The Australian 'GOLD CARD'. The ongoing Gold Card saga plods its weary way through the morass of political discrimination.
The first requirement for this elusive 'Gold Card is that, you were born in Australia, or if you migrated to Australia and served in the armed services and faced the enemy in the defence or in the interests of Australia; in or overseas.
You dont have to be wounded in action or become the holder of a distinctive decoration, you may be a non combatant in a designated war zone, and of course you must be an Australian citizen at the time of qualification and at the time of the receipt of the award and more than 72 years of age.
I am a ex British serviceman who served in the British Navy for nearly four years during WW2, Korea and middle east conflicts.
Based in Sydney Australia during WW2, the last nine months was spent at sea in the Pacific serving with Australians and the United States forces until the surrender of Japan.
At the end of hostilities, a vast number of British servicemen stayed on in Australia, some illegally I am told, most of whom became Australian citizens, some for nearly sixty years.
Myself, well I being a career Navy man, I was unable to return to Australia until 25 years later.
My main concern is for those British men who have given their all for this country and consider their home to be Australia, Some of these old guys really need this entitlement as much or in some cases more than some of the healthy looking true blue Dinky di Aussies, maybe its more important that an OZ vet gets a new set of gnashers and a face lift due to the sun than an even older ex Brit guy needing a knee replacement. An Australian friend told me he arrived in New Guinea just as the war ended and had to wait several years to see his first Japanese, A tourist in Sydney, good old Al gets the gold card for that overseas holiday, however, most of those vets who served in New Guinea deserve a heap of respect and much more than a bloody Gold card.
I am uncertain as to when this Gold Card was first awarded, however, to my knowledge; it was certanly not around even when I returned to Australia in Aug 1971 and it could not have been one of the many incentives to persuade me to return here. I did not have to rely on charity on my arrival here, my family and I had enough funds to purchase a residence, also a steady income from England, in fact 60% of our income is sourced from the U/K. I have never drawn any Dole payments.
FAQ " Why do other commonwealth citizens ie British not recieve the gold card" ? "answer, I believe its just the rules you know".
In other words it is blatant discrimination, there can be no possible excuse. The costing would be minimal compared to some of the present governments grants to arts weirdo's and other bludging work shy organizations, unnecessary overseas aid and the constant wasteful updating of those outdated Collins Class Submarines, Or the money could be well spent updating the salaries and pensions of some of our more notable Chicken Hawks who escaped overseas during the time Australia was at war, like Malcolm Frazer who became PM by default, our present PM little John, and of course Billy Bunter- Alex Downer Our Foriegn Minister.
The likes of those blokes will have a Gold Card in every pocket.
More to come in my next post. VEST DAILY GAGGLE.
You dont have to be wounded in action or become the holder of a distinctive decoration, you may be a non combatant in a designated war zone, and of course you must be an Australian citizen at the time of qualification and at the time of the receipt of the award and more than 72 years of age.
I am a ex British serviceman who served in the British Navy for nearly four years during WW2, Korea and middle east conflicts.
Based in Sydney Australia during WW2, the last nine months was spent at sea in the Pacific serving with Australians and the United States forces until the surrender of Japan.
At the end of hostilities, a vast number of British servicemen stayed on in Australia, some illegally I am told, most of whom became Australian citizens, some for nearly sixty years.
Myself, well I being a career Navy man, I was unable to return to Australia until 25 years later.
My main concern is for those British men who have given their all for this country and consider their home to be Australia, Some of these old guys really need this entitlement as much or in some cases more than some of the healthy looking true blue Dinky di Aussies, maybe its more important that an OZ vet gets a new set of gnashers and a face lift due to the sun than an even older ex Brit guy needing a knee replacement. An Australian friend told me he arrived in New Guinea just as the war ended and had to wait several years to see his first Japanese, A tourist in Sydney, good old Al gets the gold card for that overseas holiday, however, most of those vets who served in New Guinea deserve a heap of respect and much more than a bloody Gold card.
I am uncertain as to when this Gold Card was first awarded, however, to my knowledge; it was certanly not around even when I returned to Australia in Aug 1971 and it could not have been one of the many incentives to persuade me to return here. I did not have to rely on charity on my arrival here, my family and I had enough funds to purchase a residence, also a steady income from England, in fact 60% of our income is sourced from the U/K. I have never drawn any Dole payments.
FAQ " Why do other commonwealth citizens ie British not recieve the gold card" ? "answer, I believe its just the rules you know".
In other words it is blatant discrimination, there can be no possible excuse. The costing would be minimal compared to some of the present governments grants to arts weirdo's and other bludging work shy organizations, unnecessary overseas aid and the constant wasteful updating of those outdated Collins Class Submarines, Or the money could be well spent updating the salaries and pensions of some of our more notable Chicken Hawks who escaped overseas during the time Australia was at war, like Malcolm Frazer who became PM by default, our present PM little John, and of course Billy Bunter- Alex Downer Our Foriegn Minister.
The likes of those blokes will have a Gold Card in every pocket.
More to come in my next post. VEST DAILY GAGGLE.
Comments
I have commented on the Z S post, regarding the misery the hurricane has created.
