G'Day, mate (1 Viewer)

[Generator]

Mate, it's just not on

A STUNNINGLY overzealous instruction to parliamentary security staff banning the use of the term "mate" will be overturned today after being ridiculed as absurd and un-Australian.

Most of the 149 security staff employed in the federal parliament were seething yesterday after receiving an internal memo banning them from saying "mate" in public.

*shakes head*

"Officers are requested to treat any visitors to Parliament House with respect and courtesy and not address them as 'mate' or use similar colloquialisms," read the instruction from security managers.

Security staff were unimpressed. "It's un-Australian, sir," one told The Australian.

Hahaha .

 

[mr_brightside]

YES!

i saw this on the news...

i agree with the security guards..
i mean whats wrong with using a colloquial aussie expression???

what next? the phasing out of g'day?

 

[Iron]

It's difficult to not sound condesending when using 'mate', but of course this was over the top.

 

[santaslayer]

but then it isn't very respect in such formal situations...

u wouldnt call howard mate...

 

[datAsianGuy]

hey... i aint even born here, except lived here all ma life and... yeah, thats dumb... we're not yanks, I mean i call my teachers all mate and bro... what sir and miss... i think its not australian...cept that's a little ironic...cos im Asian.... but iv lived here for ages...

 

[Generator]

This issue could have been the launching pad for a 'proper' NewsPols thread (one dealing with egalitarian values and formal relations), but oh well.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16313107%5E1702,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16313112%5E1702,00.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pomposity-gone-mad-claims-hawke/2005/08/19/1123958210566.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/pm-joins-great-mate-debate/2005/08/19/1123958208474.html
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1441283.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1441279.htm (Howard on the mate issue towards the end of the transcript)

 

[samuelblayden]

It just sucks it is Australian our politics just suck now

 

[leetom]

hey... i aint even born here, except lived here all ma life and... yeah, thats dumb... we're not yanks, I mean i call my teachers all mate and bro... what sir and miss... i think its not australian...cept that's a little ironic...cos im Asian.... but iv lived here for ages...

You're an Australian, fuckhead.

On the issue of the use of the word mate, I think that we, as younger members of society are more compelled to use 'sir' when adressing our seniors. It just carries more weight when trying to convey your respect. It is quite easy for use of 'mate' to sound belittling, especially when acknowledging someone who is not a closer colleague. I think that within Parliament however, the security staff are Australian, the senators and MPs are Australian, use of the word mate shouldn't really cause offence in that context.

I though, would never dream of adressing one of the old-guard senior unionists at my ALP branch as 'mate', despite how accostumed he is to it. Always 'sir'.

This sort of thing always comes about however when the Liberals have held government for too long. It's a process called re-Britainisation which naturally occurs with Liberal Government as Liberal Party ideology is naturally aligned with reversion to strict British societal values, such values of course that do not permit the visibility of any sense of an independant Australia. The Labor Party however, champions the emergence of the independant Australia and as such encourages the use of a unique Australian vernacular.

My Hawke is quite right.

 

[Gavvvvvin]

I wouldnt want some security guard reffering to me as 'mate'.

Its just not professional.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

I wouldnt want some security guard reffering to me as 'mate'.

Its just not professional.

lmao kool aid lol

 

[ogmzergrush]

Sounds ridiculous to me. Personally, one thing I noticed recently when coming back through the airport at Sydney, was how nice it was to be back home. One thing that really made this point was that the airport security, customs, etc, greeted me with "mate". That's a little irrelevant, I know, because I'm not a super-dooper politician, and people aren't expected to treat me like jesus on wheels, but personally I think of it as a quite a warm greeting, and don't see how it's condescending at all, unless of course the person it's directed to is expecting to be treated like royalty. If that's the case, well, I guess it could be a little out of line, but I think visitors could be understanding of the prominence of this word here.

It's what people here (Many people), say to each other regularly, and it's something of a part of our culture, and I really can't see why anyone would take offense at being treated just like a local. When in Rome?

Also, given that it's an internal memo, I would be interested to know whether this is in fact even a reaction to complaints made by politicians, or just another rabid do-gooder creating issues where they don't exist.

(While I've worded parts of this post as a response to visitors from overseas, my views are the same in relation to those who reside here, though I'd expect them to be even more understanding of the issue given that it's part of a culture which they are presumably somewhat familiar with.)