Rodd if you haven't done this before, go to the local scrap yard and find some stainless to use for a test hole. Otherwise you're liable to make a mess out of your very expensive pedestal guard.

.... and don't punch it -- use a drill guide and start with a small pilot hole. You can buy a drill guide at tool stores, or make your own out of scrap wood. To make your own, drill a 1" hole in a 2x4, then cut it in half along the mid-point of the hole, then clamp the 2 halves around the 1" stainless tubing. By starting the hole in the wood it will keep the bit from sliding or walking.