With ANZAC Day approaching, the debate over whether public servants should be required to observe the holiday has been reignited.

Barnaby Joyce, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs, is a steadfast advocate for mandatory observance.

He has voiced his disapproval of the current government policy allowing public servants the flexibility to swap their holiday for another day.

“For a second year in a row, Prime Minister Albanese is refusing to budge on the Labor Government’s policy that allows more than 350,000 Commonwealth public servants to swap next week’s ANZAC Day public holiday for an alternative day off,” he said. 

“Of course, there has always been a requirement for some Commonwealth public servants to work on ANZAC Day such as our federal police, border security, military, and staff at the Australian War Memorial,” he conceded, though he said these roles do not negate the general principle he advocates.

Joyce’s criticism extends beyond the policy to its implications for national remembrance.

“The current policy essentially made ANZAC Day optional and exchangeable and was a deliberate attempt to dilute the importance of the day,” Joyce argued. 

He views the policy as a deviation from the respect traditionally accorded to such a significant day in Australian history.

The former deputy prime minister is not just challenging the policy on practical terms but also framing it as an issue of respect for veterans and their families. 

“This is another example of how veterans and their families are feeling the loss of their voice in Cabinet,” he said. 

In response to Joyce's repeated calls for a policy reversal, the government remains steadfast, with Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman defending the policy as a return to norm and criticising Joyce's approach as “nasty” and publicity-driven rather than in the public service's best interests.