No Aussie Sol in parting shot

Darren Pauli

Apparently former Telstra el jefe Sol Trujillo left our country in a sorer state than he did our telecommunications industry after PM Kevin Rudd, when asked by a