Wednesday, 13 May 2026

 Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (09:48): It was wonderful to join local veterans and members of our community to commemorate Anzac Day with services in Lilydale, Mount Evelyn, Seville, Wandin, Montrose and Mooroolbark. I want to pay special tribute to Bill Dobson, the president of Lilydale RSL, Matt Crymble, the president of Mount Evelyn RSL, and our veterans and volunteers for their incredible work running these services attended by thousands.

Tragically, yet again we saw several war memorials across Victoria desecrated and attacked in the lead-up to Anzac Day, causing considerable distress to our veteran community and local families. An attack on a war memorial is an attack on the sacrifice of those who have died defending our country and freedoms. It is an attack on former and current service men and women, who I value and respect so much. Since 2020 there have been dozens of attacks on memorials and culturally significant sites, yet under the Labor government’s weak laws, nothing is being done to stop this. Under the plan that I announced with leader Jess Wilson, the Victorian Liberals and Nationals will introduce new laws to crack down on war memorial vandals with a new criminal offence of destruction and damage of war memorials and other protected sites in the Crimes Act 1958. Our laws will be the toughest in the country. Not only will cowardly offenders face jail, with up to 10 years for desecrating war memorials and other significant cultural sites, our solution will also impose mandatory orders on vandals to pay for the costs of repair and restoration. The names etched on those war memorials preserve the memories of those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, and we must do more to protect and honour their legacy. Lest we forget.

The SPEAKER: I remind members to call other members by their correct titles.