Today in Parliament, Abigail contributed to a Remembrance Day debate, shifting the focus from the glorification of war to learning its lessons and calling on leaders to prioritise peace and diplomacy over conflict.
Abigail said:
On Remembrance Day many of us across the country gathered in our collective remembrance of the devastating tragedy of war and the destruction and suffering it brings. We honoured the lives and memories of those called to fight in battles far from home, and in our shared mourning we sought to learn from their sacrifice. We mourn and honour the fallen who never came home. We remember and acknowledge the pain of those who were left behind, trapped for months and years in grief and not knowing, and those whose worst fears were realised. We honour those who came home but for whom a part of themselves was left behind on those bloody battlefields, their minds and bodies scarred, racked with grief and trauma for their fallen friends and comrades and struggling to come to terms with what war had done to them and had made them do.
For many, they endured this unimaginable torment in service to a nation that refused to recognise their own rightful place within it. We remember not just soldiers and their families, but also the doctors, nurses, carers and humanists who risked their lives to save others. We remember all those caught in the undertow of the roiling mass of imperial warmaking who were killed or displaced by violence that destroyed their homes, schools and hospitals. We remember those who stayed, and those who were forced to make the terrible decision to leave. We collectively pause to share in remembrance, not to valorise war but to learn from it: to reckon with the fundamental destructive nature of war and its horror.
On Remembrance Day and in events surrounding it, stories are told of individual acts of valour and honour—of brave acts taken by individuals and groups on battlefields and in communities. Some will try to make these stories a narrative of the glory of war, but nothing could be further from the truth. Within these stories are tales of shared humanity, of intertwined connections between people that prevailed despite the ravages and inhumanity of war, not thanks to it. Remembrance cannot just be about the past; it has to be about the future. As the drums of war beat once again, as politicians and pundits push for increased military spending and sabre-rattling in the Pacific, we must be vigilant and resist the urge to repeat the mistakes of the past.
True remembrance requires that we demand that our leaders prioritise diplomacy and peace over conflict. It means investing in community and strengthening ties of solidarity. It means investing in health care and support for veterans, not weapons and warships that will only create more tragedy and loss. Remembrance means recommitting ourselves, fully and wholeheartedly, to learning the only true lesson of war: that it is something to avoid, not invite ourselves into. The bugle call is a siren calling us to a relentless struggle for peace. Lest we forget.
Read the full debate in Hansard here.
13 November 2024