As Australians pause at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we unite in solemn reflection to honour the men and women who have served our nation in times of war, conflict and peacekeeping. Remembrance Day is a time to acknowledge the courage, sacrifice and enduring legacy of those who have worn our uniform with pride.
Shadow Minister for Veterans and State MP for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said Remembrance Day remains one of the most significant dates on our national calendar.
“While it marks the time the guns fell silent on the Western Front to end WWI, it is a day to honour all those who have not only made the ultimate sacrifice, but those who returned home carrying the physical and emotional scars of service,” Mr Bull said.
Mr Bull said it is also important to recognise current serving personnel alongside veterans.
“Today’s servicemen and women stand ready to protect our freedoms and uphold our values. Their dedication deserves our deepest respect and ongoing support.”
“We must ensure that those who have served in any theatre are never forgotten. It’s a responsibility we owe to every veteran.”
Mr Bull said it was pleasing to see the Bairnsdale Chamber of Commerce and RSL-Sub Branch combine to have commemorative flags flying in the Main Street of Bairnsdale and encouraged all to attend their local service if possible.
Lest we forget.

Monday, 10 November 2025

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has blasted the Allan Labor Government’s hopeless and flawed Emergency Services and Volunteer Fund exemptions for CFA volunteers and said the criteria for eligibility is too restrictive.

“Like many other things, the State Government has completely made a mess of the process,” he said.

“I recently had a CFA Life Member and volunteer present to my office in pure exasperation.

“Despite giving much of his life to the CFA he was unable to navigate the complicated on-line process and after seeking help from the CFA head office and received no real support – just a list of instructions with an incorrect password.

“He presented to my office and, after an hour and a half, my staff were able to navigate the process for him.

“His story is not isolated, and the reality is many volunteers are giving up as it is just too hard.”

Mr Bull said the second area was not have such exclusive criteria.

“I have one local brigade captain, who only owns one property, a vacant block of land. He is presently renting and saving to build a home.

“However, the criteria says the exemption only applies to the principal place of residence, so here is a brigade captain no less, paying the levy on the only property he owns.

“What a way to thank our volunteers.

“I have asked the Minister to step in and make the process more streamlined and ease the criteria to better support those volunteers who support and protect us year round,” Mr Bull said.

Caption: Local State MP, Tim Bull, pictured at Lakes Entrance CFA, says Labor’s Emergency Service and Volunteer Fund exemption pathway is denying volunteers the financial support they’re entitled to due to its restrictive and complex processes.

Monday, 10 November 2025

The Allan Labor Government wasted $9 million through a Treasurer’s Advance - typically utilised in emergencies - to fund the flawed free camping trial it was told would not work and ultimately scrapped.

Nationals’ Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull said that this was an abuse of the Treasurer’s advance authority which was called upon to support the region when the bushfires hit in 2019/20.

“Using a Treasurer’s Advance for this scheme was completely unjustified,” said Mr Bull.

“These advances should only be for real emergencies, not for a poorly planned program that failed from day one. Is it any wonder the State is heading to a debt of $190 billion and interest repayments of $28 million per day.

The free camping initiative ran from December 2024 to June 2025, promising free access to 131 Parks Victoria campgrounds. Instead, it created a major “ghost camping” problem, where multiple campsites were booked out, with the intent to make space on either side of the genuine booking, which locking out campers in premium sites over Christmas and Easter.

“This free camping trial punished small businesses already doing it tough and wasted millions of dollars of Victorian taxpayers’ money,” Mr Bull said.

“It’s yet another example of the Allan Government’s notorious financial mismanagement and incompetence. It is time for a fresh start.”

The trial has now been scrapped, leaving taxpayers to foot the $9 million bill on the Treasurer’s credit card for a poorly thought out experiment.

“Victorians deserve their money to be spent wisely, with accountability. This clearly was neither,” Mr Bull said.

Caption: The Nationals’ State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, visited ‘booked’ campsites last summer during the failed free camping trial, which was plagued by ghost camping across Parks Victoria sites.

Monday, 10 November 2025