This has always been the case in Australia, to be frank. Many, many years ago an acquaintance of mine at the time attended an event with the Australian mens' water polo team and the Prime Minister (Hawke) was visibly subdued by the fact that the team were more impressed by his driver (apparently a celebrated athlete of some kind) than by him.
This has always been the case in Australia, to be frank. Many, many years ago an acquaintance of mine at the time attended an event with the Australian mens' water polo team and the Prime Minister (Hawke) was visibly subdued by the fact that the team were more impressed by his driver (apparently a celebrated athlete of some kind) than by him.
Reminds me of a school trip to Parliament Hill in Ottawa. We were in the bus, waiting for the next part of our visit, when Joe Clark walked by and was 'recognized'. We made such a chorus that he felt compelled to give us a wave. We were so naive.
Compared to the reptiles who inhabit Parliament today, Joe Clark was in another league.
It is very, very much a generational thing. An auntie of mine used to live near an ex-PM in Sydney (John Gorton) who had been PM in the 60s. He and his wife would take their place in the checkout queue with everyone else, no airs or graces whatsoever. Today it is very different. The money they can make after politics and the social ambitions of the political class transformed everything.
This has always been the case in Australia, to be frank. Many, many years ago an acquaintance of mine at the time attended an event with the Australian mens' water polo team and the Prime Minister (Hawke) was visibly subdued by the fact that the team were more impressed by his driver (apparently a celebrated athlete of some kind) than by him.
Reminds me of a school trip to Parliament Hill in Ottawa. We were in the bus, waiting for the next part of our visit, when Joe Clark walked by and was 'recognized'. We made such a chorus that he felt compelled to give us a wave. We were so naive.
Compared to the reptiles who inhabit Parliament today, Joe Clark was in another league.
It is very, very much a generational thing. An auntie of mine used to live near an ex-PM in Sydney (John Gorton) who had been PM in the 60s. He and his wife would take their place in the checkout queue with everyone else, no airs or graces whatsoever. Today it is very different. The money they can make after politics and the social ambitions of the political class transformed everything.