Editor

Details of sender removed as consent to publish not held.

From: A disgruntled TPI

To: "Danna Vale" <Danna.Vale.MP@aph.gov.au>

Subject: ministers trip to Singapore

Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 10:22:02 +0800

Greetings Minister,

I must confess to being just a tad disappointed when I was advised of your impending trip to Singapore (Feb 11-17) to attend the opening of yet another memorial.

Disappointed on two counts.

1.Your predecessor developed a reputation as "The minister for Monuments". This makes me think of time being wasted in developing some sort of public profile,

and that can only be self serving. Minister, you are there to serve US, the veteran community Please give us your undivided attention. Don't ignore the task at

hand, much work is to be done if you are to be as effective for us, as you are to your electorate. Spend more time considering the submissions of the T&PI

Federation in their struggle for some equity, and the submission of the SAS Counter Terrorism Group in their claim to have their work given hazardous duty

status. Dedication to these tasks will give you far more status with the people you represent in your portfolio, than trips to Singapore.

2.Allowing for one days travel each way, there still is five clear days for you to attend the opening. Unless i missed something, there is the great likelihood that this

could be attended to on one day. Or perhaps even half a day? Do you have other obligations that may help you fulfil your duties to the Veterans of Australia, or is

the rest of your trip a junket at the expense of all Australians? I am interested in your choice of the President of the Returned Serviceman's League as your

travelling companion. Although he is the titular head of the RSL, he is not entirely representative of his members. Perhaps one of the Changi survivors would have been a more popular choice among us. Not to mention the fact that an old digger is more likely to appreciate the significance of the place, and is less likely to be

part of the cocktail circuit, that Maj Gen Phillips is well established in, and as such would probably go home and relate his experience to his surviving mates of

times gone by. This, in my view, is far more fitting.

Enough of my opinions. Show me a minister at WORK.

sincerely

(Ed Senders details removed)