Who the hell chooses the recipients of The Australian of the Year, & how the hell did they get the job.

The choices become more ludicrous each year, & it is becoming embarrassing.

Dear Hasbeen,

The following link may help:

http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/

To what exactly do you object?
You'll have to be more specific.
The link I gave you states that The Board of the
National Australia Day Council make up the national
selection panel. They provide direction to the selection
committee about the technical aspects of the selection
process, criteria and the like,
as well as providing a national perspective
on the selection process.

State and territory selection panels aim to reflect Australia's
diversity and they endeavour to include representatives
with varying cultural backgrounds, Indigenous Australians,
Young people, women, people from rural and remote areas
and people who come from a wide range of fields of endeavour.

Please explain just what your objections are.

That was my whole point Foxy. Who selects the Board of the
National Australia Day Council.

With an Ozzie rules playing thug as their last choice, after a run of ratbags & nobodies, I can only assume the board was chosen by a bunch of Rudd/Gillard types, trying to make us look as stupid as possible.

If the list I saw recently of state people, it is time to drop the lot, to avoid any further embarrassment.

Dear Hasbeen,

I'm sorry you feel that way.

I think that they do an excellent job.

Of course you can't please everyone -
no matter who you are.

The reason why the process is a farce is that it follows the drive, decreed by social engineers and based "identity politics", of fragmenting Australia into a collection of "groups" rather than a nation of free human beings guided by Enlightenment values. The defined "groups" are controlled by authoritarian "leaders" and the effect of this fragmentation, under an umbrella of political correctness, is to trivialise our nation and consequently the "Australian of the Year" title.

@EmperorJulian,

Superficially at least there does seem to be a heap of political considerations in the selections. Enough to wonder if one day some bright spark might run a book on the likely characteristics of the successful State and Territory choices and on the final outcome.

There does seem to be a heck of a lot of 'guiding' of public opinion by government and its agencies. The dead hand of government, or is political correctness so embedded that we all respond, and we are certain we will be firmly castigated and penalised if we don't?

Thinking of government though in this case it doesn't have a direct hand in the selections, should the government be molding public opinion to what it wants, or should the government be molding its policies to what the public want? The pendulum does seem to have swung abruptly to the first, ie., government informing the public on how they must think and act. Not democracy, but the elites and lobbyists are not concerned about that.

Here is an analysis of Australian of the Year for the last two 15 year periods. The result does not support the hypothesis: "The choices become more ludicrous each year, & it is becoming embarrassing." In fact what is striking is how consistent the figures are. Women, business, the military, religion are under-represented throughout - and where are the farmers? And scientists in non-medical fields (geology, agriculture, ecology, physics, astronomy)?

My prediction for 2015? Not all state finalists chosen yet, but it seems time for another medico!

Australian of the Year: 2000-2014

2014 Adam Goodes – Champion footballer, works with troubled youth
2013 Ita Buttrose AO OBE – media career, President Alzeihemers Australia
2012 Geoffrey Rush Oscar winning actor
2011 Simon McKeon investment banker, philanthropist, yachtsman
2010 Professor Patrick McGorry mental health expert
2009 Professor Michael Dodson Barrister, academic, indigenous leader
2008 Lee Kernaghan OAM County Music legend
2007 Professor Tim Flannery Scientist, writer
2006 Professor Ian Frazer Immunologist, cancer researcher
2005 Dr Fiona Wood Plastic surgeon
2004 Steve Waugh AM Test cricket captain
2003 Professor Fiona Stanley Epidemiologist, child health
2002 Patrick Rafter Champion tennis player
2001 General Peter Cosgrove AC MC Chief Defence Force, Timor, Cyclone Tracy
2000 Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE Medical scientist

Australian of the Year 1985-1999

1999 Mark Taylor OA Test Cricket captain
1998 Cathy Freeman OAM Champion Athlete
1997 Professor Peter Doherty AC Nobel Prize medicine
1996 Dr John Yu AC Pediatrician
1995 Arthur Boyd AC OBE Artist, benefactor
1994 Ian Kernan AO Environmental campaigner
1993 No award due system changes
1992 M Yunupingu Aboriginal educator, musician
1991 Archbishop Peter Hollingworth AO OBE Social justice advocate
1990 Professor Fred Hollows AC Opthamologist
1989 Allan Border AO Test Cricket captain
1988 Kay Cottee AO Solo yachtswoman
1987 John Farnham Singer,Musician
1986 Dick Smith Entrepreneur, adventurer
1985 Peter Hogan AM Actor
1984 Lowitja O’Donaghue AC CBE Aboriginal Leader

Summary:
2000-2014, 1984-1999
Medical/Science: 5, 3
Sport: 3, 4
Media/Entertainment /Music/Art: 3, 4
Business: 1, 1
Environmentalist:1, 1
Military: 1, 0
Religion: 0, 1
Men: 12, 13
Women: 3, 2
Aboriginal: 2, 3

Woops!

1985 Paul Hogan