Anthony Albanese sends a pointed message on Anzac Day that every Australian needs to hear

Australia must do more to help veterans, says Anthony Albanese, with the prime minister calling for much more to be offered to the military than ‘just gratitude’.

In his first Anzac Day speech as the country’s leader, Mr. Albanese will reflect on the legacy of Anzac and the impact war has on a person and their loved ones.

He will tell a crowd of thousands at the Australian War Memorial that for some, the battle stays with them long after they leave the battlefield.

“Of course many came home, only to face another battle within. A battle that, tragically enough, is not always won,” he should say according to a draft of his speech.

“If we really want to honor our veterans, we owe them more than just gratitude. Just as they stood up for us, we must stand up for them.’

Mr Albanese will say that while much has changed in the way nations go to war, the ‘great character of Australians at war has not’.

But he will note that while thousands across the country pay respects to those who have served, Australia has not always honored as well as it should all those who have risked their lives.

“Similarly, we must recognize the truth that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who wore the khaki fought harder for Australia than Australia was willing to fight for them at times,” Mr Albanese will say.

‘Still, we are learning, and we continue to take steps forward together.’

The Prime Minister will also use his speech to address those Australians ‘whose fate we do not know’.

Referring to the message ‘we miss him at home’ at William Henry O’Bree’s final resting place in Gallipoli, Mr. Albanese will highlight the human impact of war.

Pictured: A boy pays tribute to Australia’s fallen soldiers at a Dawn Service at Balmain in Sydney, April 2022

The Prime Minister will tell a crowd of thousands at the Australian War Memorial that for some, the battle stays with them long after they have left the battlefield

‘One person anyway. Everyone missed home. Every one of them lovers,’ he will say.

“A hundred and eight years after those first Anzacs set sail in their boats, we remember them and all who followed—and we reflect on all that was made possible by generations of sacrifice.

“We hope that one day war will be waged, that the cause of peace will prevail, and that we can stop writing names on memorials.”

Meanwhile, federal opposition leader Peter Dutton will use his speech to commemorate the Korean and Vietnam wars.

“To this day, the Korean War may appear as a simple blip on the historical radar, receiving less attention than it should given the approaching storm of World War II,” he will say.

To this day, stories of shame and controversy continue to color the Vietnam War, such was the enduring influence of the anti-war sentiment and protests of the time.

“But our veterans deserve much better. Our long dead deserve much better.’

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said Australians who fought in foreign lands in those two wars to defend those who demanded self-determination and freedom

He said Australians fought in foreign lands in those two wars to defend those who desired self-determination and freedom.

“Today, satellite images of Korea at night show an illuminated south as opposed to an obscured north,” he said.

Today, Vietnam and Australia have a close relationship and a shared commitment to maintaining peace in our region.

“The values ​​we stand for are more enduring than any conflict.”