NZ PM Key criticise journo’s Anzac jibe

Updated: 07:26, Tuesday April 24, 2012

NZ PM Key criticise journo's Anzac jibe

Australian and New Zealand political leaders say a Kiwi journalist’s description of Australian World War I soldiers as ‘lazy bludgers and thieves’ is disrespectful to the soldiers of both countries.

Jock Anderson made the comments during a Radio New Zealand panel discussion last week about a new book by former Australian Army officer and Department of Veterans Affairs historian Graham Wilson.

In Bully Beef and Balderdash, Mr Wilson questions myths surrounding Australia’s WWI and WWII volunteer forces, including the legend of the bushmen who transformed into natural warriors on the battlefield.

‘The Aussies have been reluctant soldiers at the best of times, and they’ve been essentially lazy bludgers, some of them – excellent black-marketeers, scavengers, poachers and thieves,’ Mr Anderson told the panel.

‘Occasionally, they’ve actually been quite good soldiers, but there was no way that they can hold a candle, in my opinion, to the Kiwis.’

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Mr Anderson’s comments were a black mark on the Anzac spirit, just days out from commemorations on Wednesday.

‘While I have enormous respect for the New Zealand forces and support one point that (Anderson) put forward, which is that our forces have and continue to be magnificent in the work that they carry out, denigrating the Australians as part of that analysis I don’t think is appropriate,’ Mr Key said.

He had seen the Australian forces during visits to Afghanistan and Gallipoli, and said they did a good job.

‘The spirit of the Anzac tradition is alive and well. That was a tradition forged on the battlegrounds in Gallipoli, and to take away from their efforts I personally find quite offensive,’ Mr Key said.

Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith said Mr Anderson would come to regret his comments.

Mr Smith told reporters at Leeuwin Barracks in Fremantle on Monday that the comments were ‘disrespectful’ to those who fought for both sides of the Tasman.

‘Anyone who has been to Gallipoli, who has been to the New Zealand monument at the top of the hill, who understands the contribution that our Kiwi brothers and sisters made in Gallipoli alone – let alone other conflicts, including and up to Afghanistan – would dismiss those comments with the disrespect they deserve.’

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