Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has urged Gippslanders to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and their families on Anzac Day.
Mr Chester says commemorative services across the region are an opportunity to ‘give thanks’ for the freedoms our nation enjoys.
“At a time of escalating global tensions, it’s important to gather as a community and celebrate our freedom and the opportunity to live in Australia,” Mr Chester said.
“I believe Anzac Day is the most important event on our national calendar because it’s our chance to say ‘thank you’ to all who have served, and continue to serve today, to keep us safe in an ever-changing world.
“At its core, Anzac Day is all about respect.
“Respect for the fallen. Respect for their families. Respect for the men and women who continue to serve today.
“It’s also about acknowledging the freedoms we enjoy today have come at an enormous personal cost to others, and we must never take that service and sacrifice for granted.
“Whether it’s wars, conflicts, peace-keeping missions, or humanitarian aid and disaster relief, they are dangerous tasks which expose people to the risk of injury, and take them away from the people they love.
So when we gather at a dawn service or a local march, we are helping to keep our nation’s promise to remember the fallen, and to give thanks.”
Mr Chester said it was important to remember the pressures faced by current generations of service personnel and their families.
“I have been very fortunate to visit ADF personnel on many deployments, and to represent Australia at commemorative services on the Western Front and throughout south-east Asia. It reinforced my view that we can all be proud of their service and we must share their stories, and never forget the hideous cost of conflict,” Mr Chester said
“We can all do our best to honour all those who have served, with the way we choose to live our lives every day by committing ourselves to peace and freedom, and the protection of those who can’t defend themselves.
“Our ADF must continue to receive the training, equipment and support it needs, and our veterans and families must always receive the assistance of a grateful nation.
“Anzac Day is about recognising and respecting the enduring values of loyalty, courage, honesty and mateship that have helped to make Australia the great country it is today.”
