Philip – A Just And Fitting Honour Of Someone Who Worked Quietly Behind The Scenes With No Recognition!

January 26, 2015
Written by: Rossleigh
142 Replies

Ah, remember how the Left laughed and mocked Tony Abbott for reintroducing knighthoods and dames. Remember when Tony explained how it would work:

“There won’t be very many Knights and Dames in the Order of Australia,” Abbott said.

“There may be – I say may be – up to four a year, but they will be people of extraordinary achievement and pre-eminence and I believe that no one gets to be the Governor-General of this great Commonwealth without being a person of extraordinary achievement and pre-eminence.”

So, the first two were the outgoing Governor-General, Dame Quentin Bryce and the incoming Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. Given his suggestion that it was pretty much an automatic thing for Governors-General to be awarded this honour, there was hardly any surprise with the choice.

The question of who would be our next knights or dames was the interesting question. I’m sure many of you had sleepless nights and that many pub conversations and barbeques were dominated by wondering whether it’d be some ex-politician like John Howard, or someone with an outstanding record in the area of charity such as Peter’s more likeable brother, Tim Costello, or even, perhaps, someone who’d selflessly devoted themselves to becoming as rich as possible like Rupert or Gina.

When the name Angus Houston popped up, I thought, of course, apart from his distinguished career as a military man, he did all that work on those missing planes, and while not finding one of them cruelled his chances for Australian of The Year, a knighthood was still an appropriate reward for all his service to this country. A fine choice! And as the man himself said:

“I was very comfortable with who I am and what I am,” he said.

“It’s a great honour to be recognised in this way but I’d like people to still call me Angus.”

I’m glad he cleared that up, because had I met him I’d have wondered if I should call him Mr Houston, Chief Air Marshall or Loretta. But Angus it is. Would ‘Gus be ok too, I wonder, or is that a bit informal for someone like that.

Yes, the PM was correct to suggest that Angus had always put Australia first.

But now we had our woman, our soldier and our air force person, obviously we needed a sailor to complete the pack, otherwise the navy would feel left out. Much to everyone’s surprise, Abbott found a little known navy person, whom he wanted to recognise for his services to Australians – Prince Philip, a man that I’m sure – even if hasn’t always put Australia first – has always had us in his top forty. He was best known for his services to some of the Australian women, according to various sources, but I have no confirmation of that.

For those of you who don’t know much about this latest knight of Australia, here are a few facts:

“Prince” is not his actual first name, but a title bestowed on him at birth, when he was “Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark”. (Now that he’s been given the knighthood, it’s possible that he’ll be known as “Sir Philip” or “The Sailor Who Used To Prince”)
His family was kicked out of Greece when he was a baby – not sure why.
He joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, at the age of 18, which was a pretty bad year to join as it turned out.
He is also known as “The Duke Of Edinburgh”, and is believed to have been worried that if Scotland had voted for independence he may have had to change his title to “The Duke of Hazard”.
The “Duke Of Edinburgh” awards were actually named after him, and not the other way around.
He married his third cousin, a woman called Elizabeth with whom he began corresponding when she was 13.
He has four children, which coincidently are three boys and one girl. Just like the knighthoods awarded by Mr Abbott. Three of his children have been through a divorce, which suggests that it’s not a good family to marry into.
He commented at the 1986 “Duke of Edinburgh” Awards: “Young people are the same as they always were. Just as ignorant.”
His sisters were married to German princes, so they didn’t get an invite to his wedding in 1951. Something to do with sensitivities about Nazi connections.
He commented during the 1981 recession: “A few years ago, everybody was saying we must have more leisure, everyone’s working too much. Now everybody’s got more leisure time they’re complaining they’re unemployed. People don’t seem to make up their minds what they want.”

So, I hope you can see why this man was such an outstanding choice for our fourth knighthood (if you include the dames as part of the knighthood, it seems awkward to be saying knightandordamehoods)! The choice of Prince Philip (I wonder if he’ll suggest we just call him Angus, too) shows what an excellent idea it was to reintroduce these imperial honours and allow people who wouldn’t have access to such a high title, the chance to be recognised. When Abbott first introduced them, people suggested that it was a crazy idea, but I think you’ll all agree, that this just shows how firm a grip Abbott has on reality, and what an astute politician he really is. If we can’t honour rich men who live overseas on Australian Day, when can we?

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Margaret McMillanJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:32 am

Once I saw the report in The Guardian I came straight to this page as I knew you’d be on to it Rossleigh. So pleased that you have been able to explain it all to us. I feel much better knowing that Phillip really was a good choice, and not a demonstration of Abbott’s absolute idiocy and disrespect for Australians.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:36 am

Ah yes…..Prince Philip:

“Do you still throw spears at each other?” Speaking to Aboriginal leader Ivan Brim in Cairns in 2002.

“Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease.” When asked to pat a koala in Australia in 1992.

“It looks as if it was put in by an Indian.” Describing a fuse box at a factory in Scotland in 1999.

“If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” Said to a 1986 meeting of the World Wildlife Fund.

“Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf.” Talking to young deaf people in Wales about a steel band recital in 1999.

“How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?” Question to a Scottish driving instructor in 1995.

“You managed not to get eaten then?” Question to a British student who had been trekking on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea in 1998.

“Well, you’ll never fly in it, you’re too fat to be an astronaut.” Said to a 13-year-old while visiting the NOVA space craft at the University of Salford in Manchester in 2001.

“If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” Comment to British exchange students in Beijing in 1986.

“Do you know they have eating-dogs for the anorexic now?” Sharing a joke with a blind, wheelchair-bound woman in 2002.

“Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed.” Commentary on the deep recession in Britain in the 1980s.

“You are a women, aren’t you?” To a gift-bearing native in Kenya in 1984.

“The bastards murdered half my family.” On Russians in 1967.

“If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she is not interested.” On Princess Anne’s love of horses.

“What do you gargle with? Pebbles?” To Tom Jones after a Royal Variety Performance.

Peter FJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:41 am

At least it shows how well Abbott understands the Australian voting public: is this his parting ‘up you’ gesture?

gangey1959January 26, 2015 at 10:42 am

Hear Hear. Well spoken Bruce.
If this re- introduced tradition ( it’s a bit like bringing in more rabbits and foxes) of “Damehoods” continues beyond their disgrace of today, I think you have just Christened them the “Anguses”.
My only wish that was TA would anoint himself with one, for giving Australia the servicing it so royally deserved, and then cut his own head off when trying to do all parts of the ceremony himself, whether that be due to egomania, or the inability to trust anyone else with a sword in his presence I am not sure.

JuneJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:44 am

Another great article Roasleigh.tjank you for the clarifications. Next time I meet Sir Prince Not Angus I will know what to call him.

@Laye Lee – I confess I laughed. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t also scary.

Terry2January 26, 2015 at 11:03 am

There’s a bloke down the road from me called Phil Prince and he does some work for Meals on Wheels.

I think you’ve got the wrong bloke , I think it’s Phil – he was bringing his bin in this morning and I said ” Good morning Sir Philip” and he said, “just call me Phil ” so there you go.

Our Tone wouldn’t be giving Australian Knighthoods to people who don’t even live in Australia ; he’s not that barmy !

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:07 am

Hilarious! And thanks to Kaye, too for those clangers – Easy to see what Phil and Tones have in common.
Arise, Sir Prince Philip.

Matters NotJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:08 am

No need to get too excited. Given his recent track record, he’ll rescind these awards by Thursday.

RossleighJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:12 am

Just on a point of clarity, does he have to go down on his knees to be knighted?
And if so, is he allowed to be helped up?

And will the Queen say: “Arise Sir Phil!”

Sue-EllenJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:12 am

Mr Abbott is a gift that keeps on giving. Totally cannot fathom his logic for bestowing this ‘honour’ on Prince Phillip. On another note, I do think Prince Phillip is deliberately making jokes that are politically incorrect, he is a bit of an iconoclast.
By the way, love your article.

David StephensJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:16 am

Nice piece but note that Phil has been AC since June 1988 (Hawke government) http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=879385&search_type=simple&showInd=true. Giving him AK now probably just in response to some protocol boffin saying if he is to have one of your gongs it has to be the top one available.

GitaJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:17 am

Snort …

babyjewels10January 26, 2015 at 11:26 am

Guffaw!

SGJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:28 am

Tim Costello gets paid more for his work than bro Peter was paid as Federal Treasurer. So much for charity!

AnomanderJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:37 am

What’s wrong with you people. Our illustrious Prime Minister made an executive decision based on firm grounds. Why can’t you chardonnay swilling, latte drinking lefties just get over it and realise the adults are now in charge and they are making the important decisions for our nation!

If Tony reckons none of you dole-bludging, union joining, whinging plebs deserve such a high honour – who are you to question him or his motives?

Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:37 am

You have evidence for that SG?

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:42 am

Abbott's a moron.

And "SG" is trying desperately to show that he is Abbott's equal.

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:44 am

Yes, please, SG. A reference would be good.

Sir MattJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:45 am

So do we still call him ‘Prince Phillip’ or is he now ‘Sir Phillip the royal formerly known as Prince’?

So confused.

O'BleakJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:45 am

Heard about this on RN this morning. Immediately fell into a deep depression. I’m staying in bed til this embarrassment is over. The barnacles have become ship worms. It will all be over when I wake up? Won’t it? Please? Australia Day? Empire F*cking Day, you mean! Abbott’s a cretin. He must be. Who’s next in line for the big gong? The Pope? Sir Holiness? Just call me Hole? This can’t be happening. Can it?

KerriJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:46 am

I think Abbott is using the same protocol he uses with his rich mates. You invite me to a wedding. I allow you to dump dredge spoil on my reef. He’s done Liz a favour by lifting Phill’s spirits and Margie has been looking a bit down in the mouth of late haven’t you noticed?
How I would love to see a Labor PM can the Knight and Damehoods again just after conferring Australia’s last Dame to Australia’s first female PM!

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:53 am

Tim Costello earns $255,805 …Joe Hockey gets $365,868 plus millions in perks.

http://blog.worldvision.com.au/tim-costello-its-time-to-bust-some-obvious-myths/

Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:56 am

Beat me to it Kaye. And Tim’s finances are completely transparent unlike the donations and rorts Hockey engages in.

Also Tim doesn’t get an overly generous pension for the rest of his life from his charity.

Now watch SG disappear like so many right wingers who swoop in, make one erroneous post and never contribute again.

NoJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:57 am

Tony, you forgot to tell the royals the age of entitlement is over.

John Fraser, youre just a nasty piece of work. You throw out insults just to highlight your own idiocy?
“Abbott’s a moron.
And “SG” is trying desperately to show that he is Abbott’s equal.”

wouldnt hurt you to use the google before making such stupid comments.

