Are there cetaceans in Ceduna? It is a mystery that South Australians have pondered for many years but it looks like we finally have the answer.
For years, debate about the whales’ existence was based only on sketchy information. In July 1937, The Mail reported: “A 70 ft whale, with calf, was seen swimming about near Ceduna yesterday and today”, but the observers were frightened off.” And this from the West Coast Sentinel in April 1932 concerning a mysterious creature in Ceduna’s Murat Bay: “It was a fair size and seemed to be of the fin-backed variety.”
In January 1936, The Chronicle reported that a whale carcass had been discovered in a bay of St Peter Island, about 18 kilometres south of Ceduna. Could the ruins of an old whaling station set up in 1843 on that island be proof that whales lurked in the surrounding ocean? No-one knew for sure.
Last September, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young decided to find out whether there were whales in Ceduna. Not content to leave such an important issue to a professional marine biologist, the Bachelor of Social Sciences graduate embarked on a taxpayer-funded trip to this quaint little tourist town for the purpose of, in her words, to “see the whales”. This expedition, however, like that of another intrepid South Australian explorer, was perilous from the start. Her 11-year-old daughter was apparently sick on the day the senator was to depart. “I didn’t have anyone that could look after her at home”, recounted the plaintive Hanson-Young later, who has lived in Adelaide for only 20 or so years and is yet to build up a network of family and friends to call on in such circumstances.
Now many would think a good sleep and some home-made chicken soup were all that the youngster needed, but Hanson-Young had another cure in mind. What better than a 90-minute flight to the lulling sound of propellers?
The rest, as they say, is history.
“Thar she blows!” cried a triumphant Hanson-Young as mother and daughter spotted the telltale spray of not just one but 98 whales. The residents of Ceduna looked on in disbelief, marvelling at this aquatic Jane Goodall who had summoned these magnificent creatures from the deep.
There was much celebration and a great feast in the senator’s honour, and only the churlish would begrudge her the plates of delectable oysters provided by the taxpayers, the images of which she kindly shared with her Facebook followers.
Forgive my facetiousness, but I find the legend of Jonah – the biblical figure who supposedly survived three days and nights in the belly of a whale – to be more believable than Hanson-Young’s claim that this trip was for “electoral business”. She has attempted to justify her travel by saying that the whales “were at threat”. As detailed this week, the Great Australian Bight was already included in the country’s federal marine reserve network at the time she went to Ceduna. As for her claim that her daughter was sick on the day, what does it say of Hanson-Young’s refusal to answer pertinent questions as to when her child’s ticket was booked?
What is even more grating is Hanson-Young’s supercilious demeanour when she defended taking her daughter, especially her claiming that parliamentary entitlements allowed her daughter to accompany her. She is correct, just like federal ALP frontbencher Tony Burke was correct in 2015 when he said he was entitled to bill taxpayers around $12,000 for members of his family to join him on a four-day getaway to Uluru, all flying business class. Burke later conceded the billing was “completely beyond community expectations”.
It seems that, like many of her progressive ilk on the public payroll, Hanson-Young regards taxpayer funds as akin to a land of milk and honey. The Australian discovered last year that she owed $15,186 to the Department of Finance, but was allowed a special repayment plan. Just last month she repaid a debt of $20,460 to the department, together with a separate bill of $1570, but only after this newspaper lodged an application under Freedom of Information laws. You would think Hanson-Young, who worked as a bank teller, albeit briefly, would at least have some idea about how to balance the ledger, but her attitude to this is cavalier, although consistent with the Greens’ philosophy on abiding by one’s principles. She is also her party’s spokesperson on finance. Who said these self-righteous cultural Marxists had no sense of humour?
Last year, Hanson-Young used her entitlements to travel to Byron Bay on the weekend of the Splendour in the Grass festival. Fortunately this time Kora was spared the sight of mum swaying with the hipsters in the littoral foliage. In 2013 she spent $2700 in public moneys to attend the Mardi Gras festival, which included $963 for chauffeuring during her three days in Sydney. Her records show a preference for travelling in the luxurious Comcars, which are far more likely to be driven by old white men, to whom she refers pejoratively. One wonders why she does not take cheaper travel in the form of a taxi, which is far more likely to be driven by the lowly-paid migrant Hanson-Young purports to champion.
In the six year period between mid-2008 and December 2014, she claimed almost $1 million in travel entitlements. As a senator, Hanson-Young is supposed to be exemplary in financial restraint, but her actions are more those of a spoiled adolescent gifted with daddy’s credit card. Do not expect daddy to put a stop to this soon, as the events of last week showed that Greens leader Richard Di Natale has little control over his own party. In any event Di Natale himself is one of Parliament’s biggest carbon emitters when it comes to travel.
#HeadsUp panel tackles @sarahinthesen8 and whale watching on taxpayers' coin. pic.twitter.com/W1Whonr9Xr
— Chris Kenny (@chriskkenny) July 4, 2017
Not surprisingly, Hanson-Young has already invoked the platitudes of race and gender to defend her actions. Once again, the senator with a salary of $200,000-plus reminded us that she is a “single mother”. Presumably we were meant to acknowledge her tribulations, but her appeal for sympathy was wanting. It was reminiscent of that Australian Nutrition Foundation ad from the early nineties with the actors speculating as to why they felt run down, specifically that woman with the whiny voice saying “Aww, I’m a single mum with a daughter”?
“It is a great honour to be standing here today,” said Hanson-Young in her maiden speech in September 2008. “I am humbled to have been elected by the people of South Australia, who have put their trust in me.” And this: “I never wanted to become what I saw as a stereotypical politician.” Something for the senator to reflect on during her next coastal getaway, perhaps, even if only between mouthfuls of oysters?
Miners change tune on climate change
Peak mining industry body The Minerals Council of Australia has joined the fight on climate.
Easy to point the finger
Demanding we abandon coal for climate is akin to asking NZ to give up love affair with sheep.