Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): Ten days ago, on the 70th anniversary, we remembered the bombing of Darwin. On the motion of the member for Solomon, unanimously backed by this parliament, we will now have an annual Bombing of Darwin Day, as we should. Today we remember 70 years ago the bombing of Broome, another terrible event—up to 100 people were killed, 24 aircraft were destroyed. We remember the Dutch and the US citizens who died on that day as well as the Australians.

These were difficult times for our country. The fortress of Singapore had fallen, some 15,000 Australian soldiers had become Japanese POWs and attacks on the Australian mainland had begun. We held on and we have prevailed. We salute our forebears who fought and won the Second World War, and we trust that we can meet the very different challenges of these times, with no less resolution.