If anyone ever imagined that commemoration of our war dead was not an opportunity to make political points look no further than the Daily Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial at the recent opening of Federal Parliament.

We need to honour any Australian who died in war and remember those who came back and the problems they faced when they did.

But we need to do it with both deep sincerity and deep recognition of what deciding to go to war and serving in war actually means to those who see combat and the relatives of those who are killed.

In this context it is worth reflecting on the speeches made by our Prime Minister and Opposition Leader on the day.

Albanese’s was almost lyrical and poetic and so unlike his usual efforts that one wondered whether he had a new speechwriter for the occasion. Peter Dutton’s struck a particular – almost peculiar note – focussing on threats today and in the future and the needs of the armaments industry.

Whether Dutton knew it or not he also fell into using some rhetorical techniques Graham Freudenberg introduced to Australia for Gough Whitlam.

In the address he said: “Our remembrance of our fallen reminds us that we too have a choice. In our times of resurgent autocrats and emboldened terrorists who threaten free nations, free peoples and our civilisation itself, it........

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