In response to questions from Guardian Australia, the RSL Victoria’s chief executive, Sue Cattermole, said: “the RSL would never consider walking away from Anzac Day services at the Shrine of Remembrance that the public treasure so much.
Victorian RSL clubs have held a “crisis meeting” to discuss a bitter fight over gambling revenue, with some warning they may close due to financial pressures and others calling for the charity to stop funding the state’s largest Anzac Day service.
One person who attended the event, who declined to be named, described it to Guardian Australia as a “crisis meeting”, while another said it was “a fight for the soul of the RSL”.
The financial strain, caused in part by the RSL’s dwindling membership base, has led several branches to demand local and state governments start paying a bigger share of Anzac Day costs.
We spend a huge amount on that, with a big focus on the RSL leading the march,” said one representative, according to the minutes.
