HAVE YOUR SAY on the proposed ban on trading in WW2 German Militaria before it's too late.
PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS HAVE BEEN INVITED BY JULY 21st
THIS IS THE EMAIL ADDRESS
The Bill is: Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023. Our objections are based on the impact on dealers and collectors of military memorabilia.
NOTE: We strongly advise the use of civil language and well-worded arguments to this parliamentary committee. Overly emotive or derogatory rants / tones will just serve to injure the reasonable arguments for leaving dealers and collectors out of this legislation.
Requirements for submissions
Committee inquiries are part of the formal work of the Parliament. There are strict rules on the form and content of a submission. Submissions can be emailed but must:
be prepared solely for the purposes of the inquiry
not have been published anywhere else
be relevant to the terms of reference
be received by the committee before the due date
include the name, postal or email address, and contact number of the person or organisation making the submission.
Many of us find the proposed Federal ban on buying and selling WW2 Militaria distressing and uncalled for. If you are also concerned email the committee responsible for assessing the proposed legislation directly, as above.
The ban will prohibit the sale of WW2 German militaria, even for legitimate collectors and dealers.
We are being treated as criminals and extremists by politicians and lobbyists. This is unfair and will achieve nothing.
Some thoughts that we have expressed so far:
The pursuit and limitation of modern extremist groups is to be applauded, and should be supported, whether they be religious or political in nature, but banning the sale and trade of WW2 artefacts will serve only to harm a great deal of genuine militaria collectors and dealers.
To treat innocent collectors and dealers as criminals and extremists is grossly unfair and a massive overreaction. It will also do nothing to curb extremism.
Such items are quite harmless in the hands of legitimate collectors, historians and dealers.
Perhaps license and regulate this trade by all means, but to ban it outright seems quite excessive and harmful only to legitimate businesses and collectors.
Banning modern manufactured banners, replicas, T Shirts, hate websites etc used by these groups does makes sense, but harmless collectors do collect and study period German WW2 militaria for many genuine reasons, and also need to add to or occasionally thin out or reduce a collection as does any other collector of historical artefacts or antiques. Hence genuine dealers exist to facilitate this process.
Amongst the reasons people collect are:
Many WW2 German items are legitimate veteran bring backs by Allied troops (both of my Grandfathers brought back items such as this from WW2 that I possess in my own collection). To the vast majority these represent items of a defeated ideology and foe of WW2, and proof that the crimes they committed as indoctrinated / fixated militaries actually did occur.
As part of a general collection of WW2 Militaria collectors and museums wish to feature items of those we fought and defeated, hence Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and WW2 Germany. Occasionally people need to facilitate the sale or circulation of such items. My possession of a WW2 Japanese Sword, brought back from Kokoda, does not make me a fan of Imperialist Japan, one of my Grandfathers was actually a Changi veteran for example.
The collecting and study of actual artefacts, books and items of that era make it impossible to deny that it occurred, and the dangers of the ideology arising again, and so help to preserve the history of the era. Dangerous revisionists can’t deny it occurred when the artefacts, books and badges physically exist.
Legitimate militaria dealers help collectors to circulate items as would dealers in any other medium for historic artefacts. Dealers are often ex-military having actually served to protect the nation from extremism should it arise.
Careful consideration must be undertaken for treating actual historical artefacts and those who act as legitimate dealers in them differently to harmful extremists who of course need to be pursued.
Perhaps license and regulate, but not ban.
TO HAVE YOUR SAY EMAIL TO - pjcis@aph.gov.au