Remembering the sacrifices of our returned service men and women is an important part of ANZAC day.

War is never a pleasant thing but when it is necessary to fight to protect Australia’s freedom, we have a proud tradition of standing up for what is right.

Since the events that transpired on the beaches of Gallipoli in 1915, Australians and New Zealanders have united every April 25th to remember the sacrifices that were necessary to protect democracy and our way of life.

It can be very easy for us to take our society and way of life for granted. To an extent, this is a good thing; the fact that most Australians will never even need to consider the terror of war or the atrocities of living under dictatorships is testament to the peace and prosperity we have inherited.

However many of us have parents and grandparents who migrated to Australia from war-torn countries, and can tell of the horror of living under terrible regimes such as Eastern European communism. My own family fled such a place when I was a young child.

As a way of saying thanks to our service men and women, I am hosted two morning tea events this week. The first was at Laidley RSL on April 23rd, with the second at Mt Tamborine Bowls Club.

I’ve also spent some time recently with a group of fantastic people doing work on the Logan Village RSL. I organised the working bee as a way of saying thanks to our service men and women, and I encourage everybody to look out for similar ways they can help out.

Take time out this ANZAC day to commemorate our brave service men and women—one day of thanks per year is the least we can do.