17 August 2009

Beating the Retreat rubbed out by Defence

| johnboy
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The ABC brings word that Defence can no longer afford to stage the annual Beating The Retreat gala at Duntroon.

One wonders who decided to run the razor over this much loved event.

Meanwhile Defence Media bring word that ADFA is staging a production of “Rent”.

Which would you prefer?

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A Tadpole Drinking10:45 pm 18 Aug 09

Joshua said:
“…the armoury on each base is still under the control of uniformed military members which says a lot about how much faith defence has in those guarding the bases.”

I think it is interesting how the French company Serco Sodexo Defence Services has gained a vast array of contracts in Defence ranging from waste management to transport management. They also now control the management of the ranges and training areas. This includes the live firing areas,artillery, small arms and the use of ammunition. However, I don’t what the line of demarcation is between them and Defence personnel.

Let’s not forget Little Shop of Horrors,also a long time ago.

Pandy said :

Rudds Razor Gang. They need to pay for real security guards with real guns to guard our bases against terrorists. I would have been prepared to pay $10-15 to see the event.

You do realise that it was the Howard government that outsourced from military members all those jobs guarding our bases to private (keystone cop) security firms in the first place don’t you? The funny thing is that the armoury on each base is still under the control of uniformed military members which says a lot about how much faith defence has in those guarding the bases.

I can’t believe I’m going to say this but…

Rent at ADFA?

OMG -Wouldn’t have happened in my Day!!

We did Pirates of Penzance!! And that was a rather long time ago….

And losing BTR? There are a lot of decisions that Defence gets wrong (contracting out Patrol boat management for one) and that is definitely one.

This decision stinks of a political agenda by some sticky fingered, pallid public servant who has never seen light of day. Surely the cost of conducting the activity is outweighed by the publicity and good will that it engenders for Defence. But these creeps don’t consider this!!!

eyeLikeCarrots2:33 pm 18 Aug 09

I wonder if the production of ‘Rent’ will feature the ‘aids aids, aids aids aids aids aids, AIDS! song as featured in Team America, World Police ?

Rent: A story about finding unorthodox love, and dealing with loss, against a background of rampant HIV infection, where over half the characters are either gay or bisexual, half are HIV+, and a third of them use needle drugs?
ADFA: A disciplined higher-learning institution which has a history of not affording homosexuals the same rights as the rest of the population (having an ‘inclusion policy’ isn’t the same as following it), and where HIV+ status, and self-administering needle drugs are cause for immediate explusion.

I can see why ADFA’s drama services deserve to keep funding over a public event with a history going back 40 years , the “Rent” production is clearly money well spent, with a message relevant to its audience.
</sarcasm>

A Tadpole Drinking10:33 am 18 Aug 09

A couple of points to bear in mind.
ADFA and RMC are two different entities.
The students at RMC are Staff Cadets whereas students at ADFA they are Officer Cadets.
ADFA has been doing an annual theatre performance for many years now.It needs to be remembered that ADFA is a campus of the University of NSW.

Entry into a course at ADFA has educational requirements similar to entry into other universities. RMC has a lesser entry requirement.

What a shame. Faulkner is a dead ringer for Jemaine Clements from the Conchords – and Faulkner is a gospel singer, according to an interview on the ABC … why, I’d pay to watch Senator Faulkner participate!

DarkLadyWolfMother8:02 am 18 Aug 09

Rent you can see in many places done by many groups. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Playhouse put on Beating of the Retreat (though correct me if I’m wrong).

Beating of the Retreat has always seemed to be one of those ‘institutions’ that were well attended and supported. It would be a shame for it not to happen.

Exiled Canberran12:23 am 18 Aug 09

Been away from Canberra (and Australia) for almost 20 years. Growing up, the beating of the retreat at Duntroon was one of the highlights of my year. Sad to see it fall by the wayside.

Rudds Razor Gang. They need to pay for real security guards with real guns to guard our bases against terrorists. I would have been prepared to pay $10-15 to see the event.

I actually have a soft spot for Beating the Retreat, it is a fine display from the RMC band and cadets and there are usually problems getting to see it due to its popularity. I personally took part in it as a young staff cadet a very long time ago. It will be sad to see it go in that it has been a good military Canberra tradition.
I hope other military traditions as mentioned in the second story are now history. If the ADFA boys turned up at Duntroon, as ABC quotes, “Officer Cadets gliding on a stage singing, acting and dancing”- they may have had the living snot beat out of them. Lets hope this kind of tradition has changed.
In short, I appreciate “Beating the Retreat” for its traditional and tourist value. I am less respectful of other military traditions from cadets involving shaven head gits high on Hogs Breath steaks and hip flask spirits getting rowdy outside Mooseheads with anyone who breathes in their direction.
As you were!

That would definitely be a shame.
Was looking forward to it, though would have really liked it if they went back to the AWM every few years to hold it.

Cancelling Beating The Retreat smells very much like a tactic to protest about budget cuts, ie axe the popular stuff first, and hope the stink causes a modification of the funding decision.

Beating the Retreat. Boohoo it’s going. I would have paid to see it at least once every few years.

Surely BTR is (was?) a little drop in a very big ocean of Defence spending?

Cancelling the most popular things you run in response to budget cuts is the traditional public service way of blackmailing the government to give you the money back. The NCA did the same thing when their budget was cut, and I guess Defence prefers to cut this rather than, say, its sporting facilities, to contribute to the $1 billion in savings it needs to make each year.

Has anyone outside of the military ever heard of the Queen’s Birthday parade?

shoulda been called ‘Beating the Meat’. thankfully we don’t have to be subjected to this crap masquerading as entertainment any more.

Perhaps the arrival of Dr Watt and Senator Faulkner are making some uncomfortable.

This seems like a patently obvious “Yes Minister” moment.

“So Minister you want to examine and cut unnecessary spending, well here is a great photo-op that your predecessors enjoyed that we will have to cut first.”

I think if those trying to make the Minister and new Secretary’s life challenging might be in for a bit of a surprise.

Time will tell.

ADFA are doing “Rent”…?

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