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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-05-12 Daily Xml
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ANZAC DAY

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:29): I would like to spend a few moments today talking about ANZAC Day, which in my view is Australia's national day and the most important day of the year, by far, on the Australian calendar. As did other members in this place and the other place, I attended marches and services. It was my good fortune to attend the service and march at Goolwa, the service and march at Victor Harbor, the service and march at Kingscote, and the service at Penneshaw on ANZAC Day.

In addition, I attended the commemoration of the Battle of Kapyong at the state War Memorial on Friday 24 April, along with some other members from this place. It is a most important day. It was a sign of just how adaptable our Defence Force and former members of the Defence Force are that, indeed, when the padre failed to show up on the Friday, Moose Dunlop and Mike Denness took the service through without a hitch, so to speak, and did a great job.

I will raise a few points which I believe are important in the commemoration of ANZAC Day. Indeed, one is that word. What irritates me is that we still see, when advertising concerts and other activities, 'celebrating' ANZAC Day. We do not celebrate ANZAC Day: it is a day of commemoration. I believe that, as members of parliament, we should be getting the message out to any organisation that it is a commemoration, not a celebration. I think they use that word with the best intent in the world, but they are quite wrong. It is not appropriate to use that term and we need to get that right, as well as some other protocols.

Some protocols are pretty straightforward; however, they are difficult to ascertain. There are some service orders and some service sheets. I have discussed this with Mr Jock Statton, the President of the RSL in South Australia. He put me onto other places interstate and also South Australia to get some established protocols for services, wreath laying, etc. There does not seem to be a set protocol for organisations to carry out the ANZAC Day services, marches, dawn services, etc. Everywhere does it a little differently. Indeed, on Kangaroo Island, the service has been adapted by the RSL and its members have changed the service around to suit themselves, which is fine, but there is no established protocol.

In many cases, progress associations and community groups run the ANZAC Day commemoration services. They are not au fait with it. They do their best without really knowing. I believe that we have a responsibility to work closely with the RSL and veterans' organisations to have some of these protocols in writing and to have some services set out so that we do know. Then, if a community group comes to my office or any other member's office and asks, 'What are the protocols for ANZAC Day?', we can give them the sheet with the services as agreed by the RSL and there is some consistency across the line on this matter.

It does concern me and I do think we have to get it right. The tens of thousands of Australians who have died serving their country and the tens of thousands who have also served their country and who continue to serve their country need this matter put right so that, when we do attend services, it is straight down the line, it is there in black and white (so to speak) and the proper protocols can be adhered to. I think it is an important thing that we have to do.

It is interesting to note—and I am sure other members of this place have—the increasing numbers attending the marches and the increasing numbers of young people. There again, it now seems that, in some cases, if you have a medal from some particular organisation, you take part in the ANZAC Day service. There are certainly issues around that. I think a multitude of organisations have contributed in wartime—going overseas and serving Australia—and whether or not they are members of the Defence Force, they are entitled to wear some form of decoration.

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