RSL doesn't want to take the blame

Below is a response from the RSL Victorian State President, Major-General McLachlan, to the National Chairman of the Australian Monarchist league, Philip Benwell, in which he advises that the ANZAC Day Commemoration Council have met and decided to stick by their decision to omit the Royal Hymn from the Anzac Dawn Service.

The letter is dating from 16th April 2010.

Dear Mr Benwell,

I write in response to your email expressing concern about the decision of the ANZAC Day Commemoration Council to remove the hymn 'God Save the Queen' from the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance.

The ANZAC Day Commemoration Council is the body responsible for ANZAC Day ceremonies at the Shrine of Remembrance and has been in existence since 1926. The Council is comprised of representatives from the State Government, the City of Melbourne, the Returned & Services League of Australia, WWII Navy, WWII Army, WWII RAAF, Post 1945 Army, Navy and RAAF veterans, Legacy and the Shrine of Remembrance.

Although the RSL State President chairs the ANZAC Day Commemoration Council, decisions in relation to ANZAC Day Commemoration activities in Melbourne are not RSL decisions. The media, however, has portrayed this specific decision as an RSL one and nearly all the public comment on the decision, both critical and supportive, has been directed at the RSL.

In view of your email and wider public reaction to the above decision, the Council met again on the 15th April to revisit its decision of the 23rd March 2010.

After much debate, the Council voted in favour of standing by its original decision and, in doing so, bring us into line with the ANZAC Day Dawn services conducted at the Australian War Memorial and in the other State Capitals, with the exception of New South Wales, where God Save the Queen is not included.

Please be assured that the Council took into consideration the comments received by both yourself and others within the community and listened intently to the comments from the veterans present at the meeting.

Yours sincerely,
David J McLachlan
Chairman
ANZAC Day Commemoration Council

Bendigo shows loyalty
In Victoria's second biggest city, ANZAC Day services will be held in the traditional way. There are no plans to dump the playing of God Save The Queen.

As the Bendigo Advertiser reported, Bendigo RSL president Cliff Richards said the anthem was a tradition that would this year and into the future despite the Melbourne Anzac Day organising committee dropping it from their order of service.

“The (Bendigo) Anzac Day march committee hasn’t made the decision . . . but as president I would be insisting we have to play God Save The Queen,” Mr Richards said.

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RSL refuses to sing Royal Anthem

The Australian Returned Services League (RSL) has decided to remove Australia's Royal Anthem God Save the Queen from Melbourne's ANZAC Day dawn service.

The RSL claims the decision to drop God Save the Queen from the ANZAC Day dawn service was made "after widespread consultation". Whom did they ask? The editors of The Age?

The ABC quoted Major-General David McLachlan AO: "The question often comes up why do you have 'God Save the Queen'? It's not relevant and nobody knows it. So we've taken that into consideration." It seems, even Major-General McLachlan does not know that God save the Queen is Australia's Royal Anthem and therefore relevant.

Doesn't he realise that it is still the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)?
The Australian Monarchist League's National Chairman Philip Benwell sent the following letter to Major-General David McLachlan AO

COPY OF THE AML NATIONAL CHAIRMAN'S LETTER TO MAJOR-GENERAL MCLACHLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 April 2010

Major-General David McLachlan AO
State President
Victorian Branch of the RSL
ANZAC House
4 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000

Dear Major-General McLachlan,

The Australian Monarchist League wishes to register its formal protest at the removal of the singing of 'God Save The Queen', whether as the Royal Anthem or the Royal Hymn, from the Anzac Day Dawn Service in Melbourne.

You say that “the decision was made based on feedback from veterans and young people alike” (ABC News 13/4/10). The Australian Monarchist League has a membership representative of both young and older Australians many of whom are patriotic attendees at the Dawn Service and yet not one has advised that their comments were solicited. Surely when making a ruling of this magnitude, the wishes of servicemen and the families of those whose memories we commemorate should have precedence.

