Pixelated Semantics

Class warfare for dilettantes

The Australian Parliament is creating a furore arising from a ban on the use of the word "mate" by staff. It's fairly indicative of the cultural stance of the ruling Coalition when it's issuing edicts such as their 'written order to refer to members, senators, staff and members of the public as "sir" or "ma'am"' - which are archaic usages, particularly the feminine form. Also indicative is the Commonwealth and Public Sector Union's response, which said the policy 'had a "master and servant" feel', and describing the House as a 'parliamentary palace of pretension'. The SMH notes Man of Steel has used the term to describe US President George Bush; The Australian goes futher and records that '...when he's not labelling someone "a good bloke" often calls them "mate"'. The memo is now being rewritten, apparently asking attendants and guards 'to be more sensitive instead'. Unusual for colloquialism to make headlines, except perhaps in a country such as this.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 11:06 am ::