In his relentless campaign to highlight the plight of refugees , Darwin civil libertarian , activist and agronomist , Robert Wesley-Smith, 78 , has added to a famous British patriotic hymn and received interesting information about the schooldays of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and current Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews.
And this Saturday , Wesley-Smith will add to "the pain" of refugees locked up in the Darwin Airport Mercure compound by singing his version of I Vow To Thee My Country , with musical accompaniment , to them through the fence . He might also give them a tootle on his euphonium .
In rallying the troops to the cause , he has contacted supporters far and wide , one responding with a powerful email containing fascinating information and comments .
The sender, an ex-teacher , union official and East Timor supporter , from Adelaide , said that in his quest to get to know the enemy in the refugee struggle , he had checked the biography of Home Minister Karen Andrews . It turned out she had attended Townsville Grammar -an independent , non-denominational , private school.
The school badge , designed in 1902 by a Sydney architect, suggested a Christian basis. Translated ,the school Latin motto , literally meant "Come in good, go out better". The high standards of the school, he continued, did not seem to have been brought to her post by the Home Minister . Then came the following quotation from Townsville Grammar principal, Timothy Kelly :
“A Grammar education is ultimately about personal best. We set the standards high for respectful behaviours, and this translates into maximised learning in the classroom and into a school culture where manners, inclusivity, a sense of welcome and joy are evident. Our students are encouraged and supported every day to strive for their best, and we believe this is an important attitude for life beyond school - for relationships, families, workplaces and communities."
The sender of email to Wesley-Smith continued by asking that when you looked at the elite schools that so many LNP politicians attended and the stated aims of those schools , how much are these values truly encouraged?
While teaching in Sydney , armed with a B.Science degree , he had taught Tony Abbott in two subjects -Science and Social Studies . At the age of 12 , Abbott was already committed to right wing ideas.
However, he was "not the worst kid" in that regard . "I taught another student who was also very bright who came from a right wing Spanish background," he continued . " His hero in life was the former Spanish dictator , General Franco !"
While many of the kids thought they were born to rule, there were many who were far more egalitarian, and held more compassionate and humane values . The final comment read :