Over the past few weeks I have been involved with various war vet thingy's and a router problem on my pc.
My hand is ok now, left a nice scar to remind me of the past pain.
You mentioned the names of a few notable Australian Chicken hawks, mostly politicions who avoided war service by using several devious methods, some who are now sending others off to fight in some stinking foriegn war, here we go add this bunch of weak kneed wankers to your list of political pansy boys & chicken hawks
WWI Robert Menzies,and since then Andrew Peacock, Malcolm Frazer, Joh B Pieterson,John Fahey, Nick Greiner, Robert Hill,Mike Duffy(radio), and Sir John Keegan (Military Historian). There are probably more, so what say we name them.
If the War minister WWI W Churchill had not declined the Turkish offer to side with the Allies, we would have avoided fighting the Turks when the Turks took sides with Germany. That mistake cost 100,000 lives, about 8,000 Aussies and KIWI's, also at least half of those Aussies were born in Great Britain, how many survived to reap the benefit of a GOLD CARD is not known.
I was asked by the Daily flute.
"How does an Anzac day dawn service compare with a pissup on Bondi Beach On New years eve"
I replied: My last pissup on a Sydney Beach (Manly Mon 31st Dec 45)I was living in sin with beautiful Emma at the time. Sadly said adios to beautiful Emma When I sailed away home to the U/K Sun 6th Jan 46,to continue my Naval career'
"VEST NOT FORGET"
The Anzac day marches in Australia and other happenings on that day, should be used to Commemorate; not to Celebrate as I mentioned in my comment in the Daily Flute 2 May 05 which reads:
The sancrosanctity of Anzac day Remembrance Day and other similar solemn occasions, can well do without the addition of drunken hilarity. I refer to those persons who obviously travelled to Galipoli in Turkey Only to acquire a collecters item label for their suitcase and indulge in one big pissup, which offended the majority of the other (Pilgrims?)
Surely if you carried your victuals to picnic at this Sacred Site where your fore fathers fell in battle during the unnecessary Invasion of Turkey WWI, it would hardly be a burden to remove & return the rubbish to your hotel or place of purchase, quite frankly if I had been the person with the authority to do so that garbage the ugly aussies left aroumd the graves would have been sent back to Australia on the first plane.
Can you imagine, every year on VE DAY, a Horde of German ex Luftwaffe Airforce Persons and ex enemy tourists visiting London To celebrate in a wild pissup and singing "Staying Alive" like the Aussies at Galipoli, while raging and gazing in the city where years before they arrived uninvited to deliver death and destruction during WW2. Would they be given a warm welcome by the British , I think not mate, although such a situation would run parallel to that of the Galipoli pilgramige.
Maybe the Turks welcome the Aus tourist dollar more than the AUS.
BTW: IT should have read THE BRITISH 40,000 ton Battleship 'H M S KING GEORGE V. what a bloody cheek.
Vest say's, "WANNA BUY A BATTLESHIP. We'll SWAP IT for 200 GOLD CARDS".
Our sister ship the 'HMS Duke of York'took over the role of flagship on her arrival in the former war zone one day after the cease fire on Aug 15 1945, despite the fact that the HMS King George v had been the flagship of the British Pacific Fleet during the whole period of action 11th Feb 1945 to 15th Aug 1945, The HMS Duke of York led the British ships into Tokyo in September, This action incurred the wrath of the out spoken officers and crew of the HMS 'EURYALUS' The ship that had followed in our wake during the conflict,as a result they were penalised by Admiral Frazer(Known by the rest of the fleet as Station Master of the fleet and logistical storeman). ADM/ Frazer ordered HMS EURYALUS to be delayed returning home to Britain until 1946.
I mention this as it has been a sore point with the majority of the aprox 145 ships of the British Pacific Fleet,particularly among our 6 Fleet Aircraft carriers, The HM Ships Victorious Illustrious Implacable Indomitable Formidable and Indefatigable Who collected more Kamikazes(Suicde Planes) on the decks than most other ships of our Task Forces 57 and 37 and of course,The British Battleship HMS King george V, The real Flagship of the FORGOTTEN Fleet.
jorge youse ugly sun ov a semen, prufe redurs innoos paipurs caint SPELL iver.
George if your pain persists try euthanasia.
Thank you for your correspondence of 14/9/05 to the Minister for Veteran Affairs and Minister assisting the Minister for Defence,the Hon De-Anne Kelly MP.
The Minister is considering the matters raised in your letter and a response will be sent to you as soon as possible.
Signed by Owen Montgomery, Veterans Affairs Adviser. 19/9/05
My 58 year old Austalian born son asked me as I was an Australian why I didnt have a australian medi benefits gold card and uncle Bert does, I told him your mums brother uncle bert who was a sailor was being trained on my ship HMS Bermuda 'the CO was,Capt J S Bethell'RN which served with the fighting british fleet in the pacific, his lot was similar to mine. but despite me being a australian cit for 57 years but in the views of the australian goverment uncle Bert is more equal as he was born here, this was typed by my great grand-daughter, Amy 12yrs.thank you.
how do you like the meddalion my old pops-pop slung it in his sock draw.
Im at home sick now cant sleep and pops tells me good stories-and i love him,-bye- AMY x