Merit-based scholarships, Australia style: be the Prime Minister's daughter

[Metaphor]

From the Canberra Times

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been forced this week to answer questions about his daughter Frances, as details of her scholarship at a private college remain cloaked in mystery.

In 2011, Frances was awarded a very rare $60,636 scholarship to the Whitehouse Institute of Design. The institute's chairman is a Liberal Party donor and friend of Mr Abbott, Les Taylor.

The substantial award meant the Prime Minister's middle daughter was required to pay just $7546 towards her three-year bachelor in design, from which she graduated with distinction in February.
...
Fairfax Media repeatedly contacted Whitehouse chief executive and spokesman Ian Tudor, who is in Jakarta, for comment. Mr Tudor did not respond to detailed questions but released a statement on Wednesday confirming ''that Whitehouse has given scholarships for at least 10 years'' and that Ms Abbott's scholarship was the Chairman's Scholarship, which is awarded occasionally. ''Frances was the second recipient. I understand that the selection of Frances was done at arm's length from the chairman by the owner, founder and managing director of the institute, Leanne Whitehouse,'' Mr Tudor said.

Fairfax Media asked repeatedly to speak to Ms Whitehouse about this and other scholarships this week, without success.

Mr Taylor denies the undergraduate scholarship had any political ties. ''Of course it's not linked to a favour to Tony Abbott,'' he said. ''I don't owe Tony Abbott any favours.''
...
A classmate of Ms Abbott said she and other students she had contacted since details of the $60,000 Chairman's Scholarship came to light were not aware of the existence of an academic award that covered the cost of the three-year undergraduate course. ''We had no knowledge of these scholarships whatsoever. If there was a scholarship opportunity available, we would have applied for it,'' the graduate said.

And, the "too long didn't read" summary:

• The "Whitehouse" is a design institute that gave a $60,000 'Chairman's Scholarship' to one of the daughters of the Australian Prime Minister
• The PM claims the 'Chairman's Scholarship' was 'merit-based'
• There is no application process for the scholarship
• The only person to previously have held the scholarship was...the daughter of the owner of the design school
• In the most recent Budget, the PM has signalled that private institutions (like the Whitehouse) will for the first time be eligible for federal educationl funds
• Frances now has a job as a 'teacher's aide' at the Institute, but does not appear to have any actual duties whatever

First things first: although the PM continues to insist the scholarship was merit-based (what else could he claim publically, I suppose?), it is patently absurd for anyone to actually believe that. The scholarship had no application process and was offered to Frances after a single interview. The only person who previously held such a scholarship was the owner's daughter. Frances's fellow students indicated she had no extraordinary ability (and certainly not the economic need) to have been awarded such a 'merit-based' scholarship.

I feel this is deeply embarrassing for the design institute itself, because it's been caught in an obvious case of providing a political favour for political benefit. But one wonders why Leanne Whitehouse (the founder and owner) simply did not give Frances $60,000 to attend the Institute?, without bothering to disguise the tawdry behaviour as a 'merit based' scholarship. It would have avoided the embarrassing charade, the grotesquely uncomfortable pantomime. But of course, giving out 'scholarships' based on political connections rather than merit reflects badly on the worth of the actual school, so the embarrassing charade was the only real option.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

But not the Prime Minister...

 

[spikepipsqueak]

When I first heard about this I briefly wondered if this could be the means of losing Abbott before his term is up.

What does it take to prompt an Aussie population to oust a bad leader?

 

[Metaphor]

When I first heard about this I briefly wondered if this could be the means of losing Abbott before his term is up.

What does it take to prompt an Aussie population to oust a bad leader?

Frankly, it takes a lot. No federal government has lost a general election after one term in living memory (except for the 1975 dismissal). (A federal government has to face the electorate at least once every three years).

Utimately, this incident (as tawdry as it is, and as ridiculous as his protestations are) would neither be sufficient nor necessary for Abbott to be ousted. The 2014 Budget was unpopular at an unprecedented level; this incident merely served to highlight, in triumphantly spectacular fashion, the pitiless indifference of the social conservative and economic elite (like Abbott) when he decided that he would deregulate University fees and charge interest on student debt for the unwashed masses, whilst his daughter got a free ride based on her political connections.

