Senator Penny Wong
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Party: LABOR
Seat / Position: Seat of MAYO
MINISTER FOR FINANCE
Senator Wong demands respect, as do all of us. We know that Senator Wong is not afraid to stand up and call a "spade a spade", an example of which we saw during the "meow" scandal, when she demanded a full apology...and got it.
So, how dare she acuse the Fair indexation Bill as being a "stunt". This is perceived by the veterans who backed this Bill for the sole purpose of getting into a situation that gives them equity with the rest of the aged pensioners, as being accused of being crooked. It shows a complete LACK OF RESPECT for the people who have served and sacrificed for this country! So, now the shoe is on the other foot Senator Wong...How about that apology!
But wait....there's more. On the ABC Show "The Big Idea", she mentioned that the key issue for the Party was the funding of this Bill. We have shown on many occasions, this is not the case, and that Senator Wong offers "tacit" support. That's like saying " I support you but if anyone asks, I'm not going to admit it." That's not like our Penny.
CONTACT DETAILS
| Parliament House PO Box 6022 Canberra ACT 2600 (02) 6277 7400 (02) 6273 7330 Email Penny | Electorate Office Level 4 9 – 21 Gouger Street Adelaide SA 5000 08 8212 8272 08 8212 8273 | Postal Senator the Hon Penny Wong GPO Box 6237 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000 |
So far, we have no reported letters or responses about Fair Indexation from Senator Wong. It would be interesting for those veterans from the Seat of Mayo to begin writing to her. We'd be very interested in hearing the responses. To provide us with details, click on the "Contact Us" form on the left..
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Senator Wong,Due to you voting against changing the indexation of DFRDB superannuation payments, the people who were willing to give their lives to protect you and all other Australians have recently been awarded a 0.1% increase.
In my case, this additional $0.78 per fortnight will allow my wife and I another cup of coffee every 6 months or so.
Whilst enjoying this magnanimous increase, we will NOT be toasting you and the others who voted against changing this corrupted indexation method.
Sincerely,
John Trigge
ex Leut RAN (1966-1986)
Dear Senator Wongwhen may I expect a response to my letter of 12 August concering fair indexation for military superanuants
Yours sincerely
Paul Threlfall
LCDR RAN (Retd)
While reading the Hansard record about the Senate debate of the “Fair Indexation Bill”, it seemed to me that Senator Wong has little understanding of two words which many Australians hold dearly:- Patriotism and Honour. Near the beginning of her speech she states - “There is no-one in this chamber who lacks for patriotism. There is no-one in this chamber who does not honour deeply the work that our serving personnel undertake, and the nature of that service has been most tragically brought home in recent weeks”
Senator Wong is very free with her words about patriotism and honour , and, considering her political tirade about the opposition’s intentions with this bill, by what authority does she then speak on behalf of the opposition when it comes to patriotism ?
Just because a person, or a body of people govern their country, it doesn’t automatically mean they are all patriots. There are plenty of despots and dictators who today rule countries in the Middle East or Africa who don’t have any interested in patriotism. They are there for the power, privilege, and financial gain it affords them, and their cohorts. I suspect some of our politicians hold with that same point of view.
Research shows dictionaries variously define Patriotism as:
• a devotion to one's country
• Willingness to sacrifice for one's country.
Some more eminent people than Senator Wong have also given us definitions for patriotism.
In 1774, Samuel Johnson published The Patriot, a critique of what he viewed as false patriotism. On the evening of 7 April 1775, he made the famous statement, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel."
Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900), defined it as “Patriotis m is the virtue of the vicious.”
It seems clear Senator Wong’s idea of patriotism doesn’t hold with the two dictionary definitions above. Her speech reveals that her view of patriotism is more like that defined by Samuel Johnson or Oscar Wilde
Honour
• to hold in respect or esteem
• to confer a distinction upon
I have to wonder who the idiot was that authorised our politicians to be addressed with the grandiose title of “Honourabl e” prior to their name. If I could meet him I would give him the good kick he deserves, for by his action he has certainly been responsible for degrading the respect and admiration that is normally associated with the word, where it is used in its original context.
Take Senator Wong’s statement during the senate reading of the Fair Indexation bill as an example.
“There is no-one in this chamber who does not honour deeply the work that our serving personnel undertake, and the nature of that service has been most tragically brought home in recent weeks”
On the Hansard record, her speech was about some 3438 words. Of those 3438 words, only in the 33 words highlighted above, does she give any recognition at all to efforts of our armed forces personnel! Her words to”honour deeply” are really a meaningless platitude to satisfy her own conscience.
