Abbott honours World War II veterans and discusses defence

Prime Minister Tony Abbott visited the Torres Strait and honoured the veterans who fought for Australia and lost their lives during the Second World War. PM Abbott said that though the nation did not ever recognise the soldiers from the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion, the soldiers served their country with complete loyalty.

“The remarkable thing about the war in the Torres Strait is the extraordinary commitment to Australia, shown by these people, shown by people who hadn’t always been shown respect and courtesy by the country they served,” he told a commemoration service on Thursday Island.

Chief of Defence Mark Binskin joined him on Tuesday during the commemoration service and medal ceremony. Abbott planned to spend one more day in the Torres Strait and visit the defence base there to attend a lunch with the local women. During the local women’s lunch, he met local business leaders. Attorney General George Brandis, Social Services Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Sussan Ley are expected to join Abbott during this week.

The army-constructed tents, similar to those created for Abbot’s Arhem Land trip in 2014, were there for the ministers to stay in. During an official dinner at the Thursday Island on Monday, Abbott said that he would effectively deal with the issues affecting the country directly or indirectly and would not submit to the routine of Canberra.

“I want you to know that as long as I am your prime minister I will never be a prisoner of Canberra ... I will never be someone who gets so caught up in the routine of Canberra that I neglect the real life of our people,” he said . Abbott indicates to spend a full week in the remote native community every year. On Tuesday, he will focus on the defence issues before leaving for the Bamaga strait in the Northern Peninsular Area.

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