Is Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott barking mad or merely a silly fool?

Sir Pository of Wisdom from the brush of Ron Tandberg

But that’s what Governors-General do – they encourage us to be our best selves. They are our cheerleaders-in-chief…..

As Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Lynne travel the length and breadth of our country, visiting all the places that aren’t important enough for Prime Ministers…

[Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Remarks At The Reception Following The Swearing In Of The 26th Governor-General Of Australia, Parliament House, Canberra, 28 March 2014]

Firstly, Sir Pository of Wisdom ignores the fact that a governor-general is not a cheerleader, but the Monarch’s representative in a constitutional monarchy and therefore one of the safeguards built into the Australian Constitution.

Secondly, he is wrong about the title of the Governor-General’s spouse – she is Lady Cosgrove. She would only be Lady Lynne is she had a title in her own right.

Thirdly, the Governor-General and his spouse take precedence over the Prime Minister and his spouse.

Finally, Sir Pository confirms that he considers much of Australia is beneath his notice as prime minister.

The laughter continues at Abbott's attempt to turn back the clock by reintroducing knights and dames

Editor David Moase in The Daily Examiner, 27 March 2013, Page 11:

If there was one headline I didn't expect to see this week, it was the news Australia will soon have knights and dames in our Order of Australia honours.

It is a staggering decision by the Prime Minister - not a jump to the left or a step to the right but he's definitely doing the time warp.

Was there something particularly wrong with the Order of Australia that needed this extra level of honours using titles we ditched 20 years ago?

Are governors-general or other members of society really in need of an old-fashioned title in front of their name?

But who am I to argue with the PM, so without further ado I'd like to release the first round of honours in the Order of the Opinion Page*.

Firstly, for his long-running and unstinting support of conservative politics, enthusiastic mocking of anything on the political left and battling against the chainsaw-stopping efforts of Greenies and global warming advocates ... arise Sir Fred Perring, of Halfway Creek.

In the interests of bipartisanship, the second honour goes to a man who has been a longstanding foot soldier in the class warfare of the Valley, whose efforts in support of Labor are undiminished and is a champion of the battlers around Maclean ... arise Sir Bruce Apps, of Townsend.

And finally, for hours spent reading Hansard, commitment to fully attributing references in her letters and for holding the council and the conservatives'  feet to the fire ... arise Dame Judith M Melville, of Yamba.

*Due to budgetary constraints, all awards of the Order are strictly honorary.

When a website tells the unvarnished truth.....

This is an image of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, on his feet during Question Time, which was displayed on the Australian Parliament website on 24 March 2014:

Quote of the Week

People do have a right to be bigots, you know. In a free country, people do have rights to say things that other people find offensive, insulting or bigoted.

[Australian Attorney-General Senator George Brandis on his feet in the Senate, Hansard 24 March 2014]