Tee hee. Richard Butler, a former UN weapons inspector and diplomat and life-long republican, has just been appointed as state governor of Tasmania (I presume you know about Australia's weird colonial hang-over ties to Britain with a Governor-General and state Governors as titular heads-of-state and Queen's representatives ...). He refuses all honorifics associated with the title, including being called 'His Honour' ('call me Richard, or Mr Butler if you have to') and yesterday he declined a knighthood ... the royalists are apoplectic!
I'm against 'honours' however on the Peerage Poll I voted: Yes, even though I don't deserve it
Since if we do have to have an 'appointed' upper house (I'd much prefer an elected one) the most democratic solution is surely for appointments to it to be random, like jury service.
Hmmmm, I don't mind this sort of thing really, it's hereditary peerages that bother me more. I'd much rather live in a meritocracy than some kind of messed up inbred aristocracy.
I would accept any of those if offered, but I have no reason to suppose that they will be and don't feel that I have deserved them. I am glad that my mother accepted hers and do feel that she deserved it.
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baggyeyes
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-27 02:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-28 12:41 am (UTC)There is a Mike Penman MBE, but that's my Dad, who got one for services to the environment, which is cool.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-28 01:31 am (UTC)Yes, even though I don't deserve it
Since if we do have to have an 'appointed' upper house (I'd much
prefer an elected one) the most democratic solution is surely
for appointments to it to be random, like jury service.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-28 01:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-28 03:59 am (UTC)