And in other Australia Day Honours news

[lurker172602]

Is it Australia Day - or April Fool's Day?

That was a question being posed on social media after an early morning statement from Prime Minister Tony Abbott revealed the Queen's husband, Prince Philip, had been awarded a knight of the Order of Australia, the country's highest honour.

The 93-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, who has made a string of controversial and memorable gaffes during his wife's reign, became a trending topic on Twitter in Australia shortly after Mr Abbott announced that he would receive the honour alongside Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston.

The online reaction was largely one of incredulity, and it was far from complimentary.

The Age (more here)

[lurker172602]

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@gleee58 wrote:

The comments are rather funny

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/26/the-aristocrats-why-knighting-prince-philip-is-...

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I particularly like this one

Can't stop laughing. To think some people actually voted this idiot in, and I bet they've stopped telling their friends because everyday, in every way he makes them look like fools. It just goes to show that he has absolutely no confidence in the Australian people, because out of the whole australian population he could only find one man worthy of a knighthood. He's saying up yours mate, it's Australia Day, and I want to give a knighthood to Prince Phillip. 

[fiestas*girl]

gosh he is such a dolt!

[gleee58]

and this one:

I have never regarded Abbott as being a man with a sense of humour but he has proved that he has indeed the most spectacular appreciation of the absurd and ridiculous.

In one fell swoop he has made anything Monty Python or The Goons concocted look positively pedestrian and predictable with this veritable comedy masterstroke.

And I am absolutely sure that Prince Philip will entirely appreciate this surreal masterstroke.

[gleee58]

Tony Abbott knighting Prince Philip.

It's like the assistant manager in the computer section at Mt. Druitt Harvey Norman offering Melinda Gates a discounted copy of Windows.

[debra9275]

that made me laugh when I saw it

[polksaladallie]

My take on this is that it is sinking in that his time is limited, and he brought in the titles last year because he desperately wants the title for himself, and sees this suck-up to royalty as one step towards that. 

His father said that when TA was a child, he (father) knew that he would be either prime minister ot the pope.  In other words, as a child, he was a little **bleep**.

[myoclon1cjerk]

Well,he's got those ears.I'm just wondering if Tony is Phil's love child.

[cherry*135]

[polksaladallie]

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@polksaladallie wrote:

My take on this is that it is sinking in that his time is limited, and he brought in the titles last year because he desperately wants the title for himself, and sees this suck-up to royalty as one step towards that. 

His father said that when TA was a child, he (father) knew that he would be either prime minister ot the pope.  In other words, as a child, he was a little **bleep**.

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[fourandsixpants]

....LOL Sir Prince Phillip