Prince Philip awarded Knight of the Order of Australia by Prime Minister Tony Abbott Prime Minister Tony Abbott has awarded Australias highest honour to the Queens husband, Prince Philip. The 93-year-old Duke of Edinburgh can now add Knight of the Order of Australia to his list of titles, a statement released by Mr Abbotts office early on Australia Day revealed. Prince Philip will join retired Australian Defence Force chief Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston as the countrys next knights, an honour that was reintroduced by Mr Abbott last year. Navy and then as a member of the royal family. He has served Australia with distinction and is patron of over 800 organisations. Mr Abbott made special mention of the Duke of Edinburgh Award in Australia, which he said had positively influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of young Australians. Prince Philip joins his son, Prince Charles, who was made a Knight of the Order of Australia in 1981. It is fitting that we pay tribute to an extraordinary life of service, Mr Abbott said in the statement. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Houston was an outstanding person to receive high Australian honours. But the Prime Minister was in a time warp awarding a knighthood to Prince Philip on a day Australians were talking about their national identity, he said. I just think people think its an unusual priority, he told Fairfax Media radio station 3AW. Its outside the mainstream, I think, of Australian thinking to have done this. Mr Shorten added that a Labor government would probably end the revived tradition of knights and dames. When we look at Australia in the 21st century, its about who were going to be as a people, he said. I just think giving our top award to a British royal is anachronistic. To be honest its a bit of a time warp, I wasnt quite sure it was serious until I realised it was. Labor backbencher Tim Watts asked if the move was a hoax. Im at an Australia Day barbecue in Sunshine and talking to my constituents and letting them know that we just made Prince Philip a knight - and they laugh, he said. At first people think were winding them up and its a joke. It just shows Tony Abbott is on a different plane to most Australians. Greens leader Christine Milne also mocked the decision. Its like a joke within a joke, that Australia has knighthoods, and that were awarding one to a member of the British royal family, she said. As we saw with all nominees for Australian of the Year, there are plenty of wonderful people right here who are worthy of recognition, but this is Tony Abbott - stuck on what Australia was and failing to notice all that we are, or have any vision or pathway towards all that we can be. The choice of Prince Philip as Australias next knight was met with derision from some on social media immediately after the announcement was made. smh.au/federal-politics/political-news/prince-philip-awarded-knight-of-the-order-of-australia-by-prime-minister-tony-abbott-20150125-12xzk8.html
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:41:59 +0000
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