Ron Mark MP
Spokesperson for Defence

Battle of Chunuk Bair Centennial

New Zealand First remains sad that its motion for a brief Parliamentary debate ahead of this Saturday’s centennial of Chunuk Bair, was reduced to a simple motion without debate.

“All New Zealand First wanted was 35-minutes of Parliamentary time so that the New Zealand Parliament could pay its respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice 100 years ago,” says Ron Mark, New Zealand First Defence spokesperson.

“Given this week is a recess and the Centennial falls on Saturday, 8 August, we were shocked that the Hon Gerry Brownlee was prepared to sink our motion if we tried to make it debateable. This does not sit right with us given another debateable motion this year.

“In 2005 and thanks to the Hon Jim Anderton, a plaque on Parliament’s first-floor main foyer was unveiled honouring Taranaki farmer, lawyer and army officer, Lt-Col William Malone, killed in action taking Chunuk Bair on 8 August 1915.

“Major Brown’s work, The battle of Chunuk Bair, also hangs in Parliament.

“While most of those who died in this battle have no known grave, including Lt-Col William Malone and the British Brigadier-General Anthony Baldwin, the small cemetery at Chunuk Bair provides a microcosm of this seminal battle in our history.

“It contains just ten named graves from the Wellington Regiment, Wellington Mounted Rifles, Otago Regiment, Auckland Mounted Rifles, 10th Gurkha Rifles and The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

“Chunuk Bair lest we forget,” says Mr Mark.

ENDS

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