Our Prime Minister likens social media to ‘electronic graffiti’ and believes the husband of the British monarch represents the best in Australian achievement.
Yes, it’s true. Aside from Angus Houston, Tony Abbott could find just one individual to award our top civic award to on Australia Day – British Royal and husband to the Queen, Prince Philip.
He couldn’t find an Australian, let alone a woman, to name a knight or dame. Nor anyone who’s doing much above and beyond their actual job.
Granted Prince Philip has made many visits to Australia before and following those Olympics, some while serving with the Royal Navy, and he has shaken many, many hands. He has given his time and name to numerous causes, and provided a “source of strength and support” as husband to the Queen of Australia.
But if the latter is grounds for a knighthood, we might like to reflect back on some of our most accomplished men of the last few decades and consider just who was providing the “source of strength and support” (along with the housework) behind the scenes. We might just find there are many wives deserving of such honours, most having carried out their duties without the support of live-in help .
What was our Prime Minister thinking.
This wasn’t a gaffe or some off-the-cuff comment in the heat of the moment, which we know he’s particularly prone to.
This was a deliberate, thought-out decision, which appears to carry no strategic justification whatsoever — other then perhaps to indulge a personal whim. No amount of pointing the blame at his Chief of Staff Peta Credlin, whom some claim is the real source of the problem — can account for the fact that whether he’s receiving bad advice or not, he’s still the one responsible for going ahead with it.
The stupidity also overshadowed Rosie Batty’s excellent speech after being named 2015 Australian of the Year, and her important role in raising awareness of domestic and family violence.
Awarding Prince Philip a knighthood was a terrible decision, another throwback to the past and desperate appeal to nostalgia. As was re-introducing the knights and dames honours in March 2014 in the first place. As are many the decisions this prime minister is directly responsible for: announcing a government front bench with just one woman, justified with the comment others are knocking at the door — and waiting a good 16 months before letting another one in; appointing himself minister for women; stating himself that the best thing he’s done for women is eliminating the carbon tax.
Add to the long list the fact he yesterday shrugged off criticisms on social media as ‘digital graffiti’. That would be platforms like Facebook (used by almost 14 million Australians) and Twitter (almost 3 million Australians) and largely credited with providing the foundations for some of the largest social movements in human history. Platforms the government considers important enough to spend millions monitoring every year.
Prime Minister, the present is knocking at the door. Let it in. Perhaps then we could start to look to the future.