michael Sherlock marched into the purpose-built memorial garden. I would like to commend councillor Kevin Knight from the City of Tea Tree Gully, who unfortunately took ill during the ceremony, for it was his foresight and commitment that made sure that the garden concept became a reality, although it seems with such large crowds gathering every year, we have already outgrown this site.

Salvation Army Captain Howard Trendell leads the service and later everyone goes up to the clubrooms for a 'gunfire breakfast' which is waiting for us, prepared with the aid of the SES and CFS volunteers under the watchful eye of the Tea Tree Gully RSL Ladies Auxiliary, with our local legend Lois Ramage and her family still integral parts of that wonderful morning activity.

On Sunday 28 April it was an honour and a privilege to attend the ceremony at the Vietnam War Memorial at the Torrens Parade Ground held under the auspices of the Vietnamese Veterans Association and Friends of the Vietnamese Invalid Veterans Association. We were blessed with fine weather on a beautiful day, with a large crowd gathered to commemorate some very important dates. Firstly, the anniversary of 50 years of the Royal Australian Armed Forces Support for the Freedom and Democracy of the Republic of Vietnam 1962-1973; secondly, to recognise the 58 South Australians who paid the supreme sacrifice in Vietnam; and, thirdly, 38 years since the fall of Saigon in 1975.

It was a marvellous ceremony. It was led by Bill Denny AM, Co-chair of the Vietnam War Memorial Committee. We had a welcome address by Dr Anh Tuan Ngo, President of the Vietnamese Veterans Association, and a truly inspiring address by Lieutenant-Governor Hieu Van Le, who brought everyone to tears with his recollections of what happened. It is the second time that Hieu Van Le has brought me to tears at a function, and I only ever remember crying twice in my public life. There was also a marvellous address by Brigadier Laurie Lewis AM (Retd). He is, of course, very well known throughout South Australia and the veteran community.

It was a first, too, because the families of all the 58 soldiers were acknowledged. While not all families were represented, about half were, and they were called up and presented with a shield and a medallion. Of course South Australia has a very proud history of paying tribute in very special ways, and it was the first state to organise the recognition of Turkish soldiers (some years ago now) under a committee organised by Warren Featherby.

Later on that Sunday, I attended the Workers' Memorial Day Service at the Pilgrim Church in Flinders Street, along with the Deputy Premier, the member for Davenport, the Hon. Nick Xenophon and the Hon. Tammy Franks. This service commemorates the workers who have died on the job. It is a sad but very uplifting service, where families gather to remember their loved ones who paid such a terrible price at the workplace. Workplace accidents really have to be limited; and to lose someone's life on the job on the worksite is just a very sad and terrible experience for any family.

VOID (Voices of Industrial Death) is led by Andrea Madeley, and she has made the ceremony a very special and important day, where everyone tries to remember how important it is to keep workplace safety in their mind. The ceremony is supported by the Government of South Australia through SafeWork SA and SA Unions, and the Asbestos Victims Association and the Asbestos Diseases Society of South Australia were also heavily involved. It is these workers, the workers who have been exposed to asbestos, who are now paying the price, and not only the workers themselves but their families who are secondary recipients of the terrible diseases that asbestos has caused.

At the end of the service they always release some doves and we always release balloons with the names of our friends tied to the bottom of the balloon. Unfortunately, the number of balloons is growing. It is not only the deaths that we think about but the industrial accidents that cause injuries to workers, very much like the road safety toll, which we should keep in our mind at all times.