How much money does CEO Tim Costello earn?
Tim’s salary is $277,000 plus superannuation and long service. His total remuneration from World Vision Australia in 2013 was $316,000.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/end-of-entitlement-culture-must-start-with-mps/story-fnbcok0h-1226835322064?nk=37c8d4507aea1a638a433c833108e8cb

The base salary for MPs is $195,130 a year.

http://www.worldvision.com.au/AboutUs/FAQsAboutWorldVisionAustralia.aspx

thats without extra perks and allowances, sure.. but what sg says is far from moronic. – maybe you got confused looking at your own reflection>?

Bighead1883January 26, 2015 at 12:01 pm

Bighead1883 ‏@Biggy1883 31m31 minutes ago
@ABCNews24 We are not amused #auspol A Duke into a Knight ,droll hey wot pic.twitter.com/udVRbwSm4i
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8PF2YVIQAE20XX.jpg

AnomanderJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:08 pm

Apparently Tony doesn’t like it when social media questions his decisions:

Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti and I think that in the media, you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media. You wouldn’t report what’s sprayed up on the walls on buildings.

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:13 pm

I am not entirely sure that the claim made by SG is incorrect.
T. Costellos’ salary of $277,000 p/a may indeed be more than the base salary his brother received as treasurer 8 years ago.
Possibly not erroneous, definitely peripheral to the subject to the point of irrelevance.

Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:14 pm

Tim Costello’s full remuneration package is openly available. Throwing in “extras and allowances” but not doing so for politicians, and on top of that comparing a base politician with a CEO of an organisation.

Disingenuous No, yes.

All you did was reinforce the wrongness of SG’s post.

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:14 pm

I can only come to one of two conclusions regarding the knighting of the foreign prince.
1 That Tony Abbott has realized that he is now broadly disrespected and repudiated by the electorate beyond any hope of redemption of his position, and is now making obviously unsupportable decisions for sheer perverse satisfaction (flipping us with a smirk).
2 Our current Prime Minister is mentally deranged.
The two are not mutually exclusive.

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:16 pm

@No

Thank you for your input.

Is your "google it" the same as newman's "google it".

Or should I use the Greg Hunt "google it" ?

Which one of your "iodicies' should I use ?

No sign of the perks of Office politicians get.

If you want to try be up to date with pay rates for Peter Costello, then try $3,300 a day for the work he did for the newman LNP government almost 3 years ago is getting closer.

Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:18 pm

Surely corvus boreus comparing a current CEO’s wage to that of a Treasurer eight years ago is disingenuous. Kaye was more on the money comparing Tim’s current remuneration to Joe’s.

Also neither SG nor No include pensions. A senior politician’s pension for life at tax payer expense is beyond generous by any standard.

MikeJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:21 pm

Great article Rossleigh,
as was your cracker of a comment. “Oohh”

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:23 pm

Möbius Ecko,
Possibly disingenuous, and, as I said, largely irrelevant to the topic of the thread.

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:26 pm

And "No"

I was just putting it out there that Abbott's a moron.

Plenty of people are coming up to me and saying "Abbott's a moron".

Google it.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/24/campbell-newman-tells-reporters-to-google-evidence-of-bikie-donations

If you have any evidence to the contrary …. show it.

little devilJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:31 pm

I be glad when the labor government next year has a Royal Commission into Abbott citizenship and they find out that Abbott hasn’t renounce his British citizenship.

All the legislations, regulations, free trade agreements etc are rescind out of the statute books

Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:32 pm

Agree crow, which is probably why the fly in flight away post was made.

It’s noticeable that Abbott has stuffed up again in yet another brain fart, and his action has barely hit the ground, yet his automatons are out throwing around distractions and attacks on anybody criticising him.

You can judge how badly Abbott has stuffed up by the rate of effort of his mindless supporters attempting to quell the fallout.

RoswellJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:38 pm

This announcement is so transparent and embarrassing. Where do I begin?

DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:39 pm

Excellent satire Ross,the incomparable Jon Stewart would enjoy using it

AnomanderJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:43 pm

Tony’s right – Social media is just a fad.

You just watch – in 1000 years time people will be saying “Social what?!?!”.

But you can rest assured whole generations in the future will long remember the name Tony Abbott, in much the same way as they remember that other great visionary leader called Adolf.

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm

Australia day awards always have some controversy.

Abbott just continues his fighting ways by adding Britain's royals into the controversy.

He just cannot get away from being a "wannabe warrior" …. hence all the posturing and awards for the military …. and his usual pugnacious style and British heritage …. which the vast majority of Australians have deleted from their history.

A complete moron …. as stated earlier.

Perhaps "bovver boy" would be more in keeping ?

Google it !

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm

“Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti…You wouldn’t report what’s sprayed up on the walls of buildings.”
Anthony Abbott 2015 AD
“Brutus are you sleeping?”
Forum graffiti 44 BC

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:11 pm

You gotta admit it was more than a little disappointing when the dame accepted her dameship… And this week having our head of state front for us in the terror terror terror kingdom. Is anyone taking bets on when the next war starts?

BlanikJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:17 pm

No must be at the straya day celebrations. I guess he’ll be back later in the day when the barrel runs dry. 🙂

LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:19 pm

Poor Rupert missed out!

Abbott’s response to the outrage on social media? “Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti and I think that in the media, you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media.”

That’s why he spends so much money monitoring what is said there and buying fans for his own Facebook page.

richard grantJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:21 pm

Terry2: thanks for the laugh. Point well made.

JexpatJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:22 pm

O’Bleak wrote: “Heard about this on RN this morning. Immediately fell into a deep depression.”

I had the opposite reaction: Own goal!

Let the ridicule begin!

aorticJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:40 pm

I would comment but I am speechless. What century is this gormless bastard in FFS!

RossleighJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:43 pm

Comment on Sydney Morning Herald article:

“First good hing he’s done and you carry on like a 2 bob watch. The children of this country need role models, people to admire and look up to, some faith. The world full of mental health, people young people going to waste with no direction and in many cases no hope for a future and now you lot chucking off bantering and deleting a few hundred years of history, you shameful little children, maybe you need the Queen to come over and put you all over her lap for a jolly good whopping, you certainly lack leadership, good citizenship and morals, so Tony has at least 3 points on all of you!!!. I have to ask is there an Ozzie among you, you certainly don’t sound Australian.”

Apart from the writer’s concern about “the world being full of mental health”, I am unsure whether we have found the only person out there prepared to support Abbott, or whether someone’s outdone me in terms of satire!

RossleighJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:45 pm

Although I’m sure that the Queen putting me on her lap for a jolly good whopping is the sort of experience some would pay a lot of money for.

Arthur BakerJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Abbott gets out of bed every morning with only two thoughts in his mind: (1) how can I maximally piss off those pesky lefties? (2) what’s the most outrageous thing I can do today to deflect attention away from our human rights atrocities on Nauru, Manus Island and while turning boats around in the Indian Ocean? It’s a “look over there! look over there!” exercise. And judging by the number of comments on this column, concerning an award which may be annoyingly 1950ish but really is of very little consequence, he has succeeded in trumps today.

For god’s sake let’s focus on the atrocities this government commits in our name every day and ignore this trivia.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:49 pm

Arthur,

We focus on the atrocities every day. Occasionally you just have to laugh.

rossleighbrisbaneJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:53 pm

Yeah, Arthur, but I think that this is a bit like saying if I turn up to work naked, it’ll distract them and nobody will notice my poor performance.

LozJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:58 pm

This man Abbott needs to be taken by the hand and quietly taken away. With this latest absurdity we now have no doubts about his sanity.

wmmbbJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:58 pm

What does Tony Abbott or the LNP gain by this announcement? How are conservative values be advanced. Backward looking does not begin to describe Abbott’s apparent folly. What does it mean that the person who comes up with this crap is the political leader of the country? My hunch is that Tony Abbott is a symptom of a democracy in deep crisis.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Can you imagine what Queenie and Prince/Duke/Sir Philip are saying to each other? I am imagining something like “Oh God I hope he doesn’t expect me to come and pick this thing up?”

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:03 pm

moron ….. a very stupid or foolish person.

I shall never resile from calling Abbott a moron.

abbienoiraudeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm

I have an idea!
Abbott did this thinking he will be needing a new job soon.
Is he ‘networking’ and putting it to the highest bidder so he can return to his beloved Britain in a new and highly paid position by Xmas 2016?

(By the way; Paying respects today, for our Nations First Peoples and how they were treated. Without a Treaty this day is a sham, as Abbott has now proved beyond reasonable doubt!).

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:11 pm

You have doubts Loz?

Michael TaylorJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm

And how much does he spend on monitoring social media?, I mean ‘graffiti’.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:17 pm

“The Abbott government has created a hub of 37 communication and social media specialists to monitor social media and offer strategic communications advice costing taxpayers almost $4.3 million a year.”

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/tony-abbott-spends-43m-on-spin-doctors-20140705-zsxlh.html

diannaartJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:20 pm

Thanks Tony Abbott – about time Prince Phillip got a guernsey for all the contribution he has made to Australia – I mean talk about way past time that this paragon of humility and benevolence was knighted – just being a prince is really oh, so limiting – you know what I mean?

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:22 pm

$4.3 million a year paying people to read shit sprayed on walls.

JexpatJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:24 pm

Arthur: Aside from not getting in on the fun, what you’re missing is that ridicule is perhaps the most powerful tool in today’s rhetorical arsenal.

We used to have satire and parody, but as Nathan Poe observed some years ago they’re no longer of much use in 21st Century.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm

What a wonderful role model for our kids…..

Volume 2 of Prince/Duke/Sir Philip’s wisdom

“It looks like the kind of thing my daughter would bring back from her school art lessons.”

– At an exhibition of ‘primitive’ Ethiopian art

“Are you all one family?”

– To Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity

“You can’t have been here long, you haven’t got a pot belly.”

– To a tourist in Budapest

“I thought it was against the law for a woman to solicit.”

– To a woman solicitor

“You look like you’re ready for bed!”

– To President of Nigeria, who was wearing national dress

“Do you work in a strip club?”

– To a female sea cadet

“Aren’t most of you descended from pirates?”

– To Cayman Islanders

“The Philippines must be half-empty – you’re all here running the NHS.”

– To a Philippine nurse in a London hospital

diannaartJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:35 pm

@ Kaye Lee

I’m betting Tony thinks Phil-baby is his REAL father.

DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:48 pm

Arthur were you a regular reader of these columns you would know, the topics covered and commented on are varied across the political spectrum and commented on at length. Fortunately we have the benefit of a couple of excellent satirical writers as well and to days chosen subject as befitting the day is the madness of Abbott.
I’m sure you agree we all need light relief from the ‘ obscenities’ usually talked about by our posters and Abbott’s latest brain fart is well worthy of the ridicule it is receiving not only throughout social media, with politicians involvement as well, but sections of the MSM are also treating this gormless fool of a PM for the nutter he is.
There are times to be serious and times for levity, Abbott usually provides those times generously.

aorticJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:56 pm

Moron: Tony Abbott Oxymoron: Tony Abbott Prime Minister.

lawrencewinderJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:57 pm

“… Loretta” ROFL
I think Captain Rabid-the-Hun has just moved much closer to the Ides of March than mere dates suggest.

