Tony Abbott - born in London, 1957; today he has abused democracy in Australia to glorify his own royal connections with the British without the approval of royalty: He is a British born traitor leading Australia. He needs to be arrested after he is sacked. PRIME Minister Tony Abbott insists the Queen’s husband is a worthy recipient of an Australian knighthood, despite a backlash over his captain’s pick. The surprise move on Australia Day sparked some praise but mostly widespread criticism, including some from his own side of politics. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has described Mr Abbott’s decision as “anachronistic”, but the Prime Minister is sticking by his choices for the top honour. The Prime Minister today announced the Duke of Edinburgh and Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston had been awarded the nation’s highest honour, becoming Knights of the Order of Australia. Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. MORE Houston, Prince Philip knighted End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. GALLERY Australia Day celebrations But Mr Bill Shorten said: Prince Philip’s award, particularly on Australia Day, was surprising. “I just think giving our top award to a British royal is anachronistic to be honest, it’s a bit of a time warp. I wasn’t quite sure it was serious until I realised it was,” Mr Shorten told Fairfax radio. “I just think people think it’s an unusual priority, it’s outside the mainstream I think of Australian thinking to have actually done this.” Mr Shorten said the focus on Australia Day should be on the Australian of the Year, Rosie Batty, and did not want the issue of knights and dames overshadowing the public holiday. “Prince Philip’s been very distinguished ever since he married the young Queen, he’s had six decades of public service, my reservations are not about him,” Mr Shorten said. “But I just think he already has a lot of knighthoods and awards I just wonder if they couldn’t have picked someone who is Australian in character and activity? I don’t get the priorities the government had in nominating him. “If we were to be elected I don’t think that we would continue the tradition of knights and dames.” Beyond general objections to Australian knighthoods, no criticism was directed at the move to honour Sir Angus. But Prince Philip was a different matter, with social media exploding in ridicule. Mr Abbott said he had consulted with the Chairman of the Order of Australia and the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. He dismissed the social media storm that his decision had created. “Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti. In the media, you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media,” Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra. The monarchy has played an important part in Australia’s life since 1788, he said. “Prince Philip has been a great servant of Australia, he’s been a great servant of all the countries of the Commonwealth. “He’s the patron of hundreds of organisations. He’s the inspiration and wellspring of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.” Mr Abbott has been facing calls from within coalition ranks to lift his game, following a chaotic end to 2014 and an uncertain start to the new year. He told reporters his government probably needed to be more consultative and collegial, but it seems he didn’t consult his colleagues about awarding a knighthood to a British royal on Australia Day. Northern Territory Country Liberal Party chief minister Adam Giles wasn’t impressed by the move. “It takes away from the legitimacy of the knighthood role and I think it makes us a bit of a joke in a range of areas,” Mr Giles told Sky News. “He didn’t really knight a prince, did he?” queried Labor MP Terri Butler, echoing the sentiment on social media. Mr Shorten’s condemnation was shared by the Australian Republican Movement, whose chair Geoff Gallop said Australian awards should be honouring “great Australians on merit, not birthright”. “This decision to appoint more knighthoods is the end result of the politicisation of the system under Tony Abbott,” Professor Gallop said. “We had a perfectly good honours system run by Australians. Placing the knights and dames system over and above that is demeaning the worthiness and opinions of Australians.” But the Australian Monarchist League congratulated Prince Philip and Air Chief Marshal Houston on their knighthoods, saying it was a significant honour. “The Prime Minister has continued with his promise of awarding knighthoods only to those who have given service to the nation and who would be unable to ever return to a completely normal life,” AML national chair Philip Benwell said. “Prince Philip, who will be 94 this year, has been the constant companion and main support of the Queen throughout the sixty two years of Her Majesty’s reign.” Queensland Liberal Ewen Jones agreed with knights and dames for governors-general but no one else, especially British royals. However Tasmanian MP Andrew Nikolic and West Australian Liberal senator Dean Smith were supportive. “No one can deny the warmth Australians feel towards the Queen, and by extension her partner in her life long service, Prince Philip,” Senator Smith told AAP. Mr Abbott announced the new honour last March as a special recognition of those of pre-eminent achievement and merit. The Hawke government had ended knighthoods in 1986. The first were conferred on retiring governor-general Quentin Bryce, her successor and former defence force chief Peter Cosgrove, and retiring NSW governor Marie Bashir. Prince Charles was make a Knight of the Order of Australia in 1981. The appointments have sparked a wide debate on social media, with #jokeknighthood and #princephilip getting a workout on Twitter. Additional reporting: AAP
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:20:13 +0000
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