 

[bigfield]

The problem is that most people are barely even aware of the misdeeds of Abbott & Co. or even the extent of the harm that the 2014 budget will do to the country, and will have forgotten or forgiven most of it by 2016.

The only newspapers in wide circulation in Adelaide are the Advertiser and the Australian, and both are News Ltd rags. And if those papers are any measure, then the pro-Liberal News Ltd media are doing their best to bury or defend the LNP's cruelty and corruption, whilst slinging as much shit as possible at the state Labor government.

When in comes to politics, most Aussies are happy to be treated like mushrooms: kept in the dark and fed shit.

Plus, an alarming percentage of the population aren't outraged at the budget.

 

[barbos]

I thought Australia was ranked pretty good in terms of corruption

 

[barbos]

I feel this is deeply embarrassing for the design institute itself, because it's been caught in an obvious case of providing a political favour for political benefit. But one wonders why Leanne Whitehouse (the founder and owner) simply did not give Frances $60,000 to attend the Institute?, without bothering to disguise the tawdry behaviour as a 'merit based' scholarship

I think I know why. That would be clearly viewed as a bribe.
By creating bullshit scholarship they avoided all that illegality.
That's how corruption works in civilized countries.
You don't directly pay politicians for favors, you hire their relatives and themselves (after they finish their term)

 

[bigfield]

I thought Australia was ranked pretty good in terms of corruption

It is.

But that doesn't excuse it.

 

[laughing dog]

The recipient is so obviously deserving, she didn't even have to apply! That is real merit.

 

[Narapoia]

The problem is that most people are barely even aware of the misdeeds of Abbott & Co. or even the extent of the harm that the 2014 budget will do to the country, and will have forgotten or forgiven most of it by 2016.

The only newspapers in wide circulation in Adelaide are the Advertiser and the Australian, and both are News Ltd rags. And if those papers are any measure, then the pro-Liberal News Ltd media are doing their best to bury or defend the LNP's cruelty and corruption, whilst slinging as much shit as possible at the state Labor government.

When in comes to politics, most Aussies are happy to be treated like mushrooms: kept in the dark and fed shit.

Plus, an alarming percentage of the population aren't outraged at the budget.

That's interesting, watching the TV news in NSW there is a clear sense of outrage at the budget from all corners. However, it makes sense as I was surprised to see that Labor had not extended it's lead in the polls given the awfulness of the budget. To a certain extent buyers remorse settled in really quickly as a few voters in the middle realised what a turd they had installed as PM but it's frightening that more of the Liberal base has not realised how badly this budget will affect them. Similar to the Republicans in the states I guess, how do you let your political ideology outweigh your own self interest.

It's a pity that Labor don't have a better leader than Shorten, without him they would win an election tomorrow by a comfortable margin. As it is it would be a tight contest but I still like to think Abbot would go in the event of a double dissolution later in the year.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

It's a real pity that the electorate does seem to vote on appearances and personalities, but I don't mind Shorten. It is hard to know what he stands for as a new Opposition leader, given the beating that Labor policies took. He says what he believes is right, and he is reiterating ideas that have been rejected. If he changes, he is swinging in the tide of popular opinion. Probably not the best way to form good policy.

I find it ironic that Abbott is making hay about making unpopular decisions in aid of long term outcomes. Abbott's long term goals appear to be to create a hugely privileged upper class with the only real access to education or hope, and a huge underclass as a labour pool for them to draw on, desperate for employment/income at any price.

And a wasteland where the middle class majority used to be.

When Labor tried to institute some unpopular changes with a view to genuine long term social improvements, bricks fell on them.

Abbott's income is enough that he didn't need to pull this scholarship swifty. He just couldn't help himself. I hope it costs him, dearly.

 

[barbos]

I thought Australia was ranked pretty good in terms of corruption

It is.

But that doesn't excuse it.

I meant to say corruption level in Australia was low according to ratings.

 

[Tigers!]

When I first heard about this I briefly wondered if this could be the means of losing Abbott before his term is up.

What does it take to prompt an Aussie population to oust a bad leader?

It helps if you have an ambitious, treacherous cabinet minister named Gillard.

