Susie O’Brien: Bloody idiots in NSW deem ‘mate’ offensive

The idea that such a useful word as “mate” could possibly be offensive to anyone is, well, offensive.

The idea that the term “mate” is now suspect was raised in a $200,000 Respect at Work seminar.

Hey mate, have ya heard?

Some bloody idiots in the NSW government have decided that the term “mate” is not inclusive and shouldn’t be used at work.

Of course, I don’t work in the NSW public service, but I am offended on their behalf.

We all should be.

The term was first recorded in this country in the 1830s, stuck around through two world wars and now some boffins in the NSW Department of Culture, People, Diversity and Idiocy want to kill it off.

The idea that the term “mate” is now suspect was raised in a $200,000 Respect at Work seminar.

Yes, of course it was.

NSW people are battling the aftermath of devastating floods, the impact of Covid on the economy and the uncertainty of the federal election.

And someone thought stopping people from using the term “mate” in the workplace was a priority.

What complete rubbish. There is no other word with the flexibility, utility and panache of the word mate.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: David Swift

Alternatives like bro, bruh, cobber, punter, and chief don’t come close.

It’s all in the delivery.

Often the term mate is said openly and accompanied with a pat on the back. Maaaate!!! Great to see you!

Other times it’s delivered with a little caution because the speaker can’t remember your name.

“Great to see you, mate. Let’s catch up. I’ll get my people to schedule in some face time.”

Remember Frontline, that current affairs parody from the 1990s? There’s a great episode where the narcissistic host Mike Moore, played to perfection by Rob Sitch, goes to the Logies. He’s told not to worry about forgetting people’s names because he can just call them mate instead.

Then he turns up and has a crisis of confidence because everyone’s calling him mate.

The term mate is also often used by charmers to get out of trouble. While the Americans use the more formal “Officer” when pulled over by the cops, Aussies will always pull out “mate” if they think it’s going to help them avoid a fine.

“Oh yeah sorry, mate. I thought the speed limit was 60!”

Mate is also often used in public as a passive-aggressive way to put someone in their place.

Funnily enough, the word has already had a fair showing in this election campaign so far used in this way.

When Greens leader Adam Bandt was asked the gotcha questions that stumped Albo early on, his answer was a terse: “Google it, mate”.

Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Keating loved to use the word “mate”.

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie also deployed the m-bomb when quizzed about Australia’s move towards net zero emissions.

Things got heated at the Press Club after Senator McKenzie referred to rural industries that “political elites and cultural elites” did not like. When a journalist from the Canberra Times challenged her about the term “elite”, she fired back: “You don’t know my backstory, mate.”

Ouch!

But no one used the term with such elan like Bill Hayden, when talking about the move to oust him as Labor Party leader in 1983. He recalled that one of the conspirators who wanted him replaced with Bob Hawke approached him with the words: “Oh mate, mate.”

“When they call you ‘mate’ in the NSW Labor Party, it is like getting a kiss from the Mafia,” Hayden said.

There was also High Court judge Lionel Murphy’s reference to his “little mate” which played no small part in his downfall.

And, of course, Paul Keating’s infamous use of the term in 1992.

Keating was asked by opposition leader John Hewson why he couldn’t call an early election.

He replied: “The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us,” he said, according to Jim Chalmers’ PhD thesis about Paul Keating which has the wonderful title of “Brawler Statesman”.

The idea that such a useful word as mate could possibly be offensive is, well, offensive.

These days it applies equally to men and women, so what’s the problem?

What a pity the people running the Respect at Work seminars don’t respect our country’s history, tradition and language.

In honour of Paul Keating’s fine use of the term, I’ll give him the last word.

Chalmers also recounts a story from Graham Richardson, who once told Keating he needed to go to more Labor Party functions.

“I said to him, mate, give me your diary and I’ll put in two Labor Party functions a month. And they’ll all love you and they’ll clap you but of course they will tell you where we’re going wrong,” Richardson said.

Keating replied: “Mate, if I had to do that it wouldn’t be worth being prime minister”.

Classic.