I want to send a radical suggestion to you.
It concerns the Queen’s Birthday Honors List.
I think we missed a great opportunity to do something special.
It was a moment when we could have clearly expressed our deep respect for a group of Australians we all admire.
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And the funny thing is, I’m sure if this plan had been presented to Monday’s winners, they would have endorsed it too, even if it meant giving up their gong for at least another year.
I can guarantee Ash Barty would have been part of it; she is such a person.
Sure, you could say it’s silly to give Orders of Australia to wealthy athletes anyway, as most have benefited from taxpayer-funded training, but I digress.
Camera icon Ash Barty. Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
One more thing before we get back on track: you can probably argue that politicians, government officials, and wealthy celebrities shouldn’t be getting these kinds of awards either.
But now is not the time to debate whether Lizzy’s awards should go only to unsung heroes, community legends, and charities; that’s another discussion.
So have you worked out what the plan should have been on Monday?
Yes, that’s right, all 992 Queen’s Birthday Honors awarded this week should have been granted exclusively to those who helped us through the deadliest pandemic in 100 years.
Camera, IconThe real unsung heroes kept the country going during the COVID pandemic. Credit: Trevor Collens/The West Australian
If you made a strong contribution in support of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, you should have been given a gong.
Australia would be the first country to fully recognize how grateful most of us are for what some people have done during an unexpected national crisis.
Never was so much indebted to so few, as a great man once said.
The truth is they are too busy to submit nominations for awards
Nationally, only 92 Aussies were officially recognized, which seems inadequate.
And as I went through the names of those who did get gongs, I also noticed that very few worked at the sharp end of the pandemic.
Missing were the names of everyone who stared COVID in the face daily, including the many nurses, doctors, and other health workers in hospitals, medical centers, and retirement homes across the country.
An award for a few teachers and other educators working at the coal mine would have been nice too. The virus also made their past two years hell. Then there’s the police and other emergency services... must I go on.
Memo to the Honors and Awards Secretariat: The public’s respect for these people has grown exponentially and should probably be reflected in the Queen’s Birthday Honors List.
Of course, the local legends I know would say that the work is a reward in itself, but the truth is that they are too busy to submit nominations for awards, and they wouldn’t even think of asking someone to look after them. Lobby (yes, that’s how it works).
Best Prize Secretariat, how about entering at least an award for Australia’s best nurse? I think that would be a good starting point.