 

[Tigers!]

I can't help thinking this is so much confected outrage.
When Therese Rein (then PM Rudd's wife) job agency got an Aust. government contract I can't recall much outrage over nepotism or accusations of favouritism. Of course she got it based solely upon merit.

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Labourites are always so squeaky clean.

 

[Metaphor]

I can't help thinking this is so much confected outrage.
When Therese Rein (then PM Rudd's wife) job agency got an Aust. government contract I can't recall much outrage over nepotism or accusations of favouritism. Of course she got it based solely upon merit.

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Labourites are always so squeaky clean.

You can't really believe that Frances Abbott got that scholarship on merit, can you?

 

[bigfield]

I can't help thinking this is so much confected outrage.
When Therese Rein (then PM Rudd's wife) job agency got an Aust. government contract I can't recall much outrage over nepotism or accusations of favouritism. Of course she got it based solely upon merit.

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Labourites are always so squeaky clean.

One does not need to be a Labor supporter (I sure as hell am not) to see that this is nepotism. Surely you aren't of the opinion that corruption is OK as long as the "other side" does it too?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I can't help thinking this is so much confected outrage.
When Therese Rein (then PM Rudd's wife) job agency got an Aust. government contract I can't recall much outrage over nepotism or accusations of favouritism. Of course she got it based solely upon merit.

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Labourites are always so squeaky clean.

One does not need to be a Labor supporter (I sure as hell am not) to see that this is nepotism. Surely you aren't of the opinion that corruption is OK as long as the "other side" does it too?

I think the point is that if you complain about one incident of corruption, then you're a useless hypocrite unless you can produce evidence that you've also complained to an equal degree about each and every other incident of corruption that's happened in the entire history of forever, whether or not you happened to be aware of them.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I think the point is that if you complain about one incident of corruption, then you're a useless hypocrite unless you can produce evidence that you've also complained to an equal degree about each and every other incident of corruption that's happened in the entire history of forever, whether or not you happened to be aware of them.

Well, here, that's the advantage of being a liberal.

Liberals getting caught make us all look bad.
Conservatives, esp. ones that have claimed their holy The Books gives them a monopoly on moral behavior and moral legislation, when they get caught, it make them look bad AND it makes their Gawd-breathed moral platform look tarnished.

I make a much bigger deal about their foibles because they keep insisting I've got to live by their morality, when even they don't.

 

[spikepipsqueak]

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Laborites are always so squeaky clean.

I disagree, corruption exists on both sides of the divide. I wish any examination of recent parliamentarians didn't prove that. And like sheep we never demand they be held to account.

But.

Abbott is the man who is currently engaged in pulling the rug out from under the poorest in our community, reducing funding to State run schools, increasing funding to private schools (I know, I know, that happens every time a Liberal gov'y gets back in, hardly worth mentioning), not training our own young people while importing labour and skills, and blaming the people who can't find work. He can well afford to pay for his daughter's education, and is availing himself of this odd little "scholarship" perk that has never been used for anything but to misdirect attention.

The morality of it is bad enough, but he doesn't have the sense god gave a goose to recognise how dangerous it is to his position to do things like this.

Australia elected an idiot. It's embarrassing.

 

[Tigers!]

I can't help thinking this is so much confected outrage.
When Therese Rein (then PM Rudd's wife) job agency got an Aust. government contract I can't recall much outrage over nepotism or accusations of favouritism. Of course she got it based solely upon merit.

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Labourites are always so squeaky clean.

One does not need to be a Labor supporter (I sure as hell am not) to see that this is nepotism. Surely you aren't of the opinion that corruption is OK as long as the "other side" does it too?

Corruption is corruption no matter who does it.
However allegations of corruption are so easy to make.

- - - Updated - - -

I can't help thinking this is so much confected outrage.
When Therese Rein (then PM Rudd's wife) job agency got an Aust. government contract I can't recall much outrage over nepotism or accusations of favouritism. Of course she got it based solely upon merit.

Oh silly me it's only the Libs that behave so outrageously. The Labourites are always so squeaky clean.

You can't really believe that Frances Abbott got that scholarship on merit, can you?

Never met her, only know what has been mentioned in the media so I will reserve judgement.