We presume that, if a survey was done, it was amongst the crowds that attend. I would point out to you in no uncertain terms that the Dawn Service is not some sort of sideshow to be 'tweaked' so as to provide a better entertainment. It is a solemn memorial to those who fought for their country. As one old digger said to me today, the Royal hymn is to him, a fitting conclusion to a sad but memorable occasion.

The singing of the Royal Hymn has nothing to do with the debate on a republic and it is totally wrong for anyone to be swayed by prejudices in this regard. The last occasion on which the opinion of the Australian people was sought was in 1999, at which time the people resoundingly rejected a republic.

The Queen is Queen of Australia by Act of the Australian Parliament and now confirmed by a vote of the Australian people. She is our head of state and the personification of the state. It is to the Queen that all servicemen swear allegiance and it is therefore highly appropriate that 'God Save The Queen' be sung on such a meaningful occasion.

We therefore request that you restore the singing of 'God Save The Queen' at Dawn Services now and in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Benwell
National Chairman

International Protest
Protests arose in Canada and New Zealand as well. Robert Finch of The Monarchist League of Canada called the RSL's decision "a foolish example of creeping republicanism".

“I think it's disrespectful to the Queen, it's disrespectful to the war veterans and the general public,” said Noel Cox of The Monarchist League of New Zealand.

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The Age’s associate editor: "Forget about a republic or new flag"

It is only on a rare occasion, that I have to agree with an Age article concerning their propagating “a” republic. But today it happened. Shaun Carney, The Age’s associate editor, has written a very honest opinion piece, one that should be widely read by his fellow followers of republicanism:

Australia should become a republic. But it won't for a very long time, if ever. There's a better than even chance that the change won't come during the lifetime of any Australian alive today.

The political system, and Australians' deteriorating attitudes to politics and politicians, will see to that. The republican question is now what used to be called in the newspaper game a "hardy annual": a predictable, intrinsically inconsequential story that can be trotted out at the same time every year to little lasting effect.

This Australia Day weekend the hardy annual sprouted a little extra foliage with Ray Martin's revival of the suggestion that the nation should change its flag and ditch the Union Jack. That idea used to get around with the republican argument back in the 1990s, until republicans, excited by the prospect of a referendum aimed at ditching the monarchy, judged it to be too toxic and dumped it.

It is probably the case that a majority of Australian voters favour the idea of a republican Australia, as the polls suggest. But the numbers are not overwhelming. And there is often a big gap between what people tell pollsters and what they do. They say they want governments to provide greater services but they bitch about every extra tax dollar, for example. And Australians have not liked voting 'yes' at referendums since Federation.

In any case, what sort of republic are we talking about? There is no single view: the republican position is in a pre-adolescent state. There are minimalists and there are direct-electionists, with few real signs of an accord.

Since the 1999 referendum, when the minimalist proposal attracted 45 per cent of the vote and failed to carry one state, the direct-electionists have argued that every non-monarchist is obliged to fall in behind the idea of an elected ceremonial head of state. Speaking for myself, they are dreaming. The last thing this country needs is more elections and more politics, which is what this model would bring, no matter what they say. Certainly some minimalist republicans will shift but I would never back it.

Does this mean, The Age will stop it’s “hardy annual” on ANZAC Day or, more symbolically: Queen’s Birthday? I am afraid, that would be too much to expect. After all, all those republican writers need their payment. No articles – no money. Being an Australian republican means, you are in the business as long as the Monarchy prevails. They cannot wish “a” republic or do they really think opinion pieces praising the fabulous new order would be read by anyone?

The RadicalRoyalist remains cautious and on alert. After all he has to be, because he is using what Shaun Carney denounced as “the hit-and-run style of the blogosphere … that alone would probably be enough to sink any referendum”.

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Republican propaganda on ANZAC Day

Editorials in The Age are usually dull pieces of writing. The editorial on ANZAC Day 2009 was no exception from this rule. You had to struggle through 4,460 characters to reach the last sentence: “When Australia finally severs its vestigial links with the imperial past, declaring itself to be a republic with its own head of state, we really shall have an independence day, and Anzac Day will not be diminished by it.”

