Television Interview, Weekend Today

SUBJECT: Anzac Day commemoration

ALISON PIOTROWSKI, HOST: Well, for more on our special Anzac Day coverage, we are joined by Defence Minister Richard Marles this morning from Geelong. Minister, thanks so much for your time on this special day. What are the scenes like at the Peace Memorial this morning?

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Well, good morning, Ali. Well, we started here at the Peace Memorial at 4:15am with a Pre-Dawn Service to commemorate the moment on which the Anzacs landed at Gallipoli, the Gallipoli beaches. And we had a Dawn Service at Eastern Beach, where there was about 5,000 people who attended. So, here in Geelong, people are coming out in large numbers to commemorate Anzac Day as they are around the country.

MICHAEL ATKINSON, HOST: Minister, your grandfather was awarded a Military Cross for his bravery in the First World War. How important is it for you and your family to honour his legacy today?

MARLES: Well, you're right, that happened 110 years ago, which was the Battle of Pozières in 1916. It's really the first big battle of the Western Front in which Australians fought. And one in ten of those who died, Australians who died in the First World War, died in that battle. It is to this day the bloodiest battle that our country has fought in. And what's remarkable to me is that I knew a man who was there in my grandfather, and I obviously, he was an old man when I knew him, and we watched the TV together, the cricket, he told stories about sporting heroes from the past, all normal things. But as a young man at the age of 25, he did an incredibly brave thing, holding the line in the face of enormous pressure from the German army. And his actions really saved countless lives. And it's remarkable for me to think about his service at a very young age, but also the way in which it shaped him throughout his life. And I think that is part of the story of Anzac Day. It is the service that people give, but the impacts of service on their lives when they finish. And we know a lot more about that today than we did then. But it is a critical part of how we understand the whole journey of service.

PIOTROWSKI: Now, Minister, I understand that your grandfather, Percy, he didn't really talk to you too much about his bravery and about what he did on the field, but you travelled to France, and I guess from there you got a much better understanding of what he faced.

MARLES: Yeah, he didn't talk about his experience in war, and actually, within the family, that he'd won a Military Cross was not something that we understood so well. It's, to be honest, something that I've come to understand much better in the role that I have now. And I did back in 2022, have the opportunity to go to the Somme, to the village of Pozières, and actually the very spot where he won his Military Cross. And, you know, he was at an age then which is younger than my son today, and it was, I'm sure, a moment that was full of fear and chaos. But in that moment, he did something that was incredibly brave. And it is, you know, this definitely shaped his life. You know, I think he wore the scars, the emotional scars of having fought in this battle throughout his life. And I think, you know, I wonder about the extent to which it shaped our family in so many ways. But on that night, he was just--he was a young man who, in the most desperate circumstance, did something which was quite extraordinary. And I feel very proud of that, as we do our family. But it has certainly been a journey of discovery for me about what he did. And I think that reflects a journey that a lot of Australians undertake in learning what their ancestors have done in the service of our nation and the sacrifice that they made ultimately for us.

ATKINSON: As Defence Minister, what's your message on a day like today, especially when there is so much uncertainty in the world at the moment, like the message to Defence personnel, but also the broader population of Australia as well?

MARLES: Well, I think you touched upon something really important. We are gathering today, when, in a moment, where the world is uncertain, it's challenging, it's volatile, and I think people are looking for a sense of order, an idea upon which they can rely. And when you think about the service that have been given by those who have worn our nation's uniform, the sacrifice of the 103,000 Australians who gave their lives wearing our nation's uniform, that is an extraordinary act. And they did it because of their love of our country. You know, a country which has a deep sense of mateship, a fierce egalitarian spirit, a sense of humour in the face of adversity, all of these go to the heart of the idea of Australia. And in an uncertain world, thinking about that idea, really, I feel, is in a darkening world, a guiding light. And it is something to hold onto, as is the sense of gratitude that we have for all of those who have served in the past, but who serve today in the Australian Defence Force, and there are a thousand serving personnel right now who are on deployment around the world, and we very much thank them, as we do everyone who wears our nation's uniform.

ATKINSON: Yes, as Australians, our camaraderie will always get us through the most uncertain of times. Defence Minister Richard Marles. Thank you for joining us on this special day.

ENDS