Seeking recommendations following the War Memorial disgrace ...

Chop71 said :

Sorry Actew I’m not a fan of how you spend my ever increasing power bills.

Oh wow, fancy that, you can pick another retailer! Go to Country Energy or Integral or whatever other retailers are out there if it worries you so much.

Also, emailing John McKay won’t get you that far as he hasn’t been CEO of ActewAGL for some time now, that post now belonging to Michael Costello.

I am sick to death of the money Actew and TransACT spend on advertising (telling us how wonderful they are). Do people realise every year they go to the price regulators and cry poor to push up the utilities prices.

Sorry Actew I’m not a fan of how you spend my ever increasing power bills.

Storm, teacup?

But seriously, the Duntroon band is less than a kilometre away with at least a bugler or two who could easily be posted for a ten minute job every night. Just do that.

This has to be one of the most idiotic posts I have seen. If you’re not happy with the service either organisation provides (they are separate btw), then fair enough. To get up on a soap box and cry foul for TransACT to provide a small amount of money as sponsorship to keep an attraction for tourists going is rediculous. If you have walked through the AWM any time in the past 10-15 years you would know a significant amount of the exhibitions are sponsored by a numerous corporations and also private donors and the names of the sponsors are displayed discreetly. The sponsorship for the playing of the last post is no different to any of the other arrangements. Given the federal government fails to provide sufficient funding for the displays, if you want anyone to vent your frustration at it should be the krudd government. After all you’re probably one of the people who voted for the clown.

Or alternatively, perhaps they should ban all sponsorship at the AWM? Then they can close the doors and board up the windows and then everyone can be happy that no commercial interests are being served at all.

Transact should be congratulated for coming to the party; seeing as Krudd has zero respect for the AWM which was shown by him severely slashing their budget forcing them to seek funding from elsewhere.
I was there yesterday afternoon, and the logo on the lectern is that small that you really have to look to see it.

Like I said in the previous post with the really obscure title…I guess TransACT is a better choice than Tobin Brothers.

Get over yourselves…would you rather no last post at all??

Have you been the War Memorial lately?

Short or funds……? Since when.

The place is awesome. It is obviously funded well.

What a farce.

Compared to many of the National Institutions the AWM is very well funded indeed and frankly this looks like a naked attempt to shame the Government into providing more funds.

One of the oldest public service tricks in the book.

1. Government asks for savings

2. Department chooses the most politicly embarrassing cut they can think of.

3. Announces it publicly.

4. Acts all innocent when the shit hits the fan.

5. Minister is forced/shamed into restoring the funding due to the public backlash/Daily Telegraph.

TransACT is rubbish, but their support for this cause is welcomed IMO.

So, in answer to your question … Internode or iiNet are probably your best bets.

Watch out, I think the sky is about to fall on your head, too.

There are already several commercial sponsors at the AWM. I’m glad they donate to keep the AWM going. From what I heard today from someone who was at yesterday’s Last Post, there was no mention of Transact other than a logo on the podium. What’s the hassle? There are much more important things to worry about than this issue.

BTW ADFA didn’t cancel Beating the Retreat. RMC did, after they were told to cut their funding. ADFA and RMC are two totally different institutions. But that’s going off on a tangent, now.

peterh said :

if it would assist in educating the generations to come about the futility of conflict, the sacrifice of so many brave people and the fact that they can make a difference in preventing the terrible events of the past repeating again, absolutely.

Um … the futility of conflict *and* the sacrifice of brave people?

Seems to be somewhat of a contradiction here. If conflict is futile, how is partaking in war a meaningful sacrifice?

On the basis of the list of sponsors, including companies (provided by peterh above) I’ll happily withdraw my somewhat facetious remark with respect to BAE and Raytheon.

Hank said :

Here’s a radical idea. The government could find a little bit of extra funding, say from, oh, the Building the Education Revolution, and give it to the AWM?

What a wonderful idea take money from schools…

if it would assist in educating the generations to come about the futility of conflict, the sacrifice of so many brave people and the fact that they can make a difference in preventing the terrible events of the past repeating again, absolutely.

There are some serious corporate sponsors for AWM already – have a look at the list of corporates – several of the ADI companies are already sponsors: http://www.awm.gov.au/support/

Well done on recognising that you live in a capitalist society. My advice is the money that you will save after you have cancelled your contracts could go towards an increase in your regular donation to the AWM. Oh! What was that you say? You don’t donate to the AWM? Well maybe that is why there is a shortfall in the first place! But seriously, don’t shoot capitalism, you either get a ceremony with sponsorship or you don’t get a ceremony. And as many others attest above, it is not Transact you should be firing your shots at in any case. And also, what has this got to do with the new ASIO building?!

Having waiting countless years for the promised Transact cable, I now understand. The last post was to be at the AWM.

I don’t see why any vitriol should be directed at either the AWM, who displayed the initiative that ADFA lacked when they cancelled beating retreat parade.

Of course the significance of those two events are different, but I remember everyone at that time was questioning why they let that event die instead of seeking sponsorship.

Sponsorship is a big part of this sort of thing, most programs at similar events have gold, silver and bronze sponsors located at the back of them. Qantas are firmly entwined with the AWM, thankfully, and as a result the quality of displays such as Over the Front, are amazing.

If this was cancelled then everyone would have questioned why sponsorship was not obtained. What irks me is that this seems more like a middle finger to the Government for being told to find savings, after a pretty green run in the past.

