who is your pick for Aust of the year?

bilbo · Senior Member

who is your pick for Aust of the year?

Mike Harding · Guru

Sorry, I don't have an answer for you but I hope you'll forgive me if I broaden your question a little and ask:

What qualities should we be seeking in someone we wish to propose as Australian of the Year?

bgt · Guru

Brendan Murphy. He was quite, unbiased/non political, a great communicator and helped everyone understand how covid was working and how to tackle it.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Our council garbage collectors, they work hard.

There will be no shortage of rubbish if they go federal!

-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Monday 25th of January 2021 01:03:48 PM

DMaxer · Guru

I can only think of a couple of recipients in the past who I felt should have been recognised for this award. Usually we get a person who is involved in sports or the arts or the token appeasement effort. I also have a bit of a yawn at the honours list. A high percentage are either former politicians, military personnel, public servants and others who were already handsomely rewarded financially for doing their job.

Mobi Condo · Guru

Just a simple opinion - Australian of the Year - yes sir, BUT please let them be picked from Volunteers, someone who is not paid to do work no matter how good the results are.

I feel that if they are in paid employment for the work they are to be honoured for then they have already received their reward and will continue to do so in years to come.

As an ex CFS volunteer, I know several folks who have regularly put themselves in jeopardy to save others, yet quietly go home, clean up and get ready to go again. ALL volunteers are in the same boat.

Possum3 · Guru

Mobi Condo, I totally agree - too many highly paid people being honoured for just fulfilling their job descriptions - Give these Honours to volunteers and unpaid inspirational leaders in Community Service.

yobarr · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Mobi Condo, I totally agree - too many highly paid people being honoured for just fulfilling their job descriptions - Give these Honours to volunteers and unpaid inspirational leaders in Community Service.

"Too many highly paid people being honoured for just fulfilling their job descriptions" . Absolutey agree Ian......,and Possum,as always,you speak a lot of sense.Cheers

-- Edited by yobarr on Monday 25th of January 2021 06:10:27 PM

DMaxer · Guru

It looks like business as usual coming up for this years awards. Except for the recipients and their families, does it mean anything to us mere mortals?

Mike Harding · Guru

DMaxer wrote:
It looks like business as usual coming up for this years awards. Except for the recipients and their families, does it mean anything to us mere mortals?

I take your point but what it should mean is to instil a little national pride in us, something I often think this country could do with rather more of especially in the light of the "Invasion Day" and the like detractors.

Hewy54 · Senior Member

Kevin Butler founder of Blazeaid.

dogbox · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:

DMaxer wrote:
It looks like business as usual coming up for this years awards. Except for the recipients and their families, does it mean anything to us mere mortals?
I take your point but what it should mean is to instil a little national pride in us, something I often think this country could do with rather more of especially in the light of the "Invasion Day" and the like detractors.

when you mention " invasion day" i wonder who they would be complaining to if ww2 had of gone the other way

Craig1 · Guru

they would not be here to complain, or most of us either

Izabarack · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Give these Honours to volunteers and unpaid inspirational leaders in Community Service.

Seems they heard you given todays announcement.

Iza

rgren2 · Guru

I see that mal turnbull received an award.

DMaxer · Guru

I see Kerry O'Brien has rejected his award on the basis that one was awarded to Margaret Court. I am sure that this will require a ten part documentary at public expense to be aired by the ABC with no prizes for guessing who the tearful host will be.

bgt · Guru

There are folks on the 'left', the PC mob, who are up in arms over Margret Court. But you don't see the same reaction to Malcom Turnbull from those on the far right.

What is it that I can have an opinion about anything but you cant have an opinion unless it's the same as mine?

Mike Harding · Guru

DMaxer wrote:
I see Kerry O'Brien has rejected his award on the basis that one was awarded to Margaret Court. I am sure that this will require a ten part documentary at public expense to be aired by the ABC with no prizes for guessing who the tearful host will be.

Good. I'm not at all sure why a *very* well paid talking mouth on TV should receive any kind of civic award.

DMaxer · Guru

I think it was quite a shrewd manoeuvre by His Righteousness, Mike. If he accepted the award it would have generated absolutely no publicity as it would be in there amongst the other award winners being recognised for doing their highly paid job.

This way, heaps more publicity, not to mention the opportunity to once again lecture and moralise to us all and be outraged and offended on behalf of others, especially those that had not realised they were offended or outraged.

If the good fairy granted me just one wish, it would be to sell the ABC and let it be a subscription only service. These wonderful people would then come to realise that their true value in the market place is entirely different from the huge salaries they are receiving to morally judge the country.

bgt · Guru

DMaxer you can't say "fairy". It's not political correct as you may often someone on behalf of those who don't know they have been offended.

DMaxer · Guru

I am a bit busy today bgt. I would really appreciate it if you could be offended on my behalf until later this afternoon when I will set aside some time to be outraged.

If you are also preoccupied I guess I will just have to contact the ABC as I imagine they would have an after hours "offended and outraged" facility.

bgt · Guru

DMaxer the ABC is way too offended on almost everyone's behalf to be offended by us being offended. Us being offended is a non news story.

the rocket · Guru

Dont care. I think too many awards are frivilously handed out.

Mike Harding · Guru

I must confess to being very inexperienced in the offended and outraged field and I notice you guys have now stitched up the daytime shift therefore I wonder would it be OK if I took the midnight to dawn shift?

I could listen to the radio prior to sleep and be outraged in my dreams? I realise I have much to learn in this area but I think I can handle it. Will you give me a chance?

DMaxer · Guru

Mike, there is always room for others, anytime of the day, just as long as you are prepared to be offended and outraged on behalf of those people who haven't realised they have been offended. In fact, I think I am offended that you thought you would even have to ask. I am also outraged on behalf of bgt just in case he hasn't realised he is as yet.

bgt · Guru

Oh sorry. I didn't realize I had to be offended at this point of the discussion.

Magnarc · Guru

Awards, Oh dear! They never seem to agree with my nominations. The Brits lost me when they made Mick Jagger Sir Mick. These awards would seem to me to be ten a penny these days. Does the average Joe out there really give a toss??. Could it be that the old boy network is alive and well and working in this area?.

Maybe I'm a cynical old bloke who like Victor Meldrew, is past his use by date?. (loved him by the way) come to think of it, why am I wasting my time writing about it surely I could gainfully employ my time on something worthwhile. I must investigate something worthwhile!

-- Edited by Magnarc on Tuesday 26th of January 2021 02:10:41 PM

DMaxer · Guru

No probs bgt. That is the beauty of it. You don't have to realise it. We have others to do it for us. It's called ABC staff.

Craig1 · Guru

And how handsomely we pay "their abc staff" to be totally unaccountable to most normal Australians.

Mike Harding · Guru

Craig1 wrote:
And how handsomely we pay "their abc staff" to be totally unaccountable to most normal Australians.

Every ABC radio news broadcast (about five) to which I listened yesterday ran, as the first and headline article, how "Invasion Day" marches were attracting tens of thousands of people in the capital cities and how "Uncle" someone was giving an address telling the crown how awful white Australia was and is. I expected banner headlines in The Age today reporting on these sizeable gatherings... nothing of note in The Age.

Just as it did with gay marriage the ABC is running a policy of social change in regard to Australia Day.

It is the ABC's job to gather and report news in a clear and unbiased manner not to use their massive public address ability to change opinion to conform with the political leanings of their staff, they have wilfully failed in this regard for some years now.

Despite having been a very big supporter and advocate of public broadcasting for many decades unless the ABC get back into order very quickly then it's time to sell it.