SA PUBLIC HOLIDAY BILL RESOLUTION

Dear Members,

What a week it’s been in politics! You would no doubt be aware that last week the SA State Government passed new legislation regarding public holidays – the Public Holidays Act 2023.

For the RSL and our members, the 25th April is and always will be ANZAC Day.

It is important to note that the ANZAC Day public holiday never existed in a formal sense under the Holidays Act 1910. The ‘ANZAC Day Public Holiday’ was never a formal or legal term for the public holiday on the 25th April.

The new legislation, despite suggestions otherwise, was not intended to, and did not, strip ANZAC Day of its name. Rather the legislation is for the administration of public holidays regarding industrial relations law (i.e. how much someone gets paid for working on ANZAC Day).

For the first time ever, we are now guaranteed to have a public holiday on the 25th April and it will be called ANZAC Day.

Previously, the public holiday was able to move depending if it fell on a weekend. This created an ANZAC Day long weekend which we know lowers participation in important commemoration events on ANZAC Day – when the purpose of a public holiday on ANZAC Day is to participate in commemorative events.

Whilst RSL SA/NT was publicly keen to calm the anger this new legislation caused as a result of a sensationalist newspaper opinion piece written by an ex-politician and current board member of a political party, we privately raised our, and your concerns, directly with the Premier and other Ministers.

I worked hard over the weekend to ensure the government understood our concerns. I wrote to the Premier at 9pm on Saturday evening and by 7.30am on Monday morning, he agreed to add, for the first time ever, ANZAC Day next to the public holiday on the 25th April.

I am very grateful that not only has the government heard your concerns regarding the public holiday but I am very pleased to advise that the Liberal Party has also publicly pledged $400,000 over 4 years to support the RSL Veteran Employment Program.

Last year, our veterans who had secured employment via the RSL Veteran Employment Program earnt at least $3.6M – a meaningful and tangible impact on veterans and their families.

We anticipate that the current government will at least match this commitment and secure the future of the RSL Veteran Employment Program until 2028.

The voice of the RSL matters! As the largest member based veteran organisation, we can carefully use our voice to achieve meaningful outcomes to veterans and their families. When we speak in a controlled and coordinated manner, our voice is even louder. Unable to be ignored by the community and the government.

This unnecessary and distressing saga has been a timely reminder of the motto of our organisation - ‘The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance’.

Ubique

Dave Petersen
State President
RSL SA/NT
E: president@rslsa.org.au