In an uber-conservative move that shouldn't surprise anybody but will no doubt be the talk of Twitter for days, the Abbott government has reintroduced knight and dame honours for Australians.
The categories of Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia were discontinued by the Hawke government in 1986. Abbott is bringing them back in a big way, announcing that up to four knights or dames will be appointed every year.
The criterion for the honours will be quite specific, however. "My intention is that this new award will go to those who have accepted public office rather than sought it out," Abbott says, "and who can never, by virtue of that office, ever entirely return to private life."
Abbott expects those people to include governors-general, state governors, chiefs of defence forces, chief justices, and, let's face it, probably Warnie. Shane Warne is going to be a knight and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
As you'd expect, Opposition leader Bill Shorten is not cool with the announcement. "It's good to see the government has a plan for knights and dames — where's their plan for jobs? I'm concerned the Abbott government thinks this is a priority — what about jobs, health and education?"
Much to Shorten's chagrin, he probably won't be able to boycott the first ceremony — because the first dame will be his mother-in-law, outgoing Governor General Quentin Bryce.
Nice touch, Tone.
[via The Sydney Morning Herald]
