Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
The world of the first Armistice Day in 1918 would be unrecognisable to us on this Armistice Day 2004. Not only was a large part of the world reeling from the horrific slaughter of World War I, but those negative ideologies, those evil ideologies, Soviet Communism and Nazism, were yet to overwhelm large parts of the world and bring in their wake terrible suppression and great loss of life in World War II. The world was yet to understand that in those precent words of Marshal Foch that the peace treaty of 1919 was not a peace treaty but rather an armistice for 20 years.
The world of 2004 in every respect is very different from the world of that first Armistice Day. But what has not changed are the qualities of sacrifice and patriotism and independence of spirit that through that period of time has characterised the behaviour of more than 100,000 Australians who in different theatres of war have given their lives for the defence and the liberty of our nation. And as we on Armistice Day 2004 and particularly the young of Australia who are seeing in the sacrifice of their fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers a wonderful Australian saga as we reflect upon those constant qualities. We reflect also upon one of the great realities of life and that is the simple oft repeated expressions are always the most powerful and always the ones that carry the greatest meaning. We say expressions of love on a daily basis to those nearest and dearest to us. And in the simple expression "I love you" we say something profound about the relationships that are most important to us in our lives.
And so as a nation on Remembrance Day 2004 we say very simply something that is very profound, we say to the more than 100,000 Australians who gave their lives for us and for the causes in which we have believed, we owe you a debt that can never be repaid. You gave your lives so that we might live ours and live in an Australia that we want and an Australia moulded to our image and in an Australia that we all love.
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