Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) — On 25 April it was a great privilege to attend the local Anzac Day service in my community. Despite rain and wind, the service at the Craigieburn memorial stone was well attended, with over 1500 people paying tribute to the extraordinary bravery of the men and women who have served our country and the ultimate sacrifices made by many of them. It was great to see my community come together for this solemn occasion, whether it was local residents, community groups or veterans. This sense of unity was particularly well demonstrated in the participation of a choir composed of various school students from across the electorate. I thank Roslyn Pritchard from Willmott Park Primary School for her work in bringing together this group of young people, and I hope to hear them perform together again.

I thank Kevin O’Callaghan, Craigieburn State Emergency Service members, members of the Craigieburn War Memorial and Remembrance Committee and local cadets for their tireless voluntary efforts. I also note the participation of Mrs Frances Wood, a veteran of the Second World War, who laid a wreath on behalf of veterans, and Mr Ali Ercoşkun, a member of the Turkish Parliament, who had some wonderful words to say on diversity and peace. I look forward to even greater community participation in the years ahead, especially with the ongoing celebration of the centenary of Anzac and with the relocation of this important service to Craigieburn Park.