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:59 pm

What do we give Andrew?

LindaJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:12 pm

Obviously the people advising Abbott must fit into the ” keep your enemies even closer ” paradigm , cos who on earth would advise him on this stupidity unless they had his demise and ridicule in mind ? Or maybe it’s another good example of ” plot loosing ” and inappropriate behaviour
( of which we now have many ) ,from frontal lobe damage sustained during his days as a boxer ?

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:15 pm

Tony Abbott could have just singlehandedly reopened the push for a republic.

When he reinstated the honours, Abbott said: “This special recognition may be extended to Australians of extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit.”

Apparently he did not consult his colleagues either – yet another captain’s pick. I am wondering how Malcolm Turnbull feels about it.

AngusMcTavishJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:16 pm

Thanks Ross, excellent article. Jexpat, I’m with you, still laughing too ridiculous….just wondering how many own goals the gubmint can absorb???

KyranJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:30 pm

So, wait a minute. Have I got this right? Houston, a Brit, is the Chair of the Council of the Order of Australia Awards. Tones recommends him and Prince someone to him as recipients of the awards, which he agrees to and refers to Queenie for confirmation. Sorry, I keep laughing. We are then meant to believe something credible is happening and two people of significance in Australia’s history are being recognised for their contributions to this once great nation. Sorry, there I go again with the laughter. I have only read these points on the internetty graffiti thing, so I can’t be sure. One can’t find a plane and the other, well, the elevator has, plainly, not gone to the top floor for a while. I swear, I haven’t had a drink yet, but these are normally the thoughts that occur when you have clearly had waaay too many. Also, all GG’s (which are, apparently, not horses) get one of these thingy’s automatically. I know Bryce got one, which she did not reject. Shorten has now restarted the republican debate, which may cause hardship with the in-laws. Rossleigh, with all of your brilliant satire, how are you ever going to beat that? Sorry, more laughter.
As with abbienoiraude, I pay my respect to our nation’s first peoples on this day. I sincerely hope they are looking at this and thinking “So, you are the smart ones?”
I’m off to the fridge! Sorry, laughing again. Take care

David StephensJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Extended version of something said earlier but with some further evidence:

It is interesting to note that the official listing by the Governor-General http://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/ad/ad2015/MediaNotes-AK.pdf gives no citation for Prince Philip’s AK whereas Angus Houston gets half a page. The words on the PM’s media statement http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015-01-26/knights-order-australia are really unofficial. This statement does note. however, that HRH originally received an AC (Military) in 1988 for “service to the Australian Defence Force as Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Australian Navy, Field Marshal in the Australian Army and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force”. (He has fired not one shot in anger in any of those jobs but leave that aside.) Note that the AC came from the Hawke Government. though.

I suspect the simple reason for HRH getting an AK now is a protocol one: given his position, it would be anomalous for him to have less than the top gong, particularly as Prince Charles has been AK since 1981 (a point also noted in the PM’s media release). Probably some Buckingham Palacel boffin or the Governor-General’s Official Secretary rang up the PM’s office to point out these anomalies and the promotion was put through. The PM’s media release was just a bit of gratuitous window-dressing to butter up the royalists and to give an upraised finger to Abbott’s opponents.

Of course, none of this denies (1) PM’s political judgement is odd, to say the least (2) the whole honours system is a crock: badges for raffia work or shoe-shining in the Brownies were far more honestly earnt.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:49 pm

I got the shoe shining badge….and the darning badge. ‘Bob a job’ morphed into ‘cents for service’. I remember our neighbour gave me 20c to clean her entire cabinet full of silver.

Sorry to be off topic but David’s comment caused a flashback to earlier days 🙂

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:54 pm

I wonder which military uniform Sir Prince Philip will wear for the occasion.

1954 – : Field Marshal of the Australian Army[22]
Australia 1959 – : Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[23]
Australia 1963 – : Colonel-in-Chief of the Australian Army Cadets[23]
Australia 1954 – : Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force[22]
Australia 1954 – : Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Australian Navy[22]

All honorary positions.

Graham HoughtonJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:32 pm

Speechless. I thought this was a spoof a la ‘The Shovel’ until my wife told me it was true. I’m still in disbelief. Please, please, please: https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/stop-this-government-s-madness

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:37 pm

I guess Phil The Greek (and Denmark) with be overjoyed at the Syriza party win, ah?

jagman48January 26, 2015 at 4:39 pm

It’s all just an April fools joke come early isn’t it. Please tell me it is. Please.

xiaoechoJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:44 pm

Last year when these Honours were announced “Mr Abbott said the honour would be extended to Australians of “extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit”.

How is Prince Phillip “an Australian of extraordinary pre-eminent achievement and merit” He has not gone beyond the bounds of his duty to Australia. He was merely doing his job.

You cannot believe a single word that comes out of Abbott’s mouth. This is the Australian Prime Minister.

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:45 pm

I dunno Jag but I reckon he might have had difficulty finding anyone else who would take the ‘honour’ – I mean why would you? Your friends and family would laff at you and in public you’d be seen as sock puppet fool.

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:50 pm

Abbott he’s such a wanker.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:54 pm

“By tapping Sir Phil, the Prime Minister has seized the morrow, striking out for an Australian future where at last the hard drinking, casually racist, insensitive old white bloke gets a fair go. Finally!”

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/prince-philip-tony-abbott-takes-australia-back-to-the-future-20150126-12y4kk.html

brickbobJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:56 pm

This is brown nosing by Tony on a scale never seen before,and if they scraped his tongue and sent it to a lab they would find the Princes DNA all over it.”’

mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:02 pm

ah yes Good Knight Tony but not just yet we want you around a little longer so we can watch you (Halal) slaughtered at the ballot box (that should do me – I feel better already)

Damo451January 26, 2015 at 5:10 pm

I dont know what all the fuss is about.
Abbott is simply acknowledging a fellow mental midget with an meaningless award.
On a side note ,i would to acknowledge the passing of a REAL Labor man ,Tom Uren ,a true Labor great who will be sadly missed.
A genuine conviction politician.
R.I.P.

DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:18 pm

Enjoyed your comments Kyran 🙂

Florence nee FedupJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:21 pm

http://media.watoday.com.au/news/federal-politics/prime-minister-on-the-rocks-6191911.html

Christine FqrmerJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:22 pm

Is this something out of Gilbert and Sullivan? For goodness’ sake, the man is a duke and a prince – why on earth would he want to be made a knight in Australia, of all places? Who do we think we are? Surely this is a send-up.

diannaartJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:49 pm

On the bright side, I guess this latest act has cleared up any doubts about which country Tony maintains allegiance.

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:59 pm

Hilarious article Rossleigh. ( I actually didn’t quite believe it – had to look it all up at first !! ).

But I am sooo gobsmacked, I can only repeat a couple of words already given here …..

….. Guffaw

and

…… Snort !!

My head is done in by this latest foolish faddy thingo by the Abbott.

Ye Gods – what next ?

musicinhillsJanuary 26, 2015 at 6:31 pm

I’ve got a mental illness, and people call me stupid, Tony Abbot has a mental illness and the Australian people vote him in to be Prime minister why can’t I be Prime minister oh forgot, I stupid, I must have been on my medication the day I did not vote for him.

Helen in NQldJanuary 26, 2015 at 6:49 pm

Isn’t it ironic that the wonderful Tom Uren died the same day as a non-Australian, born into and lived all his life in wealth and priviledge, never actually risked his life in any of the services that he is an Honorary this or that in, is recognised right around the world and spent his time living off the state gets a Knighthood? Tom Uren was born into poverty, fought and was imprisoned by the Japanese, returned home to work as a Woolworths store manager. As a politician he worked hard to improve the lot of the workers, the poor and many other struggling Australians and was also a tireless worker for the environment, yet if you walked along the beach with a photograph hardly anyone would know who he was. Maybe Australia Day should be more about acknowledging people like Tom – not royalty.

BacchusJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:08 pm

While it is true old Phil lived all his life in wealth and priviledge, he did see quite a bit of active service in the Royal Navy from 1939 until his father-in-law George carked it in 1952, meaning his Mrs became Queen Lizzie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip,_Duke_of_Edinburgh
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/28/monarchy.davidsmith

bilkoJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:10 pm

No wonder the Governor – general fled the country, next year we can expect real gender balance and lo Dame Elizabeth Windsor.

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Maybe what Tony means us to understand from this particular knighthood is that U.K. citizens are automatically Australians. Just as Phil doesn’t have to renounce his UK citizenship to become an Australian knight, Tony doesn’t have to renounce his to be PM.

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:19 pm

Dear Prince Phillip,
I just gave you a provincial knighthood. I would not mind some form of Imperial award in return.
Your servant, Tony.

Ps I Could you tell your grandsons that I have some virgin daughters who aren’t bad looking.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:37 pm

False advertising is a crime cb

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:40 pm

@ Helen in NQld.

Totally agree with every word of your comment.

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:43 pm

According to the arch royalists Sir Prince Philip has not received any pay.

corvus boreus ….. royalty is currently having enough problems with the female gender.

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:48 pm

@Corvus B.

Choking with laughter. …….. Maybe the Abbott thinks, that when it comes to light he didn’t renounced his Brit. citizenship – that Buckingham Palace will take him in, after he flees this land in disgrace ? …

Make him a Knight – or maybe the second head gardener. ? ….

Heaven help the plants.

Not sure there would be room for his daughters. !! ( oops ).

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:15 pm

One thing that truly saddens me about today – I used to have respect for Angus Houston. For him, as the Chairman of the Order of Australia, to say yes I would be a good recipient and so would the Prince, he has lost all credibility with me.

BacchusJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:26 pm

John F – Phil gets paid £359,000 pa by the UK taxpayers…

Matters NotJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:26 pm

Not sure there would be room for his daughters.

They’re not ‘underage’ these days so they would probably be passed over.

As for Angus, we don’t know his actual response. We only have Abbott’s ‘report’ of what he said. And he’s been known to ‘lie’ on at least some occasions. Just sayin …

DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:31 pm

I applaud you Helen, well said

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:35 pm

Our laughing-stock status has reached as far as Ireland:
Australia’s PM Tony Abbott defends ‘joke’ decision to award Prince Philip Australian knighthood
The Australian prime minister has defended his decision to honour the Duke of Edinburgh with a knighthood, despite a social media backlash in which many said they thought the news was a joke.
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/australias-pm-tony-abbott-defends-joke-decision-to-award-prince-philip-australian-knighthood-30936918.html

John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:39 pm

Kaye Lee

The search for Flight MH 470 is now searching an area the size of Tasmania …. they have so far finished one third of the search.

