E&OE...................................................................................................
General Hickling the Chief of the Australian Army, Brigadier Pursey,
other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a special privilege for me on this stunning Canberra morning
to address this parade. To express on behalf of everybody who is here
the respect and admiration that we feel for those men and women who
are graduating today, to those men and women who have chosen a professional
career in the armed services of Australia.
You along with the entire Australian nation inherit great traditions.
None is more special or treasured in the Australian ethos than the
Anzac tradition. And none more totally permeates the defence forces
of Australia, none instils those defence forces with more justifiable
pride than that particular tradition. Yours is an honoured profession
and on behalf of the Government and the people of Australia I thank
you for the commitment that you are making, the commitment you are
making to a lifetime as professional members of the Australian Defence
Force.
It is the constant prayer of any sensible Prime Minister of this country
that never again will we ask the young people of our nation to put
their lives on the line the way in which it occurred far too often
in the earlier years of this century. But in order for that prayer
to be realised we must always have ready and able defence forces.
And to have ready and able defence forces we need to have men and
women superbly trained, of high intelligence with a strong sense of
professionalism. And the core of that for the Australian forces has
always been those who have passed through the graduating ranks of
the Royal Military College at Duntroon. It is one of the great institutions
of Australian life. It has produced great professional soldiers over
the years and those soldiers have done great service in the defence
of this country and in the defence of what we hold very dear.
Today is a special day for those graduating, it's also a very special
day for their family members and other loved ones who have come along
to participate in this very special occasion. And to them I also give
my thanks for the support and encouragement that you have given to
your sons and daughters to undertake a professional career in the
armed forces of Australia. Because without the support and encouragement
of your families, without the sense of pride that they transmit to
you in what you have achieved then the task and the challenge is all
that harder and more daunting.
It's also an occasion to compliment the commandant, the staff at the
Royal Military College for the tremendous work they do. The quality
of people turned out by this College is widely acclaimed around the
world. And it's been a particular privilege for me today, the first
occasion I have had to do this as Prime Minister of Australia to take
this parade, to have an opportunity of meeting you and I'll meet more
of you later over morning tea.
But can I express my thanks and my admiration. I have always had an
immense regard for the men and women of the armed forces of this country.
They deserve our respect. Without their efforts and their commitment
in the past this nation would not be the free and powerful and freedom
loving people that it really is today. And you are the current generation
of a very long and noble tradition. I thank you for that and I wish
all of you every happiness and every success in your professional
career in the future. Thank you and good luck.
[ends]