FROM THE DESK OF Roland Rocchiccioli

The Persian poet, Omar Khayyám, wrote: ‘The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line’.

I WAS imbued with an almost irrepressible desire to send the quote to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison; and for good reason.

For 50-years-on-and-off – I have been a broadcaster. I never allow myself to say anything on-air which I do not mean, and I take great care that my criticisms are not personal. As I have said, on many occasions: “I don’t care if they have one eye in the middle of their forehead. My only concern is: ‘wot ya gonna do about the ‘ousing?’” (When that was shouted at the late Sir Robert Menzies he replied, without missing a beat: “Put the ‘h’ back into it!”). Always, I try not behave badly, and I am not given to outbursts of anger and lamentable vitriol. I do have a sharp tongue, and I need to consciously control and moderate my language – and by that I do not meaning cussing.

I have viewed with curiosity the swirling controversy enveloping the Sydney Opera House and the use of its sails for commercial enterprise and advertising. I was, momentarily, taken aback when the Prime Minister declared that those people who were opposed to the Opera House sails being used as the city’s biggest billboard were being precious. Precious, indeed? It caused me to stop and consider for a moment. I am many things, but precious I ain’t! My problem is I am too blunt; a pragmatist to my bootstraps. I have no interest, or truck, with those harbouring elitist and pretentious aspirations. I am given to a degree of fervour, vocal stridency, and a zest to prosecute and win an argument.

In short, I love a good stoush, but that does not make me precious. Indeed, I have great interest in a challenging opinion, and have been known to change horses in midstream if it better suited my reasoning.

Words are like stones thrown into a pond. They create a ripple effect, which, if large enough, and thrown with attendant force, makes for a damaging wave. Having rejected the Prime Minister’s loose and unfortunate insult as a moment of truly regrettable aberration, I determined there is a more serious contention at play: the imprudent use of the Nation’s symbols, which I happen to believe are most important; a fundamental part of a country’s ethos and its sense-of-self, which leads to the way a person thinks about, and views, his or her traits, beliefs, and purpose within the world. In short: a clear and strong senseof- self may be defined by knowing your own goals, values, and ideals, which leads, ultimately, to an understanding of your own identity, and a gauge of maturity. Symbols help to establish the Nation’s sense of individuality, and create its charm and personality.

The Prime Minister’s dismissal of 311,320-plus Australians as ‘precious’ is cavalier at best, and disrespectful at worst. Because an individual does not share your point-of-view, it does not follow, ipso facto, they are precious.

True leadership, by any standard, is characterised by a capacity and willingness to listen, and to accept – but not necessarily to agree. Also, it demands respect. There is no place in the national discourse for derisive and ill-conceived commentary. The role of a leader is to unite; to bridge and merge the differences with empathy; and to steer a steady course. The New South Wales Sports Minster, Stuart Ayres, described the backlash to the Opera House promotion as ‘hysterical’; a comment
which would suggest a minister who is decidedly out-of-touch with many Australians. Difference of opinion does not equate to hysteria.

Setting aside the kangaroo, the mistreatment of which is a serious problem for discussion, I would claim Australia has three internationally recognised symbols: Uluru, and Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Opera House, which belong to the entire Nation. Let us not exploit them in a manner which does not do give them proper respect, or, in the case of the Opera House, pay homage to the objectives of its genius designer, the late Jørn Utzon. Symbols are most important, regardless of what the Prime Minister says. The Opera House is certainly not the biggest billboard in town! That is a Philistinian concept– regardless of the argued financial benefits to the state.

Roland can be heard each Monday morning on 3BA at 10.30am. Contact [email protected].