Brendan Nelson's resignation letter should be submitted today - how did the National Press Club miss this?
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
On 18 September 2013 Dr Brendan Nelson gave a speech to the National Press Club, the blurb from the National Press Club is here:
http://www.npc.org.au/speakerarchive/dr-brendan-nelson.html
A transcript is here:
http://www.awm.gov.au/national-press-club-address/
Here's the ABC's video of the entire address is here.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-18/national-press-club-brendan-nelson/4966086
Dr Nelson's judgement about what his role means as steward of the Australian War Memorial is reflected in these paragraphs, delivered by him, his idea, his words, his judgement and his responsibility for the consequences which should flow.
What we are doing with the Keating eulogy for the unknown Australian soldier is it's now being struck in bronze. And it will be placed on the Hall of Memory, on the left hand side as you walk into the Hall of Memory. The Hall of Memory of course being that magnificent byzantine dome designed by Napier Waller, and which houses the unknown soldier reinterred from the Adelaide Cemetery in France in 1993.
In addition to that, the surround around the tomb of the unknown Australian soldier, at one end currently has 'Known unto God'. At the other end it has 'He symbolises all Australians who've died in war'. We are removing those, and replacing, from the same quarry stone, and into one end we will engrave 'We do not know this Australian's name, we never will'. And at the end as you walk into the hall it will say 'He is one of them, and he is all of us'.
Paul Keating has accepted my invitation to give the commemorative address on Remembrance Day this year at the Australian War Memorial. And we will also, on that occasion, be officially inaugurating, permanently, this remarkable eulogy which he gave to us - our nation.
Dr Nelson, he delivered a good speech. But he gave it from the grandstand as a commentator observing events in 1993. He is not of the returned. Be he ever so high, God is above him and God was a presence for our young men at war. The unifying effect of Rudyard Kipling's words, adopted and owned by our returned men is the key issue here.
Dr Nelson your role is to commemorate their service. Replacing their words with a contemporary politician's speech, regardless of its quality is unthinkable.
I cannot see how you can survive in your role with your flawed judgement so clearly on display.