Will everybody be forced to celebrate “republic’s day”. More dreary editorials on the fabulous republic we have to enjoy? What about those people – like me – who are unrepentant Monarchists? Will they be excluded from the Australian community? Or does The Age editorialist believe, they would disappear with the proclamation of “a” republic? He or she has no clue about Monarchists and their stamina.

Even after 139 years of republican power in France, the regime has still to contest with up to 20 percent of French men and women who remain Royalists and who flourish in many organisations and even a political party, L’Alliance Royale. The Brazilian Monarchy was toppled by a military coup in 1889, yet, when a referendum of the form of state was held in 1993, 6,840,551 Brazilians cast their vote in favour of the Monarchy. The Imperial Family is highly respected in Brazil. In Germany only three years ago a Kaisertreue Jugend ("Youth loyal to the Emperor") was founded. 91 years after the Kaiser was forced to go into exile and 68 years after his death a small, but growing number of young Germans turn towards the Monarchy as an alternative to the republican regime.

Republicans mustn’t think they could get rid of us.

But these are all premature thoughts, because the Aussie republicans haven’t won the referendum and they are unlikely to win it, hence Kevin Rudd’s refusal to proceed with the necessary steps to call for a referendum.

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From the Governor's website: He is up, up and away

Today appeared a very sclerotic sentence on the Victorian Governor's website:

Monday April 20, 2009
The Governor, Professor David de Kretser, AC, and Mrs de Kretser, left Melbourne to pay an official visit to Turkey and the Middle East.

Wouldn't you like to know more?

Considering that ANZAC Day is approaching his visit to Turkey might be in some ways connected to Gallipoli.

But why doesn't the website give any details?

After all, he is entitled to represent Victoria overseas. On his website the section position of the Governor explains:

"The Queen is head of the State of Victoria but the Governor ordinarily exercises the powers and functions of head of state.

"When an apolitical head of the Victorian community should speak for the community, the Governor does so. The Governor gives the Anzac Day address from the forecourt of the Shrine of Remembrance and the Australia Day address from the steps of Parliament House.

"At the request of the Premier, Governors visit overseas countries to represent Victoria in an apolitical way and build friendship and good relations."

As long as he remembers that he is only The Queen's representative, nobody can object his trip. However, as a Victorian citizen I would be happy to know more about the Governor's trip. After all, ANZAC Day is 25th April - he left on 20th April. Where will be be, whom is he going to meet? What is hidden behind the term "Middle East"? Israel, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon?

That is a great mystery and not helped by the fact that the Melbourne media have so far failed to report on the Governor's trip.

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The ugly side of the ANZAC DAY public holiday

The Tasmanian government announced, it will introduce a Monday public holiday when ANZAC Day falls on a Sunday, or a Tuesday when the day coincides with Easter Monday.

This move to restore the ANZAC Day long weekend holiday brings Tasmania in line with every other state and territory except Victoria.

Last week Victorians celebrated Easter. A pity though that Easter is a holiday soured by the reality that the Kennett government stole part of the celebration from thousands of ordinary Victorian workers, when it thieved the Easter Tuesday holiday.

The Brumby government has consistently refused to return the public holidays: Show Day, Easter Tuesday and the ANZAC long weekend, to working families.

These holidays were grabbed by a greedy and arrogant government in the 1990s without any consultation and represent the theft of three day's pay from every working Victorian!

I am sure the government has long since thought Victorian workers have forgotten the act of unmitigated theft by the Kennett government. This posting hopefully will remind you that Victorian workers remember the public holidays that they are owed.

But now Victoria and the Brumby government stand alone in refusing to gazette a public holiday on Monday following a weekend ANZAC Day.

As usual I expect the spin about the significance of the ANZAC Day itself etc... but we all know it is just a way of looking after the government's business mates by avoiding giving working Victorians a public holiday.

I am still not sure who is worse a thief or someone who refuses to return stolen goods!

And to add insult to injury one of the few public holidays left, Queen's Birthday, is also under attack. Don't these republicans have any decency and leave us the very few holidays that are a fixed element of our calendar?

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