What a wonderful idea take money from schools…

Would that be all schools, or just the schools that got $2 million for a hall they didn’t need, or a second library, or would you only take from the schools that got $2 million when they didn’t even apply for it …

In the meantime, any reccies for a good internet service provider to take over my account? The sooner I wash my hands of ACTEW the better.

Err… Pretty much everyone OTHER than TransACT?

Specifically? iiNet (as annoying as their ads are) or Internode. Avoid Telstra.

Anna Key said :

Wasn’t protecting a free capitalist society the reason we were fighting in these wars? Its only fair that a company provides support in return.

If *only* we could send people off to die for the noble cause of capitalism.

Do you think all those noisy right-wing free-marketeers would volunteer? Jakez could lead the ‘Ayn Rand libertarian unarmoured division’.

Shouldn’t everyone’s problem be with the AWM management not Transact or even the Fed Govt?

Presumably govt has told AWM – find $xxx savings in your budget. AWM has gone through its activities and decided ok these are the lowest priority ones and we can do without them. Presumably the management and board of AWM have agreed that the Last Post ceremony doesn’t cut the mustard compared to say, a bit of travel, a fraction of an FTE of admin assistant etc. Had they viewed it as higher priority than those other things, they wouldn’t have de-funded it?

Here’s a radical idea. The government could find a little bit of extra funding, say from, oh, the Building the Education Revolution, and give it to the AWM?

What a wonderful idea take money from schools…

I have nothing against TransACT on this. They are simply trying to help out a worthy cause and picking up the slack of the Government. Its not an ideal situation, but TransACT are hardly the ones to blame.

i would recommend netspeed

1. this is not TransACT’s fault. They are making up for a failing of the Commonwealth Govt, who ought to be funding the AWM’s core business, but aren’t. Corporate sponsorship of national institutions SHOULD NOT BE DISCOURAGED. They need all the help they can get.

2. Next person to mention the construction site should be slapped with a clue bat. It is paid for by a specifically allocated grant, which can’t be used for anything else. This is easy to find out, if you actually make the effort to look.

3. British Aerospace Engineering (i.e., BAE Systems) sponsor what used to be Telstra Theatre at the AWM. There’s really big logos, everywhere.

Try visiting the place before you complain about what it does.

Don’t see a problem… anyway, your anger should be directed at AWM – not TRANSACT

First thing I want to make clear is that it is not my intention to offend anyone in any way. When I first heard of this I was a bit miffed, not at Transact but at the Govt. Then I started thinking what about all the donations that the Memorial Trust get from various sections of the community say Kerry Stokes to purchase medals etc. on their behalf and couldn’t recall any great objections. I know that this situation is a bit different (not much) but I don’t believe Transact was expecting to get much advertising mileage from the support they offered. And yes I am a supporter of the War Memorial and have long links with it and the Trust. Maybe direct your anger at the Government for its repeated disregard for the Memorial and veterans and their families in general.

Wasn’t protecting a free capitalist society the reason we were fighting in these wars? Its only fair that a company provides support in return.

That is the stupid thing I have ever heard.

Honestly, they are helping the community through their kind donation. They’ve even said that there is no need for the logo to even be displayed.

Wake up to yourself.

#4, 5 and 6 – Spot on. They’ve had their media coverage and shot of publicity now, and offered to remove their logo from the event. Their money still supports it, so by covering it’s costs, they’re making a noteworthy gesture to the community of Canberra – and to our visitors.

The evening bugler / bagpiper of the Closing Ceremony is an absolute highlight of the AWM for me. I usually try to aim my visits so they conclude at 5pm, in order to hear this haunting eulogy. It’s especially spectacular when flocks of cockatoos join in!

OK first point.

You can’t find a better reason to dump TransACT.

Second point

The logo is very discreet, if it were a choice between a recording and a corporate sponsored live bugle I’d take the bugle any day.

The third and loudest point I’d like to make is that most of the noise on this issue is coming from the RSL sub-branch. This organisation is rolling in money and assets yet letting its local clubs who are expected to be individually financially viable run broke and shut down. WHY DONT THEY SPONSOR THE CEREMONY?

It was pointed out on the late news last night (along with a sanctimonious rant from Julie Bishop), that the only logo would be at the bottom of the lectern during the closing. Obscure and rather unnoticeable. Would you rather the ceremony not take place at all??

Note to reactionaries, engage thought processes before typing. And before anyone jumps down my throat about respect for the diggers, my Father served in WWII and I am not opposed to this.

I don’t think it’s a disgrace. A need was to be met and ACTEW stepped in. I would rather hear the last post then not at all. Why don’t you put you’re hand in you’re pocket and sponsor it then you can keep it as advertising free as you need.

I am still failing to see why Transact/ ACTEWAGL providing money to the War Memorial to continue their work is such a crime. They have already noted that they are happy to remove their logos from signage at the AWM, and are supporting an important service.

In complete agreement with the 3 comments so far.

Insert knee jerk reaction here

It is my understanding that TransAct are making up a shortfall in funding that the feds can not and will not cover.

It is also my understanding that on the back of public backlash they have decided to not include their logo as a part of the deal.

Is it really your choice to persecute the corporation responsible for filling holes that the government really should have filled themselves ?

Quite happy to be corrected on one or all points.

I was actually thinking about moving away from TransACT for a range of reasons, but that was before the announcement of their support of the AWM.

I’m more than happy to stand by a company that is prepared to so generously support the AWM in honouring our fallen Australian soldiers, airman and seamen.

I note that it took a local telco to take up the slack too, rather than say British Aerospace, Raytheon or any of the other big corporations who spend so much lobbying government to secure sales of their products and services to ensure a fresh supply of Australian war dead for us to honour.