So far, no one’s even suggested why the husband of the Queen would be awarded a knighthood by an antipodean Prime Minister. The Duke of Edinburgh Awards don’t come close as a reason for "services to Australia".

As a student back in the 70s, Tony Abbott posted pictures of the queen and the pope around Sydney Uni as a reaction against the left’s pictures of Che Guevara. It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.

Or was it?

Tony Abbott has not even bothered to suggest why he would knight a senior British royal. He says now it was all a big mistake, but was it really?

Could it have been an attempt to resurrect a debate on the monarchy? Was it part of a campaign to consolidate support for the royals in what, in the Queen’s final years, will result in the succession of Charles IV? Was Tony Abbott simply making a sincere gesture of gratitude towards a senior royal in the last stages of life? Or was his "captain’s pick" simply his authoritarian loyalist streak on display in a bizarre Oedipal prank gone wrong?

To date, no one’s even questioned the motives - or the reasons - for such a move. Most tellingly, least of all Abbott himself.

Thoughts?

Why not?? His son, Prince Charles got one in 1981.

Gee it couldn't be because he (Prince Phillip) is the husband of the Monarch of Australia, could it???

Someone (can't remember who) posted a recent article on the drum with an interesting theory. She basically says that with all this undermining of Abbott's leadership going on he feels the need, every now and then, to make these completely random "captain's calls" to tell his colleagues who's boss, and to reassert his authority. Knighting Prince Phillip was supposedly one of these random calls.

polite_gandalf wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:28pm:


Yeah, but that is from the drum...if Abbott went for a walk across Lake Burley Griffin, the ABC headlines would be "Tony Abbott can't swim"

Dnarever wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:27pm:


All Philip’s ever done for Australia is try to look inconspicuous on boring trips meeting spear-throwing  natives and complain that he can’t even get a decent cup of tea.

The idea that he’s a distinguished Australian has been well and truly put to rest. The question is why Abbott would put his neck out by awarding him with Australia’s highest honour.

Karnal wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:32pm:



They say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but goodness me if one takes a step back and digests your comments they're so unbelievably cutting , well done 

polite_gandalf wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:28pm:


Sure, it was definitely a way to assert his authority. But why would he waste such precious political capital on such an irrelevant call?

Keating called Abbott a "young fogey". He argued that there’s few in Australia as socially conservative as Abbott.

But this is pomp at its most hollow and superficial. It’s so meaningless no one can understand the reason for it.

I’m wondering if it was meant as a kind of Situationist prank like making himself Minister of Women’s Affairs just to piss off JuLiar.

But I doubt Abbott jokes about "serious" subjects like nearly-dead royals.

Karnal wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2015 at 10:42pm:


Well he won't get a Job in Australia when he gets the arse , perhaps he apires to be genuine court jester, articulating the  humorous dialogue won't present any problems, no script required ,a funny suit , and abort will have a job for life, I hear those royal toffs don't mind compensating their abstract comedians handsomely.