Awar sallaroun

Prominentpeople who deserved an award this Australia Day/Republic Day

BY LP AYER

January26is not oaJyaspecialday of nationalimportancetoIndiaand Australia.This daymeans much more toa select groupof citizens inboth these countriesas theyaregiven awardsfor theirexemplaryservicein various walks of life.Honouring theirdistinguished citizens ispare of thesocialfabric of most countriesintheworld,and each countryhas its own method of selecting suchpersons and nomenclanirefor thoseawards.

InIndia it ranges from BharatRamaco PadmaSri whereas theAustralianhonours havecategories likeAO(Officer of the Order of Austtalia),AM (Member of the Order of Australia)andOA.tvf (Medal of the Order of Austtalia).

I have no due of thelndian selection processexceptperhapsto guessitis ona \,vhoyou know' basis.Thankfully,Down Underitisalotmoreopen.Anyone can nominateafellowAustralian citizen considered cohave madean outstanding achievemem.TheAustralian Honours Secretariat,anindependent body, considers all the nominations and make its recommendations totheGovernorGeneral. ot beingprivyto the selectionprocess,I took the liberr:y of comingup witha listof prominentpersons whoare worthyof some award,basedon whatI havereadin the media of their feats.

KevinRudd; Citizenq( the U7orld ever one cobe cowed downbyobstacles, and not content with his claimsto have saved Australia from the GFCbyemprying a warchest of some$32bi.Ilion squirreled awaybythe previousCoalition government, heUNearthedbisambition tosave the world to become theUN SecretaryGeneral. UNdauncedbyAustralia's veto co his approach to endorse him for d1e job,he got UNdisclosed support fromanUNknown African country,Botswana.Turnbullnirned down his'endorseme orelse' messageand, alas, the worldhaslost agreatopporUlnity.

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So meaboveawardissome consolation.

NickKyrgios:Sp01ts111a11efthe)'ear Nick off,he said to his fans.Who in the sports world would daresaysucha d1ing?He has more gutsmanhis racquet.Histennis talentmaybe matchlessbut histemperament is notd1atgrand;it is the one diatstands in thewayof hisnettinganygrandslam.Since eleven timegrandslam winnerRodLaver has vouchedthatcrankyKyrgi"couldbethe best tennis pL-iyer in the world", who amI co ace d1e Australian legend's comment?

Derryn Hinch: GoldenlV'agonlf7hcel

Having fallen off the wagon,d1eAustralian wine industry's top award goesto this guy for giving aboost to meirboozebusiness, clain.1.ingdrinking won'tharm hisborrowed liver. ·atasha, the latest ex of this five-time married,tweeted matheAogs hisnewJiver withaAagon.Hewatereddown her claim sayinghedrinks d1e'oddglassof wine,one third wine,two-thirds water'. Doesan odd glassmakeshim so tipsyascochangehis mind threetimes on theBackpackersTax