ANZAC Day is a sobering reminder of the cost Australians pay for war. Our sons and daughters, partners or parents who risk never coming home as they serve to keep Australia safe. For those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.  At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

So goes the Ode - and long shall it be so.

As wars in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon continue and our American ally asks Australia to assist in the Strait of Hormuz, the rapidly passing months of 2026 unfold a world that appears, for some of us, to be suddenly transformed.  

The ‘rules based international order’ is threatened and, for the time being, nations are competing through shows of militaristic strength, rather than peaceful gestures.

People write to me about international matters, and I regularly reinforce that Australia’s international relationships and policy positions last longer than the individuals that exercise power in those nations, and indeed in our own. Australians are renowned for being reliable, truthful and steadfast in the face of adversity – key qualities of mateship.

Thankfully, we continue to enjoy peace in Australia through the sacrifice of the ANZACs and our Defence personnel, combined with the wisdom, foresight and hard work of our founding fathers who drafted our Constitution, established the rule of law and our democratic system of government.

Through blood, sweat and tears, ingenuity and persistence in the face of droughts and flooding rains, we Aussies make our own luck, and – as a result - we are the lucky country.  Compared to the rest of the world, we have high living standards, a stable democracy, accessible education and healthcare and abundant iron ore, coal & other fossil fuels to produce energy - and farmland to produce food and fibre.

We risk our hard-earned ‘luck’ if we do not keep working for peace and prosperity for all in Australia.  We cannot take our way of life for granted.

That’s why I’m blessed to be your federal Member for Mallee, elected to serve you – over 120,000 adults and their families, across 83,412 square kilometres.