Dear Mr Shorten,

I applaud you on your personal effort in commemorating Australia's veterans who fought for our country and in particular those who were killed by the enemy in the Vietnam War.

However, could I please make one simple request?

Would you please consider reworking your commemorative artwork to remove your political party's logo.

Lest we forget pic.twitter.com/rI4Nu1wxtR

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) August 18, 2018

The Monthly magazine tells us:

Shorten commenced an arts/law degree at Monash University in 1985, the same year his mother took out the law faculty’s Supreme Court Prize as its outstanding graduate. There he joined the youth wing of the Labor Party. 

You must have known that the Monash University Labor Club raised money for and passed it on to the enemy during the Vietnam war.

Here's an extract from

You'd also be aware of the actions of unions affiliated with the Labor Party during the war.

I didn't serve in Vietnam but I did complete 8 years in the Australian Army commencing in January 1978.

All my instructors were Vietnam veterans.  I'm close to many Vietnam veterans.  I've spoken to many of them today, one quite senior former officer spoke of his men and the way they felt betrayed by Labor and the trade unions.

Another spoke of Labor's "crass opportunism" by inserting your party's logo into the commemorative material.

I agree with him.  Would you please consider removing it?

Yours sincerely,

Michael Smith

Lest We Forget

PS - I hate even obliquely bringing politics into the commemoration of our war dead and I have mates in the military who lean towards either (or no) sides of politics.

I asked one 40 year veteran on Facebook how he felt and was very heartened with his reply:

Political logos have absolutely no place in the commemoration of our war dead or our Services in general. Those arseholes send our diggers away and do their best to f*ck them over while they are away and when they get back. Go smack him mate.

Thank you for your lengthy and distinguished service WO J!

Lest We Forget.