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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-06 Daily Xml
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ANZAC Day Commemoration Services

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:42): We recently marked ANZAC Day. I am a member whose electorate is named in honour of a service person—a quite outstanding figure in Australian and world history, Vietnam veteran Major Peter Badcoe VC—and I feel there is a responsibility to do what I can to recognise the contribution of so many defence personnel in the protection of our values.

I am lucky to have the Plympton Glenelg RSL in my area as well as the National Servicemen's Association at Keswick, the Keswick Barracks, of course, on Anzac Highway, and a number of memorials, including at the Edwardstown Soldiers Memorial Oval. A big thankyou to all those who organised this year's services, which was a challenge.

ANZAC morning started with handing out programs at the Edwardstown Soldiers Memorial Oval before the stirring service at 6am. My good friend Scott Calvert not only organised but led the service, and big thanks to Scott for his hard work this year and every year. He was assisted by Chaplain Derek Croser leading our prayers, the Marion City Band, with bagpiper Darren Ferguson, and young William Calvert, who hoisted the flags—all before a crowd of several hundred locals.

I was pleased to read a very moving ANZAC Day dedication as part of the ceremony and lay a wreath on behalf of our community, but for me and many others the highlight was the keynote address of Major Sharon Mascall-Dare. She spoke of her time serving with Task Group Taji in Iraq as part of the Battle for Mosul. She returned four years ago. She spoke about the frequent heroic efforts recorded in the operational reports she was reading about an Australian soldier known only as Corporal B.

Fast-forward to life back here in Australia, and she was dedicating her efforts to assisting returned service men and women to transition back into civilian life and the workforce. She recounted:

There was one soldier who came and stood out from the rest. He was articulate, well dressed and he instantly made an impression. Yes, he had injuries, but he wanted to work. And I sat down with him. And I asked him to tell me his story.

'I've applied for 60 jobs,' he said, 'but no-one will give me an interview. My work in the army is classified information, so I can't explain what I do.' As he told me more about his service history my memory was suddenly triggered. 'Were you at Taji?' I said, 'What's your name?'

'Corporal B', he said.

He was that same soldier that I'd always thought was a hero. He'd given his all. He'd come home from injuries that meant the end of his military career, yet the civilian world was no sanctuary. He was fighting a new battle to get a fair go.

And so ladies and gentlemen, this Anzac Day, as we pay our respects and honour the dead let us not forget those who are still fighting. Fighting their injuries, fighting for a fair go. Let us not forget their families too.

Her address brought a tear to many an eye, including mine, maybe because it is such a sad but also such a typical story and because we all know that we need to do better for those who sacrificed so much for us. It is also a timely message with the national spotlight currently on the welfare and mental health of returned Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.

I was also pleased to lay a wreath at the Plympton Glenelg RSL memorial, as well as help cook up a storm and serve some bacon, eggs and sausages for lunch. My two-up fortunes were not so great, but it was good to have a go. Thanks must go to Bill Hignett, the President of the Plympton Glenelg RSL and his Vice-President, Trent Justin, for organising the day, as well as Tich Tyson and the team at the Veterans Centre.

The centre will be relocating soon, but it has done some wonderful work over many years from the Plympton Park location, and I am sure they will continue that life-changing work. It was also really special to catch up with many members of the Plympton Bulldogs Football Club who came to pay their respects and also present one of their special ANZAC round guernseys to the RSL. It has a wonderful poppy design on it in the club’s traditional red and black colours.

The Bulldogs home ground at Plympton Park will come into the seat of Badcoe at the next election, and I have been pleased to go along and cheer on the club a few times this season, including last weekend when they displayed some great skills but were pipped by another club in my electorate, Edwardstown, but the season is not over yet. One thing I learned in my conversations with the Plympton footy club players and the RSL leadership is that they share a common founding father, Robert McGhee, who was also very instrumental in the Labor Party back in the day.

I would also like to thank Labor's candidate for the upper house, Reggie Martin, who attended the morning service at Plympton on my behalf, and Labor's candidate for Elder, Nadia Clancy, who attended the youth vigil at Marion the previous night on my behalf. I cannot be everywhere unfortunately. Her dedication to her community and the rapport she shares with young people is to be admired. Lest we forget.

Time expired.

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