Abbott has put aside $80 million and contracted out the search.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/28/us-malaysia-airlines-idUSKBN0GS0B820140828

Chinese make up the largest number of passengers :

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/documents/2014/MH370/MH370_Passenger_Manifest.pdf

crypt0January 26, 2015 at 8:52 pm

I know the latest recipient awarded a knighthood by Toxic is not an Australian …
Not sure about the Prime Minister …
Has anyone come up with the definitive answer already ?

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:09 pm

Tony has gone viral with this one, and once again we find ourselves the subject of ridicule.

(CNN)—Prime Minister Tony Abbott has shirt-fronted the Australian public by awarding a Knighthood to a foreigner who already has a lot silverware in the pool room: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

As the nation choked on its cornflakes, many took to social media to express shock and dismay and repeat the question, “Is this a joke?”

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/25/asia/australia-day-prince-philip-knighthood/index.html

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:15 pm

@Kate ahearne …… “Our laughing-stock status has reached as far as Ireland:”

It’s reached a lot further than that Kate …… but ( no offense intended in any way here to you ) …. it is not ‘OUR’ laughing-stock status. ………. It is HIS. … The people who don’t like Aussies would say ” serves us right ” – WE are the laughing stock, but there are many more people that like us – as people – than there are that don’t. Our general ‘laid-back’ and joyful approach to life, is often envied, while it is also admired.

Unfortunately, the majority of the rest of the world, don’t realise that this cretin, and his cronies ( who incidentally are up in arms big time over his latest attempt at grand-ploy-blunders ) are not privy to the fact that he fell into Government largely on the preferences given ( preferences were not apparent on voting blurb availabe at the time of the election ). A 3.6% swing – hardly a landslide victory.

We call him a nut-case – but perhaps he seriously IS in need of rapid medical intervention. … which for anyone is sad. ,…. Meantime we suffer at his hands. .. When is someone who has some clout, going to come out up front and question this persons’ ability to govern or lead a party ? Or – perhaps – are they feeling ‘ sorry ‘ for a genuinely disturbed individual. ?

Feeling ‘sorry’ for him won’t get us – or him – anywhere.

Beyond these few words, I feel speechless – at the ridiculous scenarios that are being painted not just weekly, but almost daily now – by this ‘elected’ leader of our country ? It’s become sickening – and sad.

I think a major revolt is looming – from within his own party. …

At least I sincerely hope it is – ( sure looks like it, at this moment ).

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:22 pm

Yes, Annie, a major revolt is certainly brewing. But, unfortunately, the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd scenario is just too scary for members of the current government to get past at the moment. Bad and all as things are for them (and for us), they’ll probably need to get a lot worse before Tony gets tapped on the shoulder.
And you’re right – HE’S the nutcase, but we did elect him, and even if it wasn’t a landslide, it was pretty silly of us.

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:33 pm

As I stand on land that I acknowledge, by the simple stint of historical reality, to be the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggir people, I shake my head that, in his address to the nation, the PM and Minister for Indigenous Affairs claims that mere ‘recognition’ of the fact of the existence of these Australians represents “generous” inclusion.

DanDarkJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:38 pm

Tones is looking for a title for his new book soon to be released I reckon
it will be either, Dames Of Our lives or Days of Our Knights
Why else did Tones reinstate the archaic titles from the “Mother Land”

How does someone get to run a country that has a “mental illness’ and no future thinking vision
Look around the world there a plenty of them just like our mental midget Tones…

Old Phil the dill is just that a serial offender, and has enough titles and badges, at 90 something I am sure
he couldn’t give a stuff, it would be just something else for the old geezer to have to remember 🙂

Damo451January 26, 2015 at 9:42 pm

Kate Ahearne ,i didn’t vote for this idiot nor did many others.
I don’t think you could honestly claim all of us were that stupid. Many people were smart enough to see the bleeding obvious ,others were not.

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:45 pm

If only the non-indigenous people of this country understood the term custodian. If only our politicians realised that their term in office is temporary and that they are the custodians of our common wealth. If only they nurtured and grew our assets rather than selling them off to their mates so they can depart in a few years to take up a consultancy or go on the after-dinner speaking tour (though I can’t see Tony being in high demand). If only they used our common wealth to invest for our future but no – we are the knights of no and we want a surplus!

Tony is grabbing his moment and using it to his obsequious utmost. What a snivelly little man he is.

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:48 pm

Damo. It was a royal ‘we’ – as in, we, the electorate. I certainly didn’t claim that we are all ‘that stupid’, as you put it.

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:54 pm

Kaye Lee – ref. the MH370 plane search … $80 million ‘put aside’. …. That’s $80 million out of our coffers ( over a period of time ) that could have gone to any number of worthy organisations, that ‘he’ has shut down.

Do you know if the Chinese have put in a few more cents here and there, to search for their own people ?
Abbott’s excuses ( 9 months back admittedly ) …. I doubt would have changed.

….. “Mr Abbott has deflected questions about cost by confirming last month that each country had been bearing its own costs for the challenging search.” ….. More deflections, more obfuscation, more hiding of intentions from the Australian public.

……….

Damo451January 26, 2015 at 9:55 pm

Point taken Kate

kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:00 pm

Damo – You’re welcome, fellow Aussie voter. The power is ours!

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:00 pm

Ref : CNN’s immediate response. …. It is very unusual for the U.S. media to take up anything that happens in the Antipodes. But this one has hit the big time. !! Have read the article, and don’t see it as us being in ridicule – rather where ridicule should be pointed – at the Prime Monster.

The fact that they reprinted a comment attributed to Abbott …. ” At the time, Abbott said the honor of becoming a “Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia” would be extended to “Australians of extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit.” would indicate that they are pointing the finger at him. …

In the case of this outrageous ‘honor’ bestowed upon Prince Philip, they seem to be on the side of the Australian population, who have to put up with all this crap.

… “extended to Australians ?” … yeah right. …. it happened … but not in the case of Philip, D of E.

No doubt, tomorrow will bring forth another gaffe, that he hopes ( in his obviously befuddled state of mind ) will put the Australia Day mess behind him, and move on to more uproar and deliberate upheaval.

He sure loves publicity, don’t ‘e ?. All horrid, but sad as well – for everyone concerned.

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:02 pm

I em, youse is, we’s all ‘strayan!

Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:08 pm

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8RXcNUCcAA3zUG.png

Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:11 pm

Puleeze Corvus. …. I didn’t want to laugh … but now goshdammit – I am,. ROFL. …

Um … thank you ( I think ).

Nah – a big thank you … needed something like a giggle over this lot.

p.s. What happened to your added comment ” and dem uvvers” …

I saw it – and it has now disappeared ??

corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:25 pm

‘Cept dem uvverz. Daze un’strayan.
Oi Oi OI!

Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:37 pm

I went to the Olympics in Sydney. It truly was an uplifting experience full of Aussie spirit and humour. Aside from the thousands of volunteers who did an amazing job, strangers made eye contact. They asked people who looked as if they were lost if they could help.

People were also hell funny. The soccer was a hoot. Every header the whole crowd grunted in unison. When the kiwis played we yelled kiwi kiwi kiwi baaa baaa baaa. When China played we yelled People’s Republic of China People’s Republic of China People’s Republic of China ….oi oi oi. That sort of togetherness has been lost in a brief few years since Tony Abbott went on his fear campaign.

Tony may be busy scraping barnacles but who will excise this festering carbuncle?

JexpatJanuary 27, 2015 at 12:50 am

Too bad CNN didn’t pick up on the $4.3 million of taxpayer’s money the LNP wasted on monitoring “electronic graffiti.”

But then, hypocrisy and digital snooping is so rife in the states that they probably didn’t think it was worth mentioning.

oldfartJanuary 27, 2015 at 8:31 am

So if Tony the phony turns out to be of dual citizenship and having to repay every cent he got from us, would it follow that every decision he or his government ever made or enacted would be null and void? All those who knew of his dual citizenship within the parliament would also be prosecuted and probably jailed, all the gongs he made a “captains call” on would have to be rescinded.

Don’t worry about this Tony, it’s only graffiti. Worry about the graffiti on the voting slips that consign you and your self serving mates to the garbage can of a sad period in our history .

Pudd'nheadJanuary 27, 2015 at 8:34 am

Ozstrayens all lettuce rejoice
But in spite of all temptations
To belong to other nations
He remains an English man. (Thanks to W.S. Gilbert)

Note: Am trying to move the graffiti a bit up market to allay any possible objections and derogatory summations about the value of wall writings.

staffordhallstuff meJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:44 am

Says it all really… just where is the reality with this government?

Kaye LeeJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:51 am

When my sister was little she thought the anthem said “Australian sunset ostriches” – that would actually be far more applicable now as there is nothing to rejoice about with this shambles of a government who either have their head in the sand or up someone’s orifice.

HarquebusJanuary 27, 2015 at 10:43 am

My heroes are the thousands of community volunteers who, donate their time and their effort for no recognition, no reward and no glory.

diannaartJanuary 27, 2015 at 10:54 am

@ kate ahearne

Maybe what Tony means us to understand from this particular knighthood is that U.K. citizens are automatically Australians. Just as Phil doesn’t have to renounce his UK citizenship to become an Australian knight, Tony doesn’t have to renounce his to be PM.

You have nailed it. You have assembled the very vague thoughts that were swirling in my head into the clear and ignorant aims of our PM.

No wonder he doesn’t give a shit about his citizenship – he considers being born in old Blighty good enough for the likes of us.

Of course, in the mind of Abbott, Australia is and forever will be part of the British Commonwealth – we, the Australian riffraff, were being ‘signaled’.

We’d just better learn to mind our places, next Tony will be offering Prince Charles permanent digs in Canberra – else what are all the renovations at the Lodge for?

kathysutherland2013January 27, 2015 at 1:17 pm

I thought it must have been April Fools’ Day and someone got the dates wrong!

Peter FJanuary 27, 2015 at 2:56 pm

I have heard of , but know little about, the madness of King George. Can any one enlighten me: are there any parallels?

Sir ScotchMisteryJanuary 27, 2015 at 3:05 pm

gangey1959 suggests Abbott “anoint” himself. I agree with a proviso.

Rather than anoint himself with a Dame-hood, as minister for women, he try lighter fluid, available in 500 ml containers, somewhere near a committed accidental smoker.

This would then allow the country to see that we smokers aren’t all a net burden on the economy, but that we too can contribute in diverse ways.

