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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-23 Daily Xml
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PARTNERS OF VETERANS ASSOCIATION

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon) (15:24): Can the Minister for Veterans' Affairs advise the house of activities undertaken—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for MacKillop, behave.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON: —in the veterans' community by the Partners of Veterans Association?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, there is something wrong with your microphone. It is very difficult to hear you. You will need to direct it more towards you.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister Assisting the Premier with South Australia's Strategic Plan) (15:25): How is that? There we go; it works. Very good. Racing! Madam Speaker, we as a nation make much of the service of our veterans, and that is right. It is also our national responsibility to acknowledge and thank them for their service and, when they fall, for their sacrifice. However, there is another important part of every veteran's life which often does not always get the recognition that it warrants, that is, their family.

The family is often held together in good times and the not so good times by the partner of a veteran. This is an enormous responsibility, and I do not think the challenges faced by the partners and families of our veterans are fully understood by the broader community. The irony, of course, is that in almost all cases the partner of a veteran is not the one who volunteers for military service. This to me magnifies the dimension of their contribution and sacrifice both to the family and to our nation. That is why the establishment of the Partners of Veterans Association of Australia has been so important.

This association reminds us all about the unique needs and challenges faced by the partners and families of our veterans. In South Australia, the Premier has played a pivotal role in raising the profile of veterans' affairs, not just within government but also within the community. On ANZAC Day 2008, the Premier announced the creation of a veterans' affairs portfolio for South Australia.

The Veterans' Advisory Council was established in South Australia shortly after, in December 2008, following consultation with veterans and ex-service organisations and the communities they represent. The Partners of Veterans Association has had a representative on the Veterans' Advisory Council since its inception. I am sure that members would be pleased to know that Jennifer Dowling and Mrs Jan Wallent have ably represented the Partners of Veterans Association at the state level on our Veterans' Advisory Council.

Mrs Wallent is well qualified to provide advice on key issues of importance to the families of veterans. Her husband served in Borneo and in Vietnam as a field engineer. Mrs Wallent has worked tirelessly on behalf of veterans' families and is the current President of the South Australian branch of the Partners of Veterans Association. Mrs Wallent is also the President of Carers SA, on the national board of the Partners of Veterans Association, the Secretary of the Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council, the Consultative Council of Ex-Service Organisations, the Department of Veterans' Affairs/UniSA Veterans Reference Group, the Veterans, the Veterans Families Counselling Service Regional Forum and the SA Dementia Implementation Plan Advisory Group.

I am sure that all members will agree that is a significant contribution to our community. In 2010 Mrs Wallent was awarded the Joy Noble Prize for volunteering in recognition of her work with the Partners of Veterans Association and Carers SA. Mrs Wallent worked as a nurse and also as a senior manager in the aged-care sector before retiring in 1999 to care for her husband. The Partners of Veterans Association has become a respected and valued member of the ex-service community and is a credit to their organisation.

On behalf of the South Australian government, I wish the Partners of Veterans Association well in its endeavours on behalf of the partners and families of veterans, and I thank them for their contribution.

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