Awards

My Father received an Order of Australia many years back, the pin of which he wore on his jacket at many prestigious functions for years with some pride.  It acknowledged the many years he had given to his particular community in this country … Australia that is.  Although he is gone, I see it in Dad’s cupboard whenever I stay at our family home with Mum.  It is a memory of our country’s acknowledgement to the man who was my Father and for what he contributed to us as Australians.  It is something I can speak of with some pride in my Father’s accomplishment.  The Order of Australia was not then given lightly and as such should command some respect for the individuals in Australia who have earned it.

When I first saw this image (to the right) posted by a friend on social media, two questions occurred:

1. Is this some silly satire?
2. If not, when did this occur (because I had not been aware of any recent announcements)?

In fact, there was never a mention of it in any of the Mainstream Media.  Besides, I assumed, surely Abbott could not be so stupid as to repeat the Prince Phillip fiasco?  Also, he took flack after praising the Japanese for their honourable efforts in WWII! So with these two events behind him surely Abbott, nor anyone in the LNP, would undertake to pronounce awards of an OAM to a Japanese General, when there are plenty of Australian Soldiers or Officers who have served Australia with honour and in recent years.  I reasoned it had to be a fake accusation.  People I had spoken to said they never heard of it.  So I sought answers.

The answers are:

1. No and
2. Friday the 27th March 2015.

Here’s the proof in the link below and … I have no further words I can say…………!

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2015G00438

We the people of Australia elected Tony Abbott to be our chosen and democratically elected leader because we trusted him with the role of representing both us to the world and the ideology we would be guided by!  ….. <sigh> …..Perhaps next time we’ll take seriously politics instead of having some perverse pride in being “Aussie” and apolitical. Instead, guided by three word slogans, family influences, uninformed opinions, Murdocks papers (despite many of you being acutely aware of his bias)  many made the decision with as much thought you give to what you’re going to have for dinner. Almost unbelievably, surveys have shown many voters make up their mind on the day of voting. Many folk, like far too many Australians, feel you shouldn’t get involved in politics or make a stand for a more egalitarian society.  The perception of a need to be “apolitical” dominates our thinking like a slow acting Cancer.  By the time you realise the disease needs to be acted on, it has eaten away most of you leaving you wasted and without resource to fight. But after this Australia Day we have found some energy. What is interesting in the energy of reactions to disrupting our education, health, climate response, taxation, treatment of the poor & refugees, electricity prices, Welfare, regulation, expert advisory panels, transport and science funding, industrial relations, employment and etc have not matched that generated by giving a foreigner a knighthood.  This act of knighting a Prince is what get’s up our goat.  It’s all too hard to think about, isn’t it!  So what’s for dinner?

https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/pm-abbott-awards-imperial-bauble-to-prince-philip-time-to-end-the-farce,7298

So what is disturbing is the suggestion that 3 marginal seats have shown little reactions to disrupting our education, health, climate response, taxation, treatment of the poor & refugees, electricity prices, Welfare, regulation, expert advisory panels, transport and science funding, industrial relations, employment and etc but may, in fact, be disturbed by Abbott giving a foreigner a knighthood?  Am I the only one that finds that a completely out of proportion reaction?  Is it something so bloody inconsequential to Australian’s lifestyle and ethics, that is likely to turn people around?

Angus Houston ( former RAAF) became head of the ADF under Howard in 2005. He distinguished himself by recommending to the Gillard government that Nauru and Manus Island be reopened. He continued distinguishing himself by never challenging Abbott and Morrison on Nauru and Manus and then further distinguished himself through a futile and extraordinarily expensive search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 plane long after there was any hope of recovery of anything worth the expense. It did allow Abbott to take credit for falsely giving hope to Chinese audiences that its location was to be discoverable. Then there are questions as to how he was involved in the secret pact between members of the Joint Investigation Team examining the downed Flight MH17. Another matter full of evidential discrepancies and hidden truths as to whom was responsible for its destruction. He appears to excel at being of service to the government in dubious circumstances. I have watched his near silent acquiesce to Morrison’s shameless exploitation of refugees when broadcast on the ABC. He only speaks to parrot his master’s comments about “on water matters”. Thin on substance and a strength of character obvious to any audience watching him. One wonders if “Sir Angus of On-water Matters” will answer any questions at all during any press conference about his  Knighthood being awarded by Abbott. I assume his knighthood was being awarded for his continued sycophancy to the government’s will, no matter the moral ambiguity of his role in it.  He’ll just shuffle along with the rest of the cattle in the Conservative pens.

But let’s be fair, he isn’t doing anything we in Australia aren’t doing.  It isn’t that unusual at all.  Most of us are just as happy to continue our sycophancy to the government’s will and direction, no matter our personal moral ambiguity and complacency.  We are all just glad to chew the chud and follow the herd. Why stick your neck out in this day and age?  Angus is no different to the majority of us; he just received an award for it.  Half his luck!