Rob31January 27, 2015 at 3:51 pm

I think if Abbott wanted to really go out with a bang he should have extended a Knighthood to Campbell Newman instead.
The more I think about the resulting headlines and comments, plus the uproar within both the Coalition and the LNP, the more I find myself giggling 🙂

DavidJanuary 27, 2015 at 3:52 pm

Peter here is a summary of the health problems suffered by King George 111. I don’t think in reality there is much comparison between the two illness of him and Abbott. Medical assistance in Georges time for mental problems was practically non existent as you will read here.
https://suite.io/brenda-ralph-lewis/2t6b22j

RossleighJanuary 27, 2015 at 4:00 pm

Yep, I think this about sums it up…

AlistairJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:23 pm

This has left me utterly at a loss as to how to prepare for next Orstralia Day. On neither side of the family do we have any surviving relatives that call Britain “Home” or “The Mother Country”, so we have no advice and have to work this out de novo for ourselves. My wife and I have agreed that the first action must be to put down the Shi Tzu to make room for the Corgis. I’m trying to locate my copy of “Rule Britannia” to play next Orstralia Day, but have to admit I seem to have misplaced it. My Orstralianess must therefore come under a cloud. And, I ask myself, what if our esteemed Prime Minister raises the bar for next Orstralia Day? Am I prepared? Do I need Union Jack Underwear? An Elizabethan frill? I’m doing my best but I need some advice here. Looking forward to your help. Regards.

corvus boreusJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:55 pm

The beauty is the subversion. Commoners now dub royalty.

Sir ScotchMisteryJanuary 28, 2015 at 10:52 am

I can’t wear a political T-Shirt into the polling place, but I can wear vegetables.

So my T-shirt will have

“ADD SOME’ with a piece of broccoli attached below.

I will also have a carrot in my knickers

janeJanuary 31, 2015 at 1:25 pm

Just to clear up gongs for GGs. apparently they can’t not accept them, but can choose not to be addressed as Dame or Sir, which Quentin Bryce has chosen to do.

As for HRH Sir Prince Phil the Greek/Dane, does this “Honour” mean he slips down the pecking order to a common or garden knight, never again to be HRH or His Dukeness? Will he now have to walk 100m behind his wife and go to the Standing Room Only section of Westminster Abbey?

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Margaret McMillanJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:32 am

Once I saw the report in The Guardian I came straight to this page as I knew you’d be on to it Rossleigh. So pleased that you have been able to explain it all to us. I feel much better knowing that Phillip really was a good choice, and not a demonstration of Abbott’s absolute idiocy and disrespect for Australians.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:36 am

Ah yes…..Prince Philip:

“Do you still throw spears at each other?” Speaking to Aboriginal leader Ivan Brim in Cairns in 2002.

“Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease.” When asked to pat a koala in Australia in 1992.

“It looks as if it was put in by an Indian.” Describing a fuse box at a factory in Scotland in 1999.

“If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” Said to a 1986 meeting of the World Wildlife Fund.

“Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf.” Talking to young deaf people in Wales about a steel band recital in 1999.

“How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?” Question to a Scottish driving instructor in 1995.

“You managed not to get eaten then?” Question to a British student who had been trekking on the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea in 1998.

“Well, you’ll never fly in it, you’re too fat to be an astronaut.” Said to a 13-year-old while visiting the NOVA space craft at the University of Salford in Manchester in 2001.

“If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” Comment to British exchange students in Beijing in 1986.

“Do you know they have eating-dogs for the anorexic now?” Sharing a joke with a blind, wheelchair-bound woman in 2002.

“Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed.” Commentary on the deep recession in Britain in the 1980s.

“You are a women, aren’t you?” To a gift-bearing native in Kenya in 1984.

“The bastards murdered half my family.” On Russians in 1967.

“If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she is not interested.” On Princess Anne’s love of horses.

“What do you gargle with? Pebbles?” To Tom Jones after a Royal Variety Performance.
Peter FJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:41 am

At least it shows how well Abbott understands the Australian voting public: is this his parting ‘up you’ gesture?
gangey1959January 26, 2015 at 10:42 am

Hear Hear. Well spoken Bruce.
If this re- introduced tradition ( it’s a bit like bringing in more rabbits and foxes) of “Damehoods” continues beyond their disgrace of today, I think you have just Christened them the “Anguses”.
My only wish that was TA would anoint himself with one, for giving Australia the servicing it so royally deserved, and then cut his own head off when trying to do all parts of the ceremony himself, whether that be due to egomania, or the inability to trust anyone else with a sword in his presence I am not sure.
JuneJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:44 am

Another great article Roasleigh.tjank you for the clarifications. Next time I meet Sir Prince Not Angus I will know what to call him.

@Laye Lee – I confess I laughed. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t also scary.
Terry2January 26, 2015 at 11:03 am

There’s a bloke down the road from me called Phil Prince and he does some work for Meals on Wheels.

I think you’ve got the wrong bloke , I think it’s Phil – he was bringing his bin in this morning and I said ” Good morning Sir Philip” and he said, “just call me Phil ” so there you go.

Our Tone wouldn’t be giving Australian Knighthoods to people who don’t even live in Australia ; he’s not that barmy !
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:07 am

Hilarious! And thanks to Kaye, too for those clangers – Easy to see what Phil and Tones have in common.
Arise, Sir Prince Philip.
Matters NotJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:08 am

No need to get too excited. Given his recent track record, he’ll rescind these awards by Thursday.
RossleighJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:12 am

Just on a point of clarity, does he have to go down on his knees to be knighted?
And if so, is he allowed to be helped up?

And will the Queen say: “Arise Sir Phil!”
Sue-EllenJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:12 am

Mr Abbott is a gift that keeps on giving. Totally cannot fathom his logic for bestowing this ‘honour’ on Prince Phillip. On another note, I do think Prince Phillip is deliberately making jokes that are politically incorrect, he is a bit of an iconoclast.
By the way, love your article.
David StephensJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:16 am

Nice piece but note that Phil has been AC since June 1988 (Hawke government) http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=879385&search_type=simple&showInd=true. Giving him AK now probably just in response to some protocol boffin saying if he is to have one of your gongs it has to be the top one available.
GitaJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:17 am

Snort …
babyjewels10January 26, 2015 at 11:26 am

Guffaw!
SGJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:28 am

Tim Costello gets paid more for his work than bro Peter was paid as Federal Treasurer. So much for charity!
AnomanderJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:37 am

What’s wrong with you people. Our illustrious Prime Minister made an executive decision based on firm grounds. Why can’t you chardonnay swilling, latte drinking lefties just get over it and realise the adults are now in charge and they are making the important decisions for our nation!

If Tony reckons none of you dole-bludging, union joining, whinging plebs deserve such a high honour – who are you to question him or his motives?
Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:37 am

You have evidence for that SG?
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:42 am

<

Abbott's a moron.

And "SG" is trying desperately to show that he is Abbott's equal.
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:44 am

Yes, please, SG. A reference would be good.
Sir MattJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:45 am

So do we still call him ‘Prince Phillip’ or is he now ‘Sir Phillip the royal formerly known as Prince’?

So confused.
O'BleakJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:45 am

Heard about this on RN this morning. Immediately fell into a deep depression. I’m staying in bed til this embarrassment is over. The barnacles have become ship worms. It will all be over when I wake up? Won’t it? Please? Australia Day? Empire F*cking Day, you mean! Abbott’s a cretin. He must be. Who’s next in line for the big gong? The Pope? Sir Holiness? Just call me Hole? This can’t be happening. Can it?
KerriJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:46 am

I think Abbott is using the same protocol he uses with his rich mates. You invite me to a wedding. I allow you to dump dredge spoil on my reef. He’s done Liz a favour by lifting Phill’s spirits and Margie has been looking a bit down in the mouth of late haven’t you noticed?
How I would love to see a Labor PM can the Knight and Damehoods again just after conferring Australia’s last Dame to Australia’s first female PM!
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:53 am

Tim Costello earns $255,805 …Joe Hockey gets $365,868 plus millions in perks.

http://blog.worldvision.com.au/tim-costello-its-time-to-bust-some-obvious-myths/
Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:56 am

Beat me to it Kaye. And Tim’s finances are completely transparent unlike the donations and rorts Hockey engages in.

Also Tim doesn’t get an overly generous pension for the rest of his life from his charity.

Now watch SG disappear like so many right wingers who swoop in, make one erroneous post and never contribute again.
NoJanuary 26, 2015 at 11:57 am

Tony, you forgot to tell the royals the age of entitlement is over.

John Fraser, youre just a nasty piece of work. You throw out insults just to highlight your own idiocy?
“Abbott’s a moron.
And “SG” is trying desperately to show that he is Abbott’s equal.”

wouldnt hurt you to use the google before making such stupid comments.

How much money does CEO Tim Costello earn?
Tim’s salary is $277,000 plus superannuation and long service. His total remuneration from World Vision Australia in 2013 was $316,000.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/end-of-entitlement-culture-must-start-with-mps/story-fnbcok0h-1226835322064?nk=37c8d4507aea1a638a433c833108e8cb

The base salary for MPs is $195,130 a year.

http://www.worldvision.com.au/AboutUs/FAQsAboutWorldVisionAustralia.aspx

thats without extra perks and allowances, sure.. but what sg says is far from moronic. – maybe you got confused looking at your own reflection>?
Bighead1883January 26, 2015 at 12:01 pm

Bighead1883 ‏@Biggy1883 31m31 minutes ago
@ABCNews24 We are not amused #auspol A Duke into a Knight ,droll hey wot pic.twitter.com/udVRbwSm4i
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8PF2YVIQAE20XX.jpg
AnomanderJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:08 pm

Apparently Tony doesn’t like it when social media questions his decisions:

Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti and I think that in the media, you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media. You wouldn’t report what’s sprayed up on the walls on buildings.
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:13 pm

I am not entirely sure that the claim made by SG is incorrect.
T. Costellos’ salary of $277,000 p/a may indeed be more than the base salary his brother received as treasurer 8 years ago.
Possibly not erroneous, definitely peripheral to the subject to the point of irrelevance.
Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:14 pm

Tim Costello’s full remuneration package is openly available. Throwing in “extras and allowances” but not doing so for politicians, and on top of that comparing a base politician with a CEO of an organisation.

Disingenuous No, yes.

All you did was reinforce the wrongness of SG’s post.
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:14 pm

I can only come to one of two conclusions regarding the knighting of the foreign prince.
1 That Tony Abbott has realized that he is now broadly disrespected and repudiated by the electorate beyond any hope of redemption of his position, and is now making obviously unsupportable decisions for sheer perverse satisfaction (flipping us with a smirk).
2 Our current Prime Minister is mentally deranged.
The two are not mutually exclusive.
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:16 pm

<

@No

Thank you for your input.

Is your "google it" the same as newman's "google it".

Or should I use the Greg Hunt "google it" ?

Which one of your "iodicies' should I use ?

No sign of the perks of Office politicians get.

If you want to try be up to date with pay rates for Peter Costello, then try $3,300 a day for the work he did for the newman LNP government almost 3 years ago is getting closer.
Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:18 pm

Surely corvus boreus comparing a current CEO’s wage to that of a Treasurer eight years ago is disingenuous. Kaye was more on the money comparing Tim’s current remuneration to Joe’s.

