Anthony Albanese today presented Neville Peters from Hurlston Park with a National Service Medal and Daniel Joseph Newell from Summer Hill with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of their service in WWII.

Mr Peters, sixty-five years old, served in the National Service in 1956 during WWI for six months and was on call for the next four years from 1956.

“It is important that all people who have served this country are recognised by their community and their country,” Mr Peters said.

Mr Newell, seventy-nine years old, served for six years in the RAAF in WWII in the Signals division as a wireless operator and travelled to Milan Bay and the Trobriand Islands during his service.

Mr Albanese presented both the National Service Medal and the Certificate of Appreciation to the veterans with great respect and admiration, but questioned the deployment of our current National Defence force.

“I support our service personnel but not the decision by the Prime Minister to send them to the Gulf. There is absolutely no justification for putting the men and women of our armed forces in harms way,” Mr Albanese said.

“By sending our troops to the region, the Government has guaranteed Australia will be at war, if it occurs. It is not in Australia’s national interest for the Prime Minister to have signed us up to a US-led war.”