The volume's author, Ashley Ekins, has been stripped of other responsibilities at the memorial and ordered by director Steve Gower to finish the volume.

Major-General Gower told Senate estimates he was stunned the final volume was not finished.

''I was quite shocked when I found out he had not finished because I was led to believe he had finished ... I have had to help him focus more on it, to remove him from any other activities at the memorial,'' he said.

''He applied to become our head of military history, the head of the section and at the selection we did ask him how this would affect his official history role. To make sure it doesn't affect him I've actually taken him off that completely and put a substitute in an acting capacity so he has no distractions.''

General Gower appeared to distance himself from the continuing controversy over the much-delayed volume. ''I can't make him write, that's up to him entirely.''

Despite the delays, General Gower insisted in a statement yesterday that Mr Ekins had his ''full support''.

At estimates, Liberal senator Russell Trood welcomed the move by General Gower to ensure the volumes were finished soon.

It also emerged that the Department of Veterans Affairs spent more than $1.3 million on an executive leadership program despite not having the money to fund the Last Post ceremony at the memorial.

It was found local utility TransACT would spend $25,000 per year for three years to sponsor the ceremony at the memorial.

Veterans Affairs Minister Alan Griffin revealed at the time $1.3million had been cut from the department's budget.

General Gower said the memorial would not ask the Government for more money.