Thursday, 30 November 2023

 Vicki WARD (Eltham – Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Minister for Employment) (10:01): This year our Remembrance Day service at the Montmorency Eltham RSL was quite special, with the important involvement of confident and articulate local students participating throughout the service, soberly remembering the tragedy of war while talking of the hope that peace brings. I congratulate the Montmorency Eltham RSL for this important inclusion of young people. Thank you also to Olivia and Matteo from Holy Trinity Primary for their acknowledgement of country; Mila and Cedric from Briar Hill Primary for their acknowledgement of service; Owen from St Francis Xavier Primary, who led the prayer, and his fellow students who laid poppies on the Remembrance Day plaque; Olivia from Eltham North Primary, who read the ode; the talented bugler from Eltham College, Ijsbrand; Elgin and Owen from Sherbourne Primary for their beautiful singing of the national anthem; and Ryder from Eltham East Primary for his exceptional speech on the importance of peace and the sadness of war.

I thank the Diamond Creek RSL for their Remembrance Day service involving students from local primary schools laying wreaths and poppies at the cenotaph. The Remembrance Day service at Kangaroo Ground war memorial park was a lovely service as always with the poem read by students from Kangaroo Ground Primary and important historical context given by Terry Phillips. Thank you to the friends of Kangaroo Ground war memorial park for your support of this service.