Australia Day 2011

The twentysixth day of January is Australia Day, a celibration of the official founding of Australia as a Nation and and member of the Brish Comonwealth -still.

We celibrate with community breakfasts and gatherings plus the awards of appreciation to local identities who have contributed well to their local community and they are much appreciated. Up the area scale to State and federal areas we have higher awards like the Order of Australia, OA,. The top award is The Australian of the Year.

I really do not know who makes this award, but this year is almost unbelieveable in my humble oppinion. The fello is or was a Banker, not only that he is was a Merchant Banker, more than that an investment Banker with all their high salaries bonuses and the like. Not only that he was or is with a ceratin Bank that as I recall the lead Bank a few years agoe , who with a group of Private Equity money companies and individuals edeavoured to take the national airline QANTAS, I did my little bit to stop the venture which died in the water due I feel also to the global financial crisis that was imerging. A strange choice ladies and genlte men, strange.

Ok if not this man who, easy , try this for size.

He is a broadcaster of excellence; he has never hurt anybody, physically or in the pocket; he is a man of honour and supports refugee advocates and founded with others a prominant voice for refugees,he knows and has interviewed many many promenent people on his abc program Late-Night-Live; his is a farmer with his partner, Olive and Beef cattle and by golly if you write to him, he does his best to respond. A good man is Mr Phillip Adams OA . My choice for Australian of the Year, maybe next uyear.

Nearly forgot, he is an antique collector with special interest in Egypt and must, like myself, wish the Egyption poeple all the best in their endeavours. The president did OK,but obviously the country ois ready for change and we all hope that the change that will certainly happen will be for the better. Good luck Egypt,I have visited a number of time since catching the last plane out, at the start of the six day war.

The problem of the explosion or whatever wt the Gas pipe was to Jordan and Isreal is not a good omen, lets us hope and pray that it was indeed an accident and doent attract the attention of the American Eagle-heavan forebid.

All the best for now.

Malcolm E Mason on a cool Sunday morning after the rain and thirty and fourty degree days