KNIGHTS and dames are being reintroduced to the Order of Australia honours list.

Tony Abbott said the first two to receive the titles would be outgoing Governor-General Quentin Bryce and her successor Peter Cosgrove, who takes up the vice-regal office on Friday.

Up to four knights or dames will be appointed each year.

“My intention is that this new award will go to those who have accepted public office rather than sought it; and who can never, by virtue of the office they have held, entirely return to private life,’’ the Prime Minister said.

“This special recognition may be extended to Australians of `extraordinary and pre-eminent achievement and merit’ in their service to Australia or to humanity at large.

“I believe this is an important grace note in our national life.’’

Henceforth, Mr Abbott said, the serving governor-general will be the principal knight or dame in the Order of Australia.

Mr Abbott said Dame Quentin and Sir Peter had been happy to accept the honours.

He said all future governors-general would receive the honour, adding dignity and stature to it.

Mr Abbott did not say if former governors-general would receive the honour.

He did not rule out politicians becoming a knight or dame, saying he didn’t want to pre-empt who may be considered worthy of the honour.

Mr Abbott defended his decision, saying it would enhance the dignity of the existing system.

“I don’t think it’s really any surprise,’’ he said.

The Prime Minister said the Queen had approved his recommendation to amend the Letters Patent constituting the Order of Australia.

The chairman of the Order of Australia Council will be consulted on any such recommendation.

Mr Abbott said the change would not affect existing companions, officers or members of the Order of Australia.

New Zealand had allowed existing Companions in the Order of New Zealand to convert to knighthoods, but this would not happen with the Australian changes, he said.

Knights and dames of the Order of Australia were created by the Fraser Coalition government in 1976, but scrapped by the Hawke Labor government in 1986. During that period 12 knights and two dames were appointed.

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said the move showed the government was rushing back to the 19th century.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/knights-and-dames-to-again-be-part-of-honours-system/story-fn59niix-1226864499560

Tony Abbott: "I am introducing the title Sir. Then i am going to appoint myself as one and you will all have to bow down to me whilst i stand on the beach in my budgie smugglers."


On a side note, not against the idea. It must go to deserving people though. Can totally see this being abused and the likes of John Howard, Anna Bligh, Campbell Newman being awarded this.

What a fucking joke. Are we Australians or Britain's little brother? What a backward step.

It's bad enough another country's flag is on our flag and now this. When will will grow up?

What next? Pictures of the Queen above the door in schools again and God Save the Queen as our national anthem? I'm old enough to remember these things at school and when they were phased out and now this fool is bringing them back.

We already have a perfectly good system in place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Australia




Edited by munrubenmuz: 25/3/2014 05:52:24 PM

Well they've started with a leftie in Quentin Bryce.

Not against the idea. I suppose Munrubenmuz would prefer we changed the title to "Cobber" to make it less British sounding.

Cobber Howard? It might catch on.

I say we make Kevin airs a sir !!!

What is wrong with Dr Teo A.O.?

We're Australian not British. Against a republic too?

Sir Archie Thompson ayyyy

[youtube]1wg9ox9F7Vw[/youtube]

Assuming it's just for living recipients, my first thoughts are:
Ian Frazer (Cervical cancer vaccine)
Elizabeth Blackburn (2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
Barry J. Marshall (2005 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
J. Robin Warren (2005 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
Peter C. Doherty (1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine)
Brian P. Schmidt (2011 Nobel Prize for Physics, proved the the accelerating expansion of the Universe)

Lots of artists should get it for their contribution, my best knowledge is of our film industry and would include Baz Luhrmann,Peter Weir, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Andrew Lesnie...

And then the sticker topic of athletes. I think nobody would be against having a Dame Cathy Freeman, but how about Sir Steven Bradbury, Mark Waugh, Ange Postecoglue?

:oops:

Solid argument.

Probably his best yet though tbf :lol:

I'm not sure how old you blokes are but just to explain why I'm going off here's a bit of background.

In the 70's when I grew up Australians had the hugest cultural cringe you could imagine. We were always looking to Britain and the mother country for approval. Our art, architecture, science and any achievement you could think of was no good unless it got the nod of approval from someone in the UK.

God Save the Queen was the national anthem and we sang it every day when the flag was raised. There was a picture of the Queen over every doorway at school and just about every where else.

ABC presenters spoke with a British accent as Australian accents were deemed inappropriate for the radio.

Everything in Australia was looked at through the prism of the UK. It was only in 1965 that our PM Robert Menzies declared Australians "British to our bootstraps".

In the 60's pre-decimal currency the "royal" was proposed to replace the "pounds" after decimalisation. Fortunately saner heads prevailed and we got 'dollars' instead.

We've been shafted in 2 World Wars by the British (didn't even have command of our own troops in WW1 until 1918), we didn't have our own flag and we'd just gotten out of another war that we'd been dragged into by our new best friends the USA.

1988 came along and a wave of patriotism swept the country and for a short while it looked like we'd become a republic and have our own flag.

Paul Keating was hugely responsible for a lot of Australian pride back in the day. Keating explained why we should stand on our own 2 feet as a proud, multicultural, young independent country.

The monarchy is an outdated, anachronistic institution based on a lottery of birth that has had it's day.

And now after all the progress we've made somehow we're going back to the 50's.

It's very disappointing.






Edited by munrubenmuz: 25/3/2014 06:37:40 PM

If we are actually going to go with it theres things that people dont really need a knighthood for. What is so mighty about a contribution to sport or music that deserves the title?