The Hon (?) Jeff Kennett

Today I write of aggression, provocation, arrogance, disgust, hypocrisy, dishonesty, contempt, immorality and despisal:

Twenty months ago I wrote of Jeff Kennett – the Honourable Jeff Kennett though I know of nothing honourable about him – and how he aggressively, provocatively, arrogantly and disgustingly orchestrated the subjugation of Albert Park, one of inner Melbourne’s oldest and most loved and used public parks, into a car racing track [1]. He shrugged off all criticism. Indeed he verbally attacked and threatened anti-GP protesters. Me included.

From 11-16 April in Melbourne, there’s an international conference titled Healthy Parks Healthy People [2]. And, stone the crows, guess who’s the opening Keynote Speaker? Why the self-same Hon Jeff Kennett, Chairman of beyondblue: the national depression initiative [3]. Kennett said: ‘…parks and open spaces are no longer simply about recreation – they are about enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of the community. Parks play a vital role in providing space for exercise and physical activity, which is important for the management and prevention of depression and anxiety. They are also a hub of community activity – facilitating social connectedness and inclusion’ [4].

Wowee. What a hypocrite Kennett is. His dishonesty, contemptuousness and immorality are breathtaking. Like Tracee Hutchison [5] ‘I despise the man and everything he represents’. He disgusts me. He’s an insightless buffoon. I don’t wish him well.

farmdoc's blog post number 238

Regular readers of Farmdoc’s Blog will know my favourite hobbyhorse is the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Albert Park. In fact I’ve mentioned it in seven previous posts. So the current one is the eighth. Year by year over the last decade or more, I’ve noticed that regrettably the length and depth of Australian newspaper and magazine articles has gradually diminished, and investigative journalism has all but disappeared. (Incidentally I blame managements more than journalists.) But every now and again I come across an item that restores my faith – usually because it’s iconoclastic, and a bit cheeky too. And, I must admit, I enjoy items like that because I agree with them. An example appeared in the Age yesterday. It’s about the Grand Prix, and you can read it here. Tracee Hutchison (pictured) has written a bobby dazzler. It’s an eloquent and tongue-in-cheek version of my 5 July 2008 post. And I savour every delicious word of it. So I’m compelled to add Tracee to my list of heroes, alongside her Age colleague Catherine Deveny. I doubt it’s a coincidence that, excluding Thomas Friedman who’s a genius, my two favourite journalists are women. I think women have a different way of looking at the world than men. And as an honorary female, I like that way. So keep up the superb work, Tracee - and Catherine.