Without character: Peter the Dill and Johnny the Swine
Harold Hark
27 May 2003

Oh, how predictable the apologists for Dr Hollingworth. How many times will they repeat those meaningless tabloid catchcries: "media feeding frenzy", "hounded from office", "baying for blood", etc?

You could be excused for thinking this man did nothing wrong. Perhaps it was someone else who turned his back on young innocent victims of sexual abuse, and then, when confronted by this years later, unconscionably attempted to blame the victims for the crimes?

Here's one more catchcry: "Good riddance, Dr Hollingworth!"
Wynne Davies, Letter to The Age, 27/5/03

Perhaps dill: an incompetent fool, is too kind a description of Peter Hollingworth, but aside from his deep-seated and no doubt unconscious view that females are the playthings of the patriarchy, it pretty well describes his efficacy as Governor-General.

(In his few days as temp G-G, Sir Guy Green from Tasmania has been conducting himself nobly, talking about the neglected leadership qualities of vision and emotional intelligence...a sure indication that he will be overlooked when the time comes to announce Hollingworth's replacement.)

Somehow Hollingworth was never on hand when needed, especially in the aftermath of the Bali bombing. And when he was around, he mouthed bland platitudes. He made this clear upon selection for the absurd office of G-G when he vowed to be no things to no people. Oh, he slipped up occasionally, like when he came out in favour of private schools: "If there is any single reason why parents make huge sacrifices in sending students to fee-paying schools, it is not only to ensure that their children are formed within a disciplined framework but that they also receive clear teaching about values and ethics." Yep, the G-G never said much, unless it was to promote the government's right wing anti-egalitarian agenda. He could have said something about the slow death of the state school system at the hand of his masters, but chose instead to remind us that "values and ethics" were not taught there.

His attitude towards child abuse has been much the same. It appears he still doesn't understand the simple moral decision he should have made in the Elliot affair. His apologies and admissions of faulty judgement have only ever been half-hearted. Is it possible he really believes that he did the right thing by protecting the pedophile priest and the church over the victims of the priest's serial pedophilia?

Well, he wasn't John Howard's man for nothing. Pedophilia aside, this attitude, one of ethical corruption, is at the tiny, black heart of Coalition politics. With the exception of one or two back benchers, every member of the Parliamentary Illiberal party is guilty of an inability to tell right from wrong. To a man and woman, they can be counted on to do the wrong thing. This is the party that exemplifies The Wrong Stuff.

Like Peter Reith, who should be in jail for any of a number of past gross misdeeds, but is instead sitting pretty in London on $250,000 tax free dollars a year, Peter Hollingworth will sail away from his sickening 23 months as G-G with a yearly, taxpayer-funded golden handshake of $184,000, to be paid him for the rest of his ignoble life. In addition, he is entitled to an office in his home town, a permanent staff member and free business class domestic travel for him and his wife when on "official business", whatever that may be for whomever would want to have him.

This is the pay-out authorised for every Governor General, but Hollingworth should be an exception. His fouling of the office has provided Australians with a clear message that the office itself is an anachronism. A William Deane only comes once, although, as mentioned, Sir Guy Green might be its salvation. All the other G-G's have been incompetent poseurs or rotters.

But Hollingworth's dearth of character suited his swinish counterpart John Howard, another card-carrying member of the conservative patriarchy who believe that females are either playthings or kitchen help. That is why Howard has been unable to fully comprehend the implications of Hollingworth's transgressions and the reasons so many have been calling for his resignation. If Hollingworth had not resigned, Howard would not have sacked him, and he would still be Governor General. In the end, Hollingworth's resignation may not have been to save the "integrity" of the office, but to save John Howard's spotty arse.

And Johnny is nothing if not thankful and, above all, loyal. Hollingworth will be praised by Howard forever, because under John Howard the worst traits of a haphazardly evolving humanity are rewarded, while the best traits are treated with contempt or simply unrecognised.

There is one very good reason for this. The current crop of politicians (of both parties, but especially the Illiberal Party) are businessmen and/or lawyers. Now, there are a few small businessmen and women out there who are not corrupt to the core. But they are in the minority. And even they understand that, for example, the only way to deal with John Howard's GST is to cheat. There are two bottom lines for those in business: profit and cheating.

The rest, including literally all in the legalised Mafia known as Big Business, wouldn't know a principle from a bucket of shit. We know this, we don't have to be told any more.

Like the separation of church and state, business and state should also be entirely separated. When Business gets its hands on public coffers, there can be no other outcome than massive corruption. Until this legislated separation occurs, every so-called democratic government in the world will suffer the same ignominy of Australia. Even America, which represents the fall of democracy on a grand scale, is not as pristine in its desecration of social values as the John Howard Government. Perhaps owing to the smallness of this nation, the Howard Government has been able to remain undistracted in its well planned dismantling of society for a consumer-oriented (business enriching) economy of nongs.

Until the nongs wake up, low-lifes in high places like Hollingworth and Howard will continue to thrive like maggots on a putrifying corpse.

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