Also neither SG nor No include pensions. A senior politician’s pension for life at tax payer expense is beyond generous by any standard.
MikeJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:21 pm

Great article Rossleigh,
as was your cracker of a comment. “Oohh”
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:23 pm

Möbius Ecko,
Possibly disingenuous, and, as I said, largely irrelevant to the topic of the thread.
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:26 pm

<

And "No"

I was just putting it out there that Abbott's a moron.

Plenty of people are coming up to me and saying "Abbott's a moron".

Google it.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/24/campbell-newman-tells-reporters-to-google-evidence-of-bikie-donations

If you have any evidence to the contrary …. show it.
little devilJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:31 pm

I be glad when the labor government next year has a Royal Commission into Abbott citizenship and they find out that Abbott hasn’t renounce his British citizenship.

All the legislations, regulations, free trade agreements etc are rescind out of the statute books
Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:32 pm

Agree crow, which is probably why the fly in flight away post was made.

It’s noticeable that Abbott has stuffed up again in yet another brain fart, and his action has barely hit the ground, yet his automatons are out throwing around distractions and attacks on anybody criticising him.

You can judge how badly Abbott has stuffed up by the rate of effort of his mindless supporters attempting to quell the fallout.
RoswellJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:38 pm

This announcement is so transparent and embarrassing. Where do I begin?
DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:39 pm

Excellent satire Ross,the incomparable Jon Stewart would enjoy using it
AnomanderJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:43 pm

Tony’s right – Social media is just a fad.

You just watch – in 1000 years time people will be saying “Social what?!?!”.

But you can rest assured whole generations in the future will long remember the name Tony Abbott, in much the same way as they remember that other great visionary leader called Adolf.
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm

<

Australia day awards always have some controversy.

Abbott just continues his fighting ways by adding Britain's royals into the controversy.

He just cannot get away from being a "wannabe warrior" …. hence all the posturing and awards for the military …. and his usual pugnacious style and British heritage …. which the vast majority of Australians have deleted from their history.

A complete moron …. as stated earlier.

Perhaps "bovver boy" would be more in keeping ?

Google it !
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm

“Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti…You wouldn’t report what’s sprayed up on the walls of buildings.”
Anthony Abbott 2015 AD
“Brutus are you sleeping?”
Forum graffiti 44 BC
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:11 pm

You gotta admit it was more than a little disappointing when the dame accepted her dameship… And this week having our head of state front for us in the terror terror terror kingdom. Is anyone taking bets on when the next war starts?
BlanikJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:17 pm

No must be at the straya day celebrations. I guess he’ll be back later in the day when the barrel runs dry. 🙂
LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:19 pm

Poor Rupert missed out!

Abbott’s response to the outrage on social media? “Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti and I think that in the media, you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media.”

That’s why he spends so much money monitoring what is said there and buying fans for his own Facebook page.
richard grantJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:21 pm

Terry2: thanks for the laugh. Point well made.
JexpatJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:22 pm

O’Bleak wrote: “Heard about this on RN this morning. Immediately fell into a deep depression.”

I had the opposite reaction: Own goal!

Let the ridicule begin!
aorticJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:40 pm

I would comment but I am speechless. What century is this gormless bastard in FFS!
RossleighJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:43 pm

Comment on Sydney Morning Herald article:

“First good hing he’s done and you carry on like a 2 bob watch. The children of this country need role models, people to admire and look up to, some faith. The world full of mental health, people young people going to waste with no direction and in many cases no hope for a future and now you lot chucking off bantering and deleting a few hundred years of history, you shameful little children, maybe you need the Queen to come over and put you all over her lap for a jolly good whopping, you certainly lack leadership, good citizenship and morals, so Tony has at least 3 points on all of you!!!. I have to ask is there an Ozzie among you, you certainly don’t sound Australian.”

Apart from the writer’s concern about “the world being full of mental health”, I am unsure whether we have found the only person out there prepared to support Abbott, or whether someone’s outdone me in terms of satire!
RossleighJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:45 pm

Although I’m sure that the Queen putting me on her lap for a jolly good whopping is the sort of experience some would pay a lot of money for.
Arthur BakerJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:47 pm

Abbott gets out of bed every morning with only two thoughts in his mind: (1) how can I maximally piss off those pesky lefties? (2) what’s the most outrageous thing I can do today to deflect attention away from our human rights atrocities on Nauru, Manus Island and while turning boats around in the Indian Ocean? It’s a “look over there! look over there!” exercise. And judging by the number of comments on this column, concerning an award which may be annoyingly 1950ish but really is of very little consequence, he has succeeded in trumps today.

For god’s sake let’s focus on the atrocities this government commits in our name every day and ignore this trivia.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:49 pm

Arthur,

We focus on the atrocities every day. Occasionally you just have to laugh.
rossleighbrisbaneJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:53 pm

Yeah, Arthur, but I think that this is a bit like saying if I turn up to work naked, it’ll distract them and nobody will notice my poor performance.
LozJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:58 pm

This man Abbott needs to be taken by the hand and quietly taken away. With this latest absurdity we now have no doubts about his sanity.
wmmbbJanuary 26, 2015 at 1:58 pm

What does Tony Abbott or the LNP gain by this announcement? How are conservative values be advanced. Backward looking does not begin to describe Abbott’s apparent folly. What does it mean that the person who comes up with this crap is the political leader of the country? My hunch is that Tony Abbott is a symptom of a democracy in deep crisis.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Can you imagine what Queenie and Prince/Duke/Sir Philip are saying to each other? I am imagining something like “Oh God I hope he doesn’t expect me to come and pick this thing up?”
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:03 pm

<

moron ….. a very stupid or foolish person.

I shall never resile from calling Abbott a moron.
abbienoiraudeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm

I have an idea!
Abbott did this thinking he will be needing a new job soon.
Is he ‘networking’ and putting it to the highest bidder so he can return to his beloved Britain in a new and highly paid position by Xmas 2016?

(By the way; Paying respects today, for our Nations First Peoples and how they were treated. Without a Treaty this day is a sham, as Abbott has now proved beyond reasonable doubt!).
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:11 pm

You have doubts Loz?
Michael TaylorJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm

And how much does he spend on monitoring social media?, I mean ‘graffiti’.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:17 pm

“The Abbott government has created a hub of 37 communication and social media specialists to monitor social media and offer strategic communications advice costing taxpayers almost $4.3 million a year.”

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/tony-abbott-spends-43m-on-spin-doctors-20140705-zsxlh.html
diannaartJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:20 pm

Thanks Tony Abbott – about time Prince Phillip got a guernsey for all the contribution he has made to Australia – I mean talk about way past time that this paragon of humility and benevolence was knighted – just being a prince is really oh, so limiting – you know what I mean?
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:22 pm

$4.3 million a year paying people to read shit sprayed on walls.
JexpatJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:24 pm

Arthur: Aside from not getting in on the fun, what you’re missing is that ridicule is perhaps the most powerful tool in today’s rhetorical arsenal.

We used to have satire and parody, but as Nathan Poe observed some years ago they’re no longer of much use in 21st Century.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:32 pm

What a wonderful role model for our kids…..

Volume 2 of Prince/Duke/Sir Philip’s wisdom

“It looks like the kind of thing my daughter would bring back from her school art lessons.”

– At an exhibition of ‘primitive’ Ethiopian art

“Are you all one family?”

– To Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity

“You can’t have been here long, you haven’t got a pot belly.”

– To a tourist in Budapest

“I thought it was against the law for a woman to solicit.”

– To a woman solicitor

“You look like you’re ready for bed!”

– To President of Nigeria, who was wearing national dress

“Do you work in a strip club?”

– To a female sea cadet

“Aren’t most of you descended from pirates?”

– To Cayman Islanders

“The Philippines must be half-empty – you’re all here running the NHS.”

– To a Philippine nurse in a London hospital
diannaartJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:35 pm

@ Kaye Lee

I’m betting Tony thinks Phil-baby is his REAL father.
DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:48 pm

Arthur were you a regular reader of these columns you would know, the topics covered and commented on are varied across the political spectrum and commented on at length. Fortunately we have the benefit of a couple of excellent satirical writers as well and to days chosen subject as befitting the day is the madness of Abbott.
I’m sure you agree we all need light relief from the ‘ obscenities’ usually talked about by our posters and Abbott’s latest brain fart is well worthy of the ridicule it is receiving not only throughout social media, with politicians involvement as well, but sections of the MSM are also treating this gormless fool of a PM for the nutter he is.
There are times to be serious and times for levity, Abbott usually provides those times generously.
aorticJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:56 pm

Moron: Tony Abbott Oxymoron: Tony Abbott Prime Minister.
lawrencewinderJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:57 pm

“… Loretta” ROFL
I think Captain Rabid-the-Hun has just moved much closer to the Ides of March than mere dates suggest.
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 2:59 pm

What do we give Andrew?
LindaJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:12 pm

Obviously the people advising Abbott must fit into the ” keep your enemies even closer ” paradigm , cos who on earth would advise him on this stupidity unless they had his demise and ridicule in mind ? Or maybe it’s another good example of ” plot loosing ” and inappropriate behaviour
( of which we now have many ) ,from frontal lobe damage sustained during his days as a boxer ?
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:15 pm

Tony Abbott could have just singlehandedly reopened the push for a republic.

When he reinstated the honours, Abbott said: “This special recognition may be extended to Australians of extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit.”

Apparently he did not consult his colleagues either – yet another captain’s pick. I am wondering how Malcolm Turnbull feels about it.
AngusMcTavishJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:16 pm

Thanks Ross, excellent article. Jexpat, I’m with you, still laughing too ridiculous….just wondering how many own goals the gubmint can absorb???
KyranJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:30 pm

So, wait a minute. Have I got this right? Houston, a Brit, is the Chair of the Council of the Order of Australia Awards. Tones recommends him and Prince someone to him as recipients of the awards, which he agrees to and refers to Queenie for confirmation. Sorry, I keep laughing. We are then meant to believe something credible is happening and two people of significance in Australia’s history are being recognised for their contributions to this once great nation. Sorry, there I go again with the laughter. I have only read these points on the internetty graffiti thing, so I can’t be sure. One can’t find a plane and the other, well, the elevator has, plainly, not gone to the top floor for a while. I swear, I haven’t had a drink yet, but these are normally the thoughts that occur when you have clearly had waaay too many. Also, all GG’s (which are, apparently, not horses) get one of these thingy’s automatically. I know Bryce got one, which she did not reject. Shorten has now restarted the republican debate, which may cause hardship with the in-laws. Rossleigh, with all of your brilliant satire, how are you ever going to beat that? Sorry, more laughter.
As with abbienoiraude, I pay my respect to our nation’s first peoples on this day. I sincerely hope they are looking at this and thinking “So, you are the smart ones?”
I’m off to the fridge! Sorry, laughing again. Take care
David StephensJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:44 pm

Extended version of something said earlier but with some further evidence:

It is interesting to note that the official listing by the Governor-General http://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/ad/ad2015/MediaNotes-AK.pdf gives no citation for Prince Philip’s AK whereas Angus Houston gets half a page. The words on the PM’s media statement http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2015-01-26/knights-order-australia are really unofficial. This statement does note. however, that HRH originally received an AC (Military) in 1988 for “service to the Australian Defence Force as Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Australian Navy, Field Marshal in the Australian Army and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force”. (He has fired not one shot in anger in any of those jobs but leave that aside.) Note that the AC came from the Hawke Government. though.

