Monday was the end of the 46th parliament - which is good because it means a more predictable workload for a while, but bad because it means the election campaigning has started. And is there a voter in the universe that enjoys an election campaign? Endless haranguing on every side.
The dissolution ceremony is one of the least spectacular in the parliamentary calendar. Basically the governor-general's official secretary stands on a podium and reads out a couple of paragraphs. No flags, no fancy cars, no speeches and no snacks. Nonetheless, it was a glorious late summer morning so I wandered out to the forecourt with other public servants and enjoyed the sunshine.
We had to stand well back because after the proclamation there was a 19 gun salute. Several of the guns kept misfiring, which meant they had to go round a few more times than they expected, but they got to 19 in the end. Good thing it was just ceremonial and not firing at Russian tanks rolling up Anzac Parade. But we enjoyed it, it was loud and smoky, and then got back to the office and on with our day....
Goodness me, how very dramatic. We in Britain go in more for funny robes and things when doing official ceremonies.
ReplyDelete