Councillor Henk van de Ven has been prompted as Anzac Day falls on a Sunday this year.

NSW and Victoria will receive a substitute holiday on Monday, April 26.

“I think it’s disgraceful, it belittles Anzac Day. Anzac Day is a commemoration day it’s not a public holiday.

“What are we going to have? Are we going to have a dawn service on Monday are we? Are we going to have a march on Monday? No, it’s all done on Sunday so what’s the public holiday for? It’s a disgrace.”

RSL Albury branch president Colin Darts was ambivalent towards Cr van de Ven’s push for the substitute holiday to be scrapped.

“It’s a personal preference, it doesn’t worry me one way or the other. If the law states the following Monday that’s the way it goes. Personally I consider the 25th the sacred day, whether it falls on a Monday, Sunday, or Tuesday doesn’t matter at all.

“Some people treat it as a day to let their hair down, whereas I think it’s a time to reflect. But that’s the way it is, there is a day off anyway,” Mr Darts said.

The public holiday emphasised the importance of Anzac Day said RSL Wodonga branch president John McKenzie.

“Anzac Day does need some recognition, so it’s a good idea. If the holiday is on another day that’s fine.

“It does enhance the fact it is a national day, the general sentiment of it, and I’d hate to see that lost,” he said.

Cr van de Ven says he has the support of more than two Albury councillors, and has spoken in depth with members of the public who have agreed the substitute holiday should be scrapped.

“I would like to see Albury Council make a strong representation to government that we should celebrate Anzac Day on the day and not create an artificial holiday,” he said.

“I won’t back off. I think that this is such a crucial issue that is really worth fighting for and I would be very surprised if the RSL came to me and said ‘back off we want the public holiday’”.

Cr van de Ven said Australians already have too much leave and industry was suffering.

“This is the stupid part about Australia, one of the reasons why we are not competitive,” he said.

“Why we are losing industries all over the place is because we aren’t competitive with the rest of the world, that we’ve got four weeks annual leave and 13 public holidays.

“We absolutely have too much annual leave.”