I am so glad to read that someone else thinks Dr. Hanan Ashrawi's treatment in 2003 was inexcusable. I have never forgotten it.
First, the presentation of the Peace Prize was moved from Sydney University's Great Hall to the Sydney Town Hall for no good reason. Then our Foreign Minister of the day made unnecessary and negative remarks. And, finally, the bullying Dr. Ashrawi received on the ABC's 7:30 report was embarrassing to witness.
All these acts diminished the stature of the Sydney Peace Prize, Sydney and Australia. They were shameful.
Only Bob Carr, the then Premier of NSW, seemed to display any public courage and common decency.

and who will have the moral courage to nominate Julian Assange?

The words of Prof Rees, just like the activities of the Occupy Wall Street/London/Sydney/Melbourne rabble remind me of the story of a man on his hands and knees crawling around a streetlight. Clearly anxious, perhaps hyperventilating.

Suddenly a young woman walks past, bends down and asks “Sir, why are you crawling around and around a street light?’
He replies ’because missy, I lost my keys. All my keys’”
‘Where did you lose them, Sir?’
‘Well, I lost them 3 blocks down and on the other side of the bridge.’
‘So pray tell, why are you looking for them here?’
‘Because missy, this is where the light is. There is no light over there!

Much of society has indeed been let down by corrupt, ignorant and special interest captured so-called ‘leaders’. But the leaders who are truly responsible are not business people, but those that write the rules under which we all live operate and turn a buck. The polite collective noun for these scoundrels is 'politicians'.

If the Occupiers would harness the rage of millions and direct it against the woefully inept politicians that occupy the Parliament, who ram through anti consumer corporate behaviour – Wayne Swan’s nod and wink to Westpac to take over St George is a recent example - then I am confident the Occupiers would elicit a heck of a lot more sympathy. A heck of a lot more.

Mine included.

Glad you've said this about leaders Stuart; don't need a PhD to know it's true. Maybe Bishop Tutu emulates another, higher leader as do hundreds of millions of others.

Perhaps we should have a special blog - naming the good and bad leaders - selfless vs selfish.

Surely though, government must eventually legislate to reign in the power of corporations, whose greedy, selfish, bludging leaders write stupendous cheques for themselves unfettered by anything or any law - they are a law unto themsleves.