Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Laidley, in the western part of my electorate, where we made a presentation of $34,000 to our veterans' affairs association to upgrade their kitchen and their clubhouse. These are incredible people who go about their business quietly in my community and work behind the scenes offering support to each other. Some of the stories they will tell you about the aftermath of their personal encounters, of their suffering as a result of their combat or service, are truly horrifying. I am proud that, as a community, we reach out and we put our arms around these people—and a lot of the problems that are out there are still unknown.
I wanted to rise and just let the House be aware that you do not have to have strong linkages or walk up the road with a medal on you to appreciate the work that has been done by the proud ex-service men and women of our nation. In closing, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of those in my electorate who have made a contribution, because, as I mentioned earlier on, it is that contribution that you have made to our nation that provides the blanket of security that we sleep under today. Lest we forget.
Video of speech: https://youtu.be/1Y7vjs4XMhc