Report to the RSL's Victorian Branch nails what ails this venerable organisation

The RSL has been a significant force in Australian politics but it’s clear it is now suffering from a range of problems. Once upon a time, it had easy access to government, but the interests of veterans are now far more diverse and complex than in the past. The RSL needs more than a regular visit for tea with the Minister, as was the practice of yore.

Once, the RSL, waving the veterans banner, was the genuine voice of veterans. Today, however, the League's membership is barely 25 per cent of Australia's 600 000 serving or former Australian Defence Force personnel. Still, the RSL gets a berth on the Australian War Memorial Council and the current incumbent, National President Major General Greg Melick, has been a significant obstacle opposing the Memorial properly recognising and commemorating the Australian Wars against our First Nations people – Australia’s longest and most deadly war – at a time when reconciliation is urgently needed.

The Victorian branch of the RSL (RSLV) has recognised many of the problems and commissioned an independent review of the RSLV by ThoughtPost, Australia's leading governance consultants. My copy is marked 'Strictly Confidential', so it has either been leaked – or more probably just shared around. The report is dated June 2025

The report says the RSL operates via a federated model which has remained largely unchanged for a century and which covers all states and 261 sub-branches. The report says: 'Following decades of social, economic and legal change, along with the changing demographic and needs of veterans in Victoria RSLV recognised the need for a roadmap outlining the changes that needed to be made to allow the organisation to thrive in the future'.

Among the report’s findings are:

the State Executive comprises people who willingly put themselves up for election, without any consideration of the mix of skills and experience required to oversee the complexity of the  RSLV;

little time is focussed on broader governance responsibilities, such as culture and strategy;

the RSLV by-laws are overly complicated and not fit for purpose;  

the branch's operations lack visibility of its overall impact; and

the branch has the financial profile of a small charity.

The organisation also operates under a complex and fragmented governance structure, causing frustration and confusion among sub-branches. There are also changes to the State legislation which will impact poker machine revenue. Sub-branches struggle to find sufficient volunteers with the skills and experience needed.

The age profile of members is also a worry. Currently 68 per cent of service members are over 70 years of age, 25 per cent are over 80 and the average age of members is 74. Given the number of wars Australia has been involved in since Vietnam, this profile suggests younger veterans are simply not joining the RSL.

On the needs of veterans, the report says: 'The support needs of veterans are increasing in complexity, resulting in a need for the RSLV to clearly define what services it provides, who is going to provide those services; and how the services are to be funded'.

The report also recommends a variety of governance changes, most of which are to implement things most people would expect would already be in place. One sensible idea is to separate out governance roles from commemorations and remembrance events. Another is to review and rationalise the fragmented management of the multitude of funds the organisation manages.

The report concludes that 'the long term sustainability of RSL Victoria depends on its ability to remain relevant to contemporary and future veteran communities. This includes a clear strategy for advocacy, visibility and service alignment.'

After all, you wouldn’t want to run a military campaign without developing a clear strategy. Would you?

The problem is wider than Victoria though. The Open Door Initiative at Flinders University has shown that many women feel unwelcome in RSL ‘spaces’. One woman, the Flinders authors report, said RSL spaces are not for younger veterans, especially those who still work or have a family.

The ThoughtPost report also said that fewer than 10 per cent of the veterans in some states choose to join their local RSL sub-branch and that in some sub-branches non-veteran members outnumber veterans. The problem is also worse than that because former ADF members are eligible, whether they served in a war or not, so their disinclination to join only compounds the problem.

There is also a problem with sexism. A former female Queensland sub-branch president recalls being labelled 'a real bitch' by male branch members'. She went on, saying, 'It’s typical of the experience of being a woman, a woman with a brain who’s prepared to stand up for herself'.

The Flinders Open Door report concluded:

Last year the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide recommended creating a national body to better govern  the veterans’ non-profit sector. This presents a real opportunity to modernise veteran support. But without a strong focus on gender inclusion and  cultural reform from the start, history may repeat, entrenching the same exclusions that have kept so many veterans on the margins for decades.

The problems with the RSL, and the fact that it is no longer a clear representative of the larger veteran community, also raise questions about the role of the RSL on the Australian War Memorial Council. Over the years, the RSL has almost always been represented on the Council, although there have been and currently are other veterans who have had very distinguished and courageous careers.

Does the Memorial need yet another RSL representative on its Council? There have been distinguished RSL members on the Council such as Sir William Keys and 'Digger' James, amputee and former doctor. But where is their like today?

Should members of other veterans' organisations be considered for a role on the Council? Soldier On? Mates 4 Mates?

What about a distinguished veteran who is not a member of any veterans' organisation?

Should any new Council member replacing Major General Melick be aware of the need to ensure that our first, longest and deadliest war - the Australian Wars - is properly represented in the Memorial?

These are big questions which ought to be answered with some new, creative and inclusive answers. Sadly, that’s unlikely. Or is it?

Minister Keogh has the opportunity before the end of September to make changes to the Council.

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Picture credit: Photograph of 11 Section, 3 Platoon, 3 OTS (Officer Training School) Duntroon, July 1916, RSL Victoria - Anzac House Reference Library and Memorabilia Collection