I suspect the simple reason for HRH getting an AK now is a protocol one: given his position, it would be anomalous for him to have less than the top gong, particularly as Prince Charles has been AK since 1981 (a point also noted in the PM’s media release). Probably some Buckingham Palacel boffin or the Governor-General’s Official Secretary rang up the PM’s office to point out these anomalies and the promotion was put through. The PM’s media release was just a bit of gratuitous window-dressing to butter up the royalists and to give an upraised finger to Abbott’s opponents.

Of course, none of this denies (1) PM’s political judgement is odd, to say the least (2) the whole honours system is a crock: badges for raffia work or shoe-shining in the Brownies were far more honestly earnt.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:49 pm

I got the shoe shining badge….and the darning badge. ‘Bob a job’ morphed into ‘cents for service’. I remember our neighbour gave me 20c to clean her entire cabinet full of silver.

Sorry to be off topic but David’s comment caused a flashback to earlier days 🙂
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 3:54 pm

<

I wonder which military uniform Sir Prince Philip will wear for the occasion.

1954 – : Field Marshal of the Australian Army[22]
Australia 1959 – : Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[23]
Australia 1963 – : Colonel-in-Chief of the Australian Army Cadets[23]
Australia 1954 – : Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force[22]
Australia 1954 – : Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Australian Navy[22]

All honorary positions.
Graham HoughtonJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:32 pm

Speechless. I thought this was a spoof a la ‘The Shovel’ until my wife told me it was true. I’m still in disbelief. Please, please, please: https://www.communityrun.org/petitions/stop-this-government-s-madness
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:37 pm

I guess Phil The Greek (and Denmark) with be overjoyed at the Syriza party win, ah?
jagman48January 26, 2015 at 4:39 pm

It’s all just an April fools joke come early isn’t it. Please tell me it is. Please.
xiaoechoJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:44 pm

Last year when these Honours were announced “Mr Abbott said the honour would be extended to Australians of “extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit”.

How is Prince Phillip “an Australian of extraordinary pre-eminent achievement and merit” He has not gone beyond the bounds of his duty to Australia. He was merely doing his job.

You cannot believe a single word that comes out of Abbott’s mouth. This is the Australian Prime Minister.
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:45 pm

I dunno Jag but I reckon he might have had difficulty finding anyone else who would take the ‘honour’ – I mean why would you? Your friends and family would laff at you and in public you’d be seen as sock puppet fool.
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:50 pm

Abbott he’s such a wanker.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:54 pm

“By tapping Sir Phil, the Prime Minister has seized the morrow, striking out for an Australian future where at last the hard drinking, casually racist, insensitive old white bloke gets a fair go. Finally!”

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/prince-philip-tony-abbott-takes-australia-back-to-the-future-20150126-12y4kk.html
brickbobJanuary 26, 2015 at 4:56 pm

This is brown nosing by Tony on a scale never seen before,and if they scraped his tongue and sent it to a lab they would find the Princes DNA all over it.”’
mark delmegeJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:02 pm

ah yes Good Knight Tony but not just yet we want you around a little longer so we can watch you (Halal) slaughtered at the ballot box (that should do me – I feel better already)
Damo451January 26, 2015 at 5:10 pm

I dont know what all the fuss is about.
Abbott is simply acknowledging a fellow mental midget with an meaningless award.
On a side note ,i would to acknowledge the passing of a REAL Labor man ,Tom Uren ,a true Labor great who will be sadly missed.
A genuine conviction politician.
R.I.P.
DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:18 pm

Enjoyed your comments Kyran 🙂
Florence nee FedupJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:21 pm

http://media.watoday.com.au/news/federal-politics/prime-minister-on-the-rocks-6191911.html
Christine FqrmerJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:22 pm

Is this something out of Gilbert and Sullivan? For goodness’ sake, the man is a duke and a prince – why on earth would he want to be made a knight in Australia, of all places? Who do we think we are? Surely this is a send-up.
diannaartJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:49 pm

On the bright side, I guess this latest act has cleared up any doubts about which country Tony maintains allegiance.
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 5:59 pm

Hilarious article Rossleigh. ( I actually didn’t quite believe it – had to look it all up at first !! ).

But I am sooo gobsmacked, I can only repeat a couple of words already given here …..

….. Guffaw

and

…… Snort !!

My head is done in by this latest foolish faddy thingo by the Abbott.

Ye Gods – what next ?
musicinhillsJanuary 26, 2015 at 6:31 pm

I’ve got a mental illness, and people call me stupid, Tony Abbot has a mental illness and the Australian people vote him in to be Prime minister why can’t I be Prime minister oh forgot, I stupid, I must have been on my medication the day I did not vote for him.
Helen in NQldJanuary 26, 2015 at 6:49 pm

Isn’t it ironic that the wonderful Tom Uren died the same day as a non-Australian, born into and lived all his life in wealth and priviledge, never actually risked his life in any of the services that he is an Honorary this or that in, is recognised right around the world and spent his time living off the state gets a Knighthood? Tom Uren was born into poverty, fought and was imprisoned by the Japanese, returned home to work as a Woolworths store manager. As a politician he worked hard to improve the lot of the workers, the poor and many other struggling Australians and was also a tireless worker for the environment, yet if you walked along the beach with a photograph hardly anyone would know who he was. Maybe Australia Day should be more about acknowledging people like Tom – not royalty.
BacchusJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:08 pm

While it is true old Phil lived all his life in wealth and priviledge, he did see quite a bit of active service in the Royal Navy from 1939 until his father-in-law George carked it in 1952, meaning his Mrs became Queen Lizzie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip,_Duke_of_Edinburgh
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/28/monarchy.davidsmith
bilkoJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:10 pm

No wonder the Governor – general fled the country, next year we can expect real gender balance and lo Dame Elizabeth Windsor.
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Maybe what Tony means us to understand from this particular knighthood is that U.K. citizens are automatically Australians. Just as Phil doesn’t have to renounce his UK citizenship to become an Australian knight, Tony doesn’t have to renounce his to be PM.
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:19 pm

Dear Prince Phillip,
I just gave you a provincial knighthood. I would not mind some form of Imperial award in return.
Your servant, Tony.

Ps I Could you tell your grandsons that I have some virgin daughters who aren’t bad looking.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:37 pm

False advertising is a crime cb
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:40 pm

@ Helen in NQld.

Totally agree with every word of your comment.
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:43 pm

<

According to the arch royalists Sir Prince Philip has not received any pay.

corvus boreus ….. royalty is currently having enough problems with the female gender.
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 7:48 pm

@Corvus B.

Choking with laughter. …….. Maybe the Abbott thinks, that when it comes to light he didn’t renounced his Brit. citizenship – that Buckingham Palace will take him in, after he flees this land in disgrace ? …

Make him a Knight – or maybe the second head gardener. ? ….

Heaven help the plants.

Not sure there would be room for his daughters. !! ( oops ).
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:15 pm

One thing that truly saddens me about today – I used to have respect for Angus Houston. For him, as the Chairman of the Order of Australia, to say yes I would be a good recipient and so would the Prince, he has lost all credibility with me.
BacchusJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:26 pm

John F – Phil gets paid £359,000 pa by the UK taxpayers…
Matters NotJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:26 pm

Not sure there would be room for his daughters.

They’re not ‘underage’ these days so they would probably be passed over.

As for Angus, we don’t know his actual response. We only have Abbott’s ‘report’ of what he said. And he’s been known to ‘lie’ on at least some occasions. Just sayin …
DavidJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:31 pm

I applaud you Helen, well said
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:35 pm

Our laughing-stock status has reached as far as Ireland:
Australia’s PM Tony Abbott defends ‘joke’ decision to award Prince Philip Australian knighthood
The Australian prime minister has defended his decision to honour the Duke of Edinburgh with a knighthood, despite a social media backlash in which many said they thought the news was a joke.
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/asia-pacific/australias-pm-tony-abbott-defends-joke-decision-to-award-prince-philip-australian-knighthood-30936918.html
John FraserJanuary 26, 2015 at 8:39 pm

<

Kaye Lee

The search for Flight MH 470 is now searching an area the size of Tasmania …. they have so far finished one third of the search.

Abbott has put aside $80 million and contracted out the search.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/28/us-malaysia-airlines-idUSKBN0GS0B820140828

Chinese make up the largest number of passengers :

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/documents/2014/MH370/MH370_Passenger_Manifest.pdf
crypt0January 26, 2015 at 8:52 pm

I know the latest recipient awarded a knighthood by Toxic is not an Australian …
Not sure about the Prime Minister …
Has anyone come up with the definitive answer already ?
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:09 pm

Tony has gone viral with this one, and once again we find ourselves the subject of ridicule.

(CNN)—Prime Minister Tony Abbott has shirt-fronted the Australian public by awarding a Knighthood to a foreigner who already has a lot silverware in the pool room: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

As the nation choked on its cornflakes, many took to social media to express shock and dismay and repeat the question, “Is this a joke?”

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/25/asia/australia-day-prince-philip-knighthood/index.html
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:15 pm

@Kate ahearne …… “Our laughing-stock status has reached as far as Ireland:”

It’s reached a lot further than that Kate …… but ( no offense intended in any way here to you ) …. it is not ‘OUR’ laughing-stock status. ………. It is HIS. … The people who don’t like Aussies would say ” serves us right ” – WE are the laughing stock, but there are many more people that like us – as people – than there are that don’t. Our general ‘laid-back’ and joyful approach to life, is often envied, while it is also admired.

Unfortunately, the majority of the rest of the world, don’t realise that this cretin, and his cronies ( who incidentally are up in arms big time over his latest attempt at grand-ploy-blunders ) are not privy to the fact that he fell into Government largely on the preferences given ( preferences were not apparent on voting blurb availabe at the time of the election ). A 3.6% swing – hardly a landslide victory.

We call him a nut-case – but perhaps he seriously IS in need of rapid medical intervention. … which for anyone is sad. ,…. Meantime we suffer at his hands. .. When is someone who has some clout, going to come out up front and question this persons’ ability to govern or lead a party ? Or – perhaps – are they feeling ‘ sorry ‘ for a genuinely disturbed individual. ?

