Outrage over War Memorial sponsorship

A small sponsorship logo visible at the Australian War Memorial has sparked outrage
that the daily Last Post closing ceremony is being commercialised.
But the memorial is showing little inclination to back away from the deal, which has
a corporate logo displayed on the MC's lectern at the ceremony.
The news of the new approach has touched a nerve, with a barrage of talkback radio
callers on Tuesday slamming the sponsorship placement.
Acting Opposition Leader Julie Bishop says it's a sad day when the memorial is
forced to seek commercial funding for its sacred ceremonies.
And while Veterans Affairs Minister Alan Griffin says the memorial has been good at
partnering with corporate Australia, he acknowledges concerns the pubic have.
Memorial director Steve Gower seemed nonplussed that an commercial sponsorship deal
should attract mass media attention.
The memorial's own website lists 87 corporate and individual benefactors in three
groups, according to how much money they contribute.
Twenty-three, including the Commonwealth government, are acknowledged for providing
more than $250,000 each.
Among other listed benefactors are banks, defence companies, major retailers,
airlines, telcos, state governments and individual philanthropists.
Many corporate logos are displayed discretely throughout the memorial.
But the placement of the logo by Canberra telco TransACT at the daily closing
ceremony, featuring a master of ceremonies and the Last Post played live by a bugler
or piper, appears to have hit a sore point.
Mr Gower said balancing the memorial's budget was a difficult process and they were
delighted TransACT had offered to help.
"There is nothing unusual in sponsorships for museums and art galleries. It helps
you do the extra and this closing ceremony is an extra," he said.
Mr Gower said for many years the memorial marked 5pm closing time by playing a tape
of the Last Post.
"In recent years we thought that lacked the ambience and uplifting spirit that a
live bugler or piper would add," he said.
"So we started to pay for the piper and the bugler, then we added an MC and made a
proper ceremony of it.
"We will do nothing to compromise the dignity of the Australian War Memorial."
Under the deal, TransACT will contribute an unspecified sum - suggested to be around
$30,000 - towards staging this closing ceremony.
TransACT chief executive Ivan Slavich said the company could get by without its logo
being displayed at all.
"Our main motivation for doing this is not for promotion. Our main motivation for
doing this is to ensure this experience is provided to the Australian public," he
said.
Mr Griffin acknowledged the public concern but said the War Memorial, along with all
other government agencies, had been hit by the efficiency dividend, losing about
$1.3 million from its current budget.
"One of the strengths of the memorial and the memorial's management is that they
have been really good at linking up with corporate Australian and the general
community around ensuring that what they do is absolutely top notch," he said.
"The thing is to make sure it doesn't go too far."
Ms Bishop said government budget cuts had forced the memorial to seek corporate
sponsorship to maintain operations.
"It is a sad day when the federal government of Australia cannot adequately fund the
Australian War Memorial," she told reporters.