This is a picture taken outside the Gosford Anglican Church in NSW today.
“Fellow Punters, Fellow Capitalists”: Bill Shorten in Hong Kong
Jan 19, 2011
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten
Addressing his audience as “fellow punters, fellow capitalists,” Shorten praised the contribution of Chinese-Australians, arguing that bilingualism and Chinese family structures contribute to the educational achievements of Chinese children.
He said: “The ability of a child to master not just two languages but two alphabets, two sorts of reading, perhaps puts in more brain connections, surely, more inter-linkages of the mind, than a monolingual education. On top of that, though, I suggest is a stability of family life. A respect for the old, a capacity for familial feasting, a love of children, a love of scholarship, a readiness for the testing task, that puts Australian Chinese among our premier citizens.” [Read more…]
Americain: Governor-General Presents 2010 Melbourne Cup
Nov 02, 2010
The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has described the Melbourne Cup as a “day of national unanimity”.
She made the comment during her presentation to the connections of the winning horse at Flemington Race Course in Melbourne.
The 150th Melbourne Cup was won by Americain. Maluckyday was second, whilst the sentimental favourite, So You Think, came in third.
Bryce said it was also a day of “individual financial adventure” and, “if you are female, exuberant showing-off”.
By tradition, the Governor-General makes the presentation to the winner of the Melbourne Cup.
- Listen to the Governor-General’s presentation (2m)
- Listen to the call of the race by Channel 7’s Greg Miles (5m)
Politics at the Melbourne Cup
Nov 02, 2010
The Melbourne Cup, the so-called “race that stops a nation”, will be run for the 150th time today.
Such is the pull of this sporting event that it takes precedence over other events and institutions. For instance, the days are long gone when the Federal Parliament met on Melbourne Cup day.
Yesterday, the Victorian Premier, John Brumby, visited the Governor to set in train the November 27 election. The writs are officially issued today and the government goes into caretaker mode but Brumby would have received next to no media coverage if he’d made the vice-regal call today. [Read more…]