This is part two of a three part series. To read part one, go here.
Inq has trawled through the Order of Australia awards made to politicians in the Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday honours of 2019 and 2020.
A total of 62 honours were awarded: 42 to Liberals or Nationals and 20 to the ALP and independents. This means two-thirds of all gongs went to conservative parliamentarians.
There was a large difference in the distribution. In the most prestigious categories, the AC and the AO, Liberals and Nationals were given 14 of 18 awards.
State by state one statistic stands out: all West Australian state awards went to Lib/Nat politicians (except for one independent) and none went to WA state Labor figures.
In theory the criteria for an award are:
- demonstrated achievement at a high level
- made a contribution over and above what might be reasonably expected through paid employment, or
- made a voluntary contribution to the community which stands out from other volunteers.
The results of the top two categories are:
AC (Companion of the Order of Australia)
Liberal/LNP/National party:
- Tony Abbott
- Warren Truss.
ALP
- Kevin Rudd.
AO (Officer of the Order of Australia)
Liberal/LNP/National party
- Ted Baillieu
- Campbell Newman
- Barry O’Farrell
- Amanda Vanstone
- Mike Baird
- Bronwyn Bishop
- Ron Boswell
- Denis Napthine
- Philip Ruddock
- Gary Humphries
- Tony Nutt
- Nick Minchin.
ALP
- Graham Richardson
- Anna Burke
- Paul Henderson.
In the Member of the Order of Australia category there were 23 awards. 14 to Liberal/LNP/National politicians, including Charles Kemp, a former director of the Institute of Public Affairs who was a senator from 1990 to 2008; former Howard government minister Peter Reith; and Lawrence Springborg, one-time leader of the Queensland LNP.
Six went to former ALP members including former NSW Upper House leader Meredith Burgmann and former Victorian Legislative Assembly member Kay Setches. Three independents received awards.
In the Medal Category OAM there were 21 awards: 14 to Libs/Nats and seven to the ALP.
Next: Bettina Arndt AM and the shame file…
As well as the politicisation of these awards and of the Council membership, which David has correctly detailed, there is another story about all the professionals who just get the awards for doing their job. It’s not what they do but who they know that counts. Many have done little or nothing outside their main employment but are well connected – they work in the right place with the right people. There seems to be no one on the Awards Council who has the background and ability to advise appropriately about these people. The people who really deserve their awards are those who work tirelessly for the community and are awarded OAM.
Well said
And while we’re at it, notice how the highest honours, the AC, is an all-male, all-white affair.
The AO is a predominantly white and predominantly male affair.
Is that because the contribution to the community made by white people is on average so much more worthy than that made by all other ethnic groups?
And likewise, because males contribute so much more to the community than females?
You tell me.
These awards are very like the statues standing on the monuments throughout the world – awards given to people who often have little decency or integrity, and who certainly don’t work harder than a dedicated teacher or nurse or fireman – but already get far a far higher salary for their troubles.
I notice the list of the honoured includes a number of entitled people who thought it was okay to abuse the public purse with their travel and other rorts (which they’ve made mostly “legal” now – an example of the Golden Rule, otherwise known as “He who has the gold makes the rules.”
Maybe these awards need to get tipped into a harbour somewhere as well.
I’m really not sure the Liberal etc / ALP distinction is meaningful.
Graham Richardson may well have fought on the ALP side, back when that was a thing. But he is as contemptuous of the financially or physically disadvantaged as Bronwyn Bishop. He is AO because his face fits.
Please Crikey get this together. “Party politics” is a wicked distraction from politics. Donald Trump has never said anything that wouldn’t fit comfortably in the mouth of a 1960s trade unionist. Scott Frydenberg’s “cash for coronavirus” splurge was 110% ALP playbook, right down to the last tonne of pork for chums. The last thing you need to know about a politician’s utterance is what party they’re from.