Speech by Mrs Gina Rinehart AO | Lest We Forget ANZAC Eve Sunset Tribute at The Sydney Opera House 2026
Today, we especially think of the ANZACs, and their families, – so many of the Anzacs boarded ships from right near here at Circular Quay, others boarded from around Australia, pre finally farewelling our country from Albany or Fremantle. Bravely waving goodbye to their families, but so sadly, many never seeing their families again.
I will never forget the young Australians who were so keen to represent and serve our country. Even if too young to do so. Many travelled hundreds of kilometres , even on foot, to sign up. What incredible Australians they are. Incredible Australians who loved our country so much they would stand up through anything for it.
Unlike my parents, I have never felt the hardships of war. Indeed, many of us here today have not known the horror of war in our country.
It is without doubt, our government’s prime duty, their most important responsibility, to protect our freedom and protect our country. Without doing so, what do we have?
I want to draw inspiration for my speech to you today from a gentleman who knew war in his country, having to defend it when the country he loved so deeply, was facing a terrible war that their country was not prepared for .
Sir Winston Churchill’s first speech as Prime Minister to the British parliament, given back on 13 May 1940, when many European countries had already fallen to Hitler, and Hitler had well and truly advanced into England, includes these famous words:
Quote.
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.
You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime.
You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs—Victory in spite of all terror—Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival.”
End quote
You may recall another of his stirring speeches, We Shall Fight on the Beaches, given on 3 June 1940.
In Winston Churchill’s own words:
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we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air,
we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender
End quote.
Today, we are gathered at a time when there continues a terrible war in Ukraine, as it’s people struggle to defend their country, and war in the Middle East, where those in Iran haven’t known freedom for 47 years, just the realities of a brutal terrorist regime. Here we sit, a treasure trove of the mineral resources other nations would love to have, and with fine agriculture enjoying fresh air, but lacking our governments prime duty, defence.
Let’s listen to President Reagan’s important words:
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“We’re at war with the most dangerous enemy that has ever faced mankind in his long climb from the swamp to the stars, and it’s been said if we lose that war, and in so doing lose this way of freedom of ours, history will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening.”
End Quote
Today our youth, from as young as three, are taught they should be ashamed of our country and even hate it. They are taught our flag, under which so many of our families served and fought, is not our flag to treat with high regard and respect , but the “I’m sorry flag.”
How does this inspire today’s youth to be like the ANZACs and do their utmost for our country, should we be faced with the need to defend?
How does a submarine fleet of 6, but with only one able to be operational and a navy ship not sailing for more than 4 years, given lack of trained manpower, show anything but a lack of preparedness?
How does cancelling our war drone program for years, (now to be we hope reinstated) not protecting our critical sealanes with smart sea mines, or our underwater cables. not protecting our critical infrastructure, like our ports, airports, defence facilities, defence equipment manufacturing, our electricity and water supplies and communication facilities, with Israeli style domes, and not protecting our shores with truly long range missiles, but importing many electric vehicles when our government knows they can be stopped or detonated, show anything but a lack of required readiness?
Why has military morale declined to its lowest level ever. Why have 100 or more of our finest trained, our SAS, left the military?
Low morale and governments who show so little regard and respect for our military that inter alia they waste taxpayers money left right and centre while leaving 6000 or more of our wonderful veterans, too often struggling with pain and medical issues, homeless. While even one veteran is left homeless and struggling, while veteran’s payments are wrongly delayed for months, and in some cases veterans need to engage lawyers over years to seek their earned payments, this is morale destroying, health destroying and, unacceptable. It is a disgrace that veterans are not free in our country to work as much as they may want, to allow a better life for themselves, currently if they work more than permitted they risk the pensions they have certainly earned. This national disgrace makes my blood boil. Please do all you can to help our veterans.
Please never forget, Thanks to our defence forces, their courage, service and hardship, Australia has enjoyed freedom since the states had their own military units, more than 125 years ago.
Our pioneers didn’t come to a country more than 300 years ago, with homes, roads and bridges built, or Dams or canals for water, or paddocks ploughed and productive, but they came with a will to work and to do better for their families, and their hard work built all this and much more.
Our pioneers were productive, but today some of our freedoms are being eroded – via increasing government tape and regulation, stopping our ability to be self sufficient in fuel, driving down our living standards, making our electricity unreliable and expensive, which effects the costs of everything, causing record business failures, increasing our record debt and interest burdens and jeopardising essential services.
If we want to save our country, we need to love it so much that we have the character to stand up and speak truthfully, without hiding in fear of being derided, insulted or called names, like “racists”.
Our immigration procedures must only allow immigrants who have been thoroughly checked – including their phones, iPads, laptops, and social media.
We need to protect our Country, – and welcome only peace-loving, contributing immigrants to our shores. This should not be controversial, what Australians really want their families lives hurt by terrorists?
We have observed change in our country. We have seen some of our youth clamber to compete unfairly against women in women’s sports, enter their changing rooms and bathrooms, and rape them in prisons. We have seen men join our navy to get taxpayer funded sex change operations.
We have seen places of Jewish worship forced to employ security.
We have seen members of our government engaging in pro-Palestinian rallies, where people are yelling hate and death chants.
Those not of the Jewish faith may not reflect deeply on this. They may believe that signing a condolence book, lighting a candle, or laying taxpayer-funded flowers , and doing nothing to term organisations known overseas as terrorist organisations, terrorist organisations, to make it unlawful to flow taxpayers or others funds to them, is sufficient.
But is that adequate response to such a despicable, hate filled act – the murder of our Jewish friends, peacefully gathered in Bondi at the commencement of Hanukkah? Is it adequate when we know that many in our Jewish community are still living in fear of their lives? Is it adequate, when even after Bondi, within the last month, a huge rally with its flags and death chants, paraded down Macquarie to where we are now. What happened to laws against hate speech, are those laws deaf when hate and death chants are yelled?
If we consider the suffering of those living under communist and terror regimes, we should understand this: persecution does not stop with one group. It extends across religions that are not religions that terrorists approve of.
After the Jews, Who is next? Roman Catholics? Other peaceful faiths? As none are in accord with the religion acceptable to terrorists .
In communist regimes such as the former Soviet Union, all religion was outlawed. Children were told to report to their teachers if their parents held religious gatherings even with family or a few close friends. Teachers would then report parents who practiced their faith, the parents were arrested and sent to labour camps; while some returned, many did not, and countless children lost their parents. Would we want our country to turn communist or be run by terrorist regimes taking away our freedoms?
As we gather here at the Sydney Opera House, we are within sight of where the ANZACs departed .
They left with courage, conviction, and unshakeable patriotism.
The question before us today is : can we show the same character and resolve?
Freedom is not maintained by gestures, or symbols. It is not gained by those endeavouring to seek self publicity , by decrying others who do lead with courage, decrying those who give hope to people long suffering under brutal freedom destroying regimes. It is preserved by those willing to stand up for freedom – day after day ,
If we fail to do so, we risk losing what the ANZAC’s fought to protect.
As President Reagan clearly explained,
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“Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again”.
End quote.
The ANZAC spirit is not only history. It is a responsibility. And that responsibility is now ours. It is now yours and mine.
Let us always remain, thankful and inspired by our ANZACs, and the Australian flag they, and all our veterans, served under.
Thank you.
