Charles Casuscelli MP - Member for Strathfield

Charles, a serving officer of the Australian Army Reserve joined with his Parliamentary colleagues, the Minister for Citizenship and Communities the Hon Victor Dominello MP and the Member for Drummoyne Mr John Sidoti MP, to participate in the 70th anniversary of the flag raising ceremony that marked victory along the Kokoda trail.

The Battle of Kokoda was a four-month struggle across the rugged Owen Stanley Ranges that began with the Japanese landing at Gona, on the country's north coast, in July 21 1942.

On 2 November Australian forces recaptured the village of Kokoda, which had fallen to the Japanese on 29 July. On 3 November an Australia flag raising ceremony was held in the village to mark the occasion.

Charles said "It is difficult to truly appreciate the service and sacrifice of those who endured not only the burden of battle but also the constant danger from an environment uncaring of human misery, and equally ready to take the lives of diggers and their PNG mates".

"We must remember not only those Australian servicemen and women who fought and died in the Battle of Kokoda but also the fuzzy wuzzy angels that helped carry much needed stores into battle and carried casualties away from battle."

"More than 600 Australians were killed along the Kokoda Trail and about 1,600 were wounded. Casualties due to sickness exceeded 4,000."

"Australia has a rich military tradition, this tradition is not one based on adventure, conquest or self-interest but rather one based on freedom, protection, and of service to friends and neighbours, we can rightly be proud of all of our servicemen and women spanning over 112 years, from the Boer War to Afghanistan." Charles said.

Six men who were part of the Australian forces that fought in the Papuan Campaign, including the battle that halted the Japanese advance on Port Moresby, were part of the 300-strong crowd at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway at Concord.

Distinguished guests who attended the ceremony included six veterans of the Papuan Campaign; Benjamin Ijumi, Chief of Kokoda Village; Mr John Haines AM, chairman of the Memorial Walkway; Brigadier Phil McNamara (Rt'd), a director of the Memorial Walkway; Rod Plant, chairman of the Kokoda Aboriginal Servicemen's Campaign Committee; John Sidoti, MP for Drummoyne; Charles Casuscelli, MP for Strathfield; Angelo Tsirekas, Mayor of Canada Bay; Gulian Vaccari, Mayor of Strathfield.

The Member for Strathfield, Charles Casuscelli RFD MP, an Italian immigrant, born in Rome in 1956 and landing in Sydney in 1963 joined the Italian Community at Conca D'Oro, Riverwood on Sunday 28th October to celebrate Nonni (Grandparents) Day.

Charles has labelled the hypocrisy of a Labor MP as ridiculous following their education fear campaign.

The Federal Member for Reid, John Murphy MP has been mailing propaganda around the electorate with the title "Save Our Schools – Stop the Cuts" which has drawn the ire of Mr Casuscelli thanks to the horrendous education record of the Federal Labor Government.

"The opening line 'John Murphy MP – Fighting for our local schools' is so ironic it is almost funny," Charles said. "Well it would be funny if they weren't doing so much damage to our students and our country.

"If Mr Murphy is fighting for local schools then why wasn't he up in arms complaining when the Federal Labor Government ripped $600 million from the Computers in Schools programme?

"Where were his complaints when the BER scheme was identified as a haven for rorts and wasted tax payer dollars?

"Why did he not take to the streets in anger when after promising 2,650 Trade Training Centres in 2007 by February 2012 the Labor Government had only delivered 208 of the centres promised and have now dumped the scheme entirely!

"Of course Mr Murphy did not complain about any of these things, he sat in the back benches with the rest of the Labor Liars and sheepishly continued to vote in support of Labor's failed Government.

"If John Murphy truly cared about our local area he would condemn the Federal Labor government and condemn the 16 years of dishonest, wasteful NSW Labor State Government. It is their carelessness which has left our Government with no choice but to make the tough decisions to get our economy back on track.

"If Mr Murphy looked carefully he would see that it is actually the State Government that is serious about protecting frontline education workers which is evident from the $383 million extra we invested to frontline services in this year's education budget.

"Instead of lying to local residents Mr Murphy would be better off being thankful that through Premier O'Farrell and his team we now have a Government that is serious about supporting NSW," Charles concluded.