Australian of the Year he might have been made but Aboriginal activist Professor Mick Dodson made few if any friends when he suggested we change the date of our day because it doesn’t suit indigenous people.

If I was the PM I would have stepped across and taken away the award and told him where to go.

History doesn’t even suggest what Mick was on about actually existed and if he thinks 26 January – the day when the first fleet sailed into Botany Bay – was the day his peoples world came crashing down then they must have lived a shocking life those many moons ago.

Wherever I went yesterday people, average Joe’s like me, for example, were expressing their disgust at “mad “ Mick, and rightly so.

But sincere congratulations to the many others who received recognition, particularly to champion netballer and wonderful Aussie Liz Ellis.

Better odds

A quick run through the names of the Australia Day honours recipients suggested that it pays to be a doctor or a professor.

There were 45 doctors of this and that and 28 professors who were among the recipients.

Didn’t notice too many journalists and the like, although it was nice to see Norman May got a gong for his years of work in calling various sports on radio and TV.

Andy comes in from the cold

Once an almost full time rabble rouser, devoted unionist Andy Gillespie is on the comeback trail with promised local support for union powerbroker John Robertson.

Andy and his mates want Robertson to be chosen for either the Labor held State seats of Wollongong or Shellharbour, which would mean that either Noreen Hay or Lylea McMahon might get a sideways shove.

I suggested to you late last year that our local union movement would be seeking a more active role on just who represents us in State Parliament, but I must admit at the time my spies were saying it would be a true local.

Robertson, however, who is already a member of the State’s upper house, is seen by Gillespie and company as a future State Premier.

I would guess that Noreen, in particular, will fight tooth and nail to hold her place in parliament, and from what I hear Lylea might have friends in high places.

Evidently Andy and the unions believe the current local Labor membership in parliament is largely ignoring the area, and even I must agree with him in this regard.

Interesting times ahead.

Problems at our Steelworks

The announcement last week that BlueScope Steel would axe jobs at its tin mill came as no real surprise as rumours about the viability of this section of the steelworks have been around for some time, but is this only the tip of the iceberg?

My understanding is that there is something like 3000 tonnes of steel sitting around out there waiting for customers, and things might get worse.

Evidently the overseas markets have fallen right away, which doesn’t augur well for the immediate future of jobs.

Sport goes haywire

I couldn’t believe it when I heard that the NSW 20/20 team for the final of this competition against Victoria was going to include a New Zealand wicketkeeper who hadn’t appeared in any of the lead up games.

How can such a stupid rule apply, and I wonder how the many other keepers playing top grade in Sydney felt that they had been overlooked.

Next thing we’ll have star West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul named for Australia to boost our 50 over squad!

Bringing back memories

But thank goodness for former star Jelena Dokic in her dramatic tennis comeback to the big time.

I didn’t think I’d ever be sitting there late at night waving my arms and yelling encouragement, and this was in my own lounge room.

Great to have you back Jelena.