Feeling ‘sorry’ for him won’t get us – or him – anywhere.

Beyond these few words, I feel speechless – at the ridiculous scenarios that are being painted not just weekly, but almost daily now – by this ‘elected’ leader of our country ? It’s become sickening – and sad.

I think a major revolt is looming – from within his own party. …

At least I sincerely hope it is – ( sure looks like it, at this moment ).
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:22 pm

Yes, Annie, a major revolt is certainly brewing. But, unfortunately, the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd scenario is just too scary for members of the current government to get past at the moment. Bad and all as things are for them (and for us), they’ll probably need to get a lot worse before Tony gets tapped on the shoulder.
And you’re right – HE’S the nutcase, but we did elect him, and even if it wasn’t a landslide, it was pretty silly of us.
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:33 pm

As I stand on land that I acknowledge, by the simple stint of historical reality, to be the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggir people, I shake my head that, in his address to the nation, the PM and Minister for Indigenous Affairs claims that mere ‘recognition’ of the fact of the existence of these Australians represents “generous” inclusion.
DanDarkJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:38 pm

Tones is looking for a title for his new book soon to be released I reckon
it will be either, Dames Of Our lives or Days of Our Knights
Why else did Tones reinstate the archaic titles from the “Mother Land”

How does someone get to run a country that has a “mental illness’ and no future thinking vision
Look around the world there a plenty of them just like our mental midget Tones…

Old Phil the dill is just that a serial offender, and has enough titles and badges, at 90 something I am sure
he couldn’t give a stuff, it would be just something else for the old geezer to have to remember 🙂
Damo451January 26, 2015 at 9:42 pm

Kate Ahearne ,i didn’t vote for this idiot nor did many others.
I don’t think you could honestly claim all of us were that stupid. Many people were smart enough to see the bleeding obvious ,others were not.
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:45 pm

If only the non-indigenous people of this country understood the term custodian. If only our politicians realised that their term in office is temporary and that they are the custodians of our common wealth. If only they nurtured and grew our assets rather than selling them off to their mates so they can depart in a few years to take up a consultancy or go on the after-dinner speaking tour (though I can’t see Tony being in high demand). If only they used our common wealth to invest for our future but no – we are the knights of no and we want a surplus!

Tony is grabbing his moment and using it to his obsequious utmost. What a snivelly little man he is.
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:48 pm

Damo. It was a royal ‘we’ – as in, we, the electorate. I certainly didn’t claim that we are all ‘that stupid’, as you put it.
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 9:54 pm

Kaye Lee – ref. the MH370 plane search … $80 million ‘put aside’. …. That’s $80 million out of our coffers ( over a period of time ) that could have gone to any number of worthy organisations, that ‘he’ has shut down.

Do you know if the Chinese have put in a few more cents here and there, to search for their own people ?
Abbott’s excuses ( 9 months back admittedly ) …. I doubt would have changed.

….. “Mr Abbott has deflected questions about cost by confirming last month that each country had been bearing its own costs for the challenging search.” ….. More deflections, more obfuscation, more hiding of intentions from the Australian public.

……….
Damo451January 26, 2015 at 9:55 pm

Point taken Kate
kate ahearneJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:00 pm

Damo – You’re welcome, fellow Aussie voter. The power is ours!
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:00 pm

Ref : CNN’s immediate response. …. It is very unusual for the U.S. media to take up anything that happens in the Antipodes. But this one has hit the big time. !! Have read the article, and don’t see it as us being in ridicule – rather where ridicule should be pointed – at the Prime Monster.

The fact that they reprinted a comment attributed to Abbott …. ” At the time, Abbott said the honor of becoming a “Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia” would be extended to “Australians of extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit.” would indicate that they are pointing the finger at him. …

In the case of this outrageous ‘honor’ bestowed upon Prince Philip, they seem to be on the side of the Australian population, who have to put up with all this crap.

… “extended to Australians ?” … yeah right. …. it happened … but not in the case of Philip, D of E.

No doubt, tomorrow will bring forth another gaffe, that he hopes ( in his obviously befuddled state of mind ) will put the Australia Day mess behind him, and move on to more uproar and deliberate upheaval.

He sure loves publicity, don’t ‘e ?. All horrid, but sad as well – for everyone concerned.
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:02 pm

I em, youse is, we’s all ‘strayan!
Möbius EckoJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:08 pm

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8RXcNUCcAA3zUG.png
Annie BJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:11 pm

Puleeze Corvus. …. I didn’t want to laugh … but now goshdammit – I am,. ROFL. …

Um … thank you ( I think ).

Nah – a big thank you … needed something like a giggle over this lot.

p.s. What happened to your added comment ” and dem uvvers” …

I saw it – and it has now disappeared ??
corvus boreusJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:25 pm

‘Cept dem uvverz. Daze un’strayan.
Oi Oi OI!
Kaye LeeJanuary 26, 2015 at 10:37 pm

I went to the Olympics in Sydney. It truly was an uplifting experience full of Aussie spirit and humour. Aside from the thousands of volunteers who did an amazing job, strangers made eye contact. They asked people who looked as if they were lost if they could help.

People were also hell funny. The soccer was a hoot. Every header the whole crowd grunted in unison. When the kiwis played we yelled kiwi kiwi kiwi baaa baaa baaa. When China played we yelled People’s Republic of China People’s Republic of China People’s Republic of China ….oi oi oi. That sort of togetherness has been lost in a brief few years since Tony Abbott went on his fear campaign.

Tony may be busy scraping barnacles but who will excise this festering carbuncle?
JexpatJanuary 27, 2015 at 12:50 am

Too bad CNN didn’t pick up on the $4.3 million of taxpayer’s money the LNP wasted on monitoring “electronic graffiti.”

But then, hypocrisy and digital snooping is so rife in the states that they probably didn’t think it was worth mentioning.
oldfartJanuary 27, 2015 at 8:31 am

So if Tony the phony turns out to be of dual citizenship and having to repay every cent he got from us, would it follow that every decision he or his government ever made or enacted would be null and void? All those who knew of his dual citizenship within the parliament would also be prosecuted and probably jailed, all the gongs he made a “captains call” on would have to be rescinded.

Don’t worry about this Tony, it’s only graffiti. Worry about the graffiti on the voting slips that consign you and your self serving mates to the garbage can of a sad period in our history .
Pudd'nheadJanuary 27, 2015 at 8:34 am

Ozstrayens all lettuce rejoice
But in spite of all temptations
To belong to other nations
He remains an English man. (Thanks to W.S. Gilbert)

Note: Am trying to move the graffiti a bit up market to allay any possible objections and derogatory summations about the value of wall writings.
staffordhallstuff meJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:44 am

Says it all really… just where is the reality with this government?
Kaye LeeJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:51 am

When my sister was little she thought the anthem said “Australian sunset ostriches” – that would actually be far more applicable now as there is nothing to rejoice about with this shambles of a government who either have their head in the sand or up someone’s orifice.
HarquebusJanuary 27, 2015 at 10:43 am

My heroes are the thousands of community volunteers who, donate their time and their effort for no recognition, no reward and no glory.
diannaartJanuary 27, 2015 at 10:54 am

@ kate ahearne

Maybe what Tony means us to understand from this particular knighthood is that U.K. citizens are automatically Australians. Just as Phil doesn’t have to renounce his UK citizenship to become an Australian knight, Tony doesn’t have to renounce his to be PM.

You have nailed it. You have assembled the very vague thoughts that were swirling in my head into the clear and ignorant aims of our PM.

No wonder he doesn’t give a shit about his citizenship – he considers being born in old Blighty good enough for the likes of us.

Of course, in the mind of Abbott, Australia is and forever will be part of the British Commonwealth – we, the Australian riffraff, were being ‘signaled’.

We’d just better learn to mind our places, next Tony will be offering Prince Charles permanent digs in Canberra – else what are all the renovations at the Lodge for?
kathysutherland2013January 27, 2015 at 1:17 pm

I thought it must have been April Fools’ Day and someone got the dates wrong!
Peter FJanuary 27, 2015 at 2:56 pm

I have heard of , but know little about, the madness of King George. Can any one enlighten me: are there any parallels?
Sir ScotchMisteryJanuary 27, 2015 at 3:05 pm

gangey1959 suggests Abbott “anoint” himself. I agree with a proviso.

Rather than anoint himself with a Dame-hood, as minister for women, he try lighter fluid, available in 500 ml containers, somewhere near a committed accidental smoker.

This would then allow the country to see that we smokers aren’t all a net burden on the economy, but that we too can contribute in diverse ways.
Rob31January 27, 2015 at 3:51 pm

I think if Abbott wanted to really go out with a bang he should have extended a Knighthood to Campbell Newman instead.
The more I think about the resulting headlines and comments, plus the uproar within both the Coalition and the LNP, the more I find myself giggling 🙂
DavidJanuary 27, 2015 at 3:52 pm

Peter here is a summary of the health problems suffered by King George 111. I don’t think in reality there is much comparison between the two illness of him and Abbott. Medical assistance in Georges time for mental problems was practically non existent as you will read here.
https://suite.io/brenda-ralph-lewis/2t6b22j
RossleighJanuary 27, 2015 at 4:00 pm

Yep, I think this about sums it up…
AlistairJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:23 pm

This has left me utterly at a loss as to how to prepare for next Orstralia Day. On neither side of the family do we have any surviving relatives that call Britain “Home” or “The Mother Country”, so we have no advice and have to work this out de novo for ourselves. My wife and I have agreed that the first action must be to put down the Shi Tzu to make room for the Corgis. I’m trying to locate my copy of “Rule Britannia” to play next Orstralia Day, but have to admit I seem to have misplaced it. My Orstralianess must therefore come under a cloud. And, I ask myself, what if our esteemed Prime Minister raises the bar for next Orstralia Day? Am I prepared? Do I need Union Jack Underwear? An Elizabethan frill? I’m doing my best but I need some advice here. Looking forward to your help. Regards.
corvus boreusJanuary 27, 2015 at 9:55 pm

The beauty is the subversion. Commoners now dub royalty.
Sir ScotchMisteryJanuary 28, 2015 at 10:52 am

I can’t wear a political T-Shirt into the polling place, but I can wear vegetables.

So my T-shirt will have

“ADD SOME’ with a piece of broccoli attached below.

I will also have a carrot in my knickers
janeJanuary 31, 2015 at 1:25 pm

Just to clear up gongs for GGs. apparently they can’t not accept them, but can choose not to be addressed as Dame or Sir, which Quentin Bryce has chosen to do.

As for HRH Sir Prince Phil the Greek/Dane, does this “Honour” mean he slips down the pecking order to a common or garden knight, never again to be HRH or His Dukeness? Will he now have to walk 100m behind his wife and go to the Standing Room Only section of Westminster Abbey?

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