That’s awrap of 2023
By Mike O’Connor (one journalist who usually tells it like itis)
Onedoesn’t like to speak ill of the dead but now that the Year of Our Lord 2023has been consigned to history’s cemetery, I can safely say that on New Year’sEve I was glad to celebrate its passing.
Itwas without doubt one of the more divisive years in recent history thanks to areferendum that we never had to have.
Twelvemonths ago we were warned a No vote would send a “bad message” to the world.That was the first of the many insults to our intelligence that we had toendure. It was left to Ray Martin to kick the final own goal for the Yes caseby suggesting that the reason people couldn’t understand it was because theywere either stupid or dickheads.
Itwas the year when our faith in our once treasured Flying Kangaroo crashed andburnt as CEO Alan Joyce slipped out the back door lugging a massiveremuneration package.
Nextmonth it is in federal court facing hundreds of millions of dollars in finesfor allegedly indulging in false, misleading or deceptive conduct in sellingtickets for “ghost” flights. How was it ever allowed to come to this?
TheABC had a shocker, sacking 40 people from its news division including itseffective and non-left leaning Canberra political editor Andrew Probyn and thenproudly announcing that it was hiring “cultural guidance advisers.”
Whatdoes a cultural guidance adviser do? According to managing director DavidAnderson they “connect content makers with appropriate resources to makeculturally informed decisions.” You couldn’t make it up if you tried.
MeanwhileABC staff continue to push political agendas with headlines such as ”ABC SacksSummer Host Over anti-Israel Activism” exposing a serious but all too familiarfailure of management to manage.
Therewere brighter moments such as when Victorians heard from the government that bybanning them from cooking with gas, they’d be saving $1700 a year.
Thepoint was then made that as the average gas bill was less than $1700, it wasdifficult to see how people could save more than they were spending.
Acrossthe Tasman, cracks appeared in the woke wall as Kiwis realised that SaintJacinda Ardern’s much vaunted legacy, she who performed the miracle of having achild AND a job, was a mirage.
Itsnew conservative government has told teachers to focus on literacy andnumeracy, restore balance to the history curriculum and ban transgenderindoctrination from the classroom.
Thegovernment will introduce mandatory sentences and boot camps for hardened youngoffenders, public signage must be primarily in English rather than Maori andplans for a Maori court system, health system, upper house or parliament, theprotection of Maori seats in parliament and compulsory Maori history in schoolshave been ditched.
Albo,take note.
Backhome, Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen took off to trumpet Australia’s netzero, fossil fuel free future at the COP28 **fest in the UAE. We can only hopehe was out of the room when COP president Sultan Al Jaber said a phase out offossil fuels would not allow sustainable development “unless you want to takethe world back to caves.”
Healso said Adnoc, the national oil company, was increasing production to abillion barrels a day and by 2050 would still be pumping 850 million barrels aday. Over to you, Chris.
Backin Oz, visiting American author Sarah Churchwell said Australians needed to“have a conversation with ourselves about our colorism and the internalisedwhite supremacy that Hollywood has indoctrinated us with.” I knew there wassomething I’d forgotten to do.
Therewas one event in 2023 that now casts its dark shadow into 2024 and it’s theongoing and increasing anti-Semitism now on display in our cities.
Inever thought I’d see such mindless hatred on display in our streets, peoplechanting “from the river to the sea” and urging the violent destruction of theJewish state and all who live within it.
A new year of itself prospers hope and as we wish each otherhealth and happiness in 2024 it is worth remembering that to continue to enjoya life that is the envy of the world, it falls to us all to do what we can tomake sure it stays that way, not only for us but for our children to follow.
