PM Transcripts

AUSIALI A , At
PRIME M INISTER
FOR MEDIA 10 NOVEMBER 1988
I am pleased to announce, on the eve of Remembrance Day,
that the Canberra National Memorials Committee which I chair
has recommended t * he allocation of a site on Anzac Parade in
Canberra for a national memorial to Australian Vietnam
Forces. The provision of a site in Anzac Parade will be welcomed not
just by Vietnam Veterans, but also by the many Australians
who now increasingly acknowledge the difficulties borne by
those who fought in Vietnam.
The Welcome Home Parade in Sydney last year acted as a
catalyst in bringing Vietnam Veterans together and in
helping all Australians to reassess attitudes to Vietnam
Veterans. I feel sure that the construction of a memorial
will build upon the positive feelings fostered by the
Parade.
A recommendation for a memorial to our Vietnam Veterans was
contained in Mr Justice Evatt's Royal Commission Report on
the Use and Effects of Chemical Agents on Australian
Personnel in Vietnam. In May this year, in r.. esponding to Mr
Justice Evatt's report, the Government indicated its support
for the memorial. Now that a site has been earmarked, the
Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorials Committee can
proceed with preparing a detailed submission, including
design and costing, for a specific form of memorial.
I congratulate members of the Australian Vietnam Forces
National Memorials Committee for the drive and determination
to establish a lasting memorial.
The allocation of a site in Canberra's main memorial drive
should now spur those who have been thinking about making a
donation. The memorial will be funded in the main from
donations made to the Australian Vietnam Forces National
Memorials Committee by the public and by private companies.
The Government has already provided financial assistance to
support the administration of the project, and will be
providing significant further assistance once the design and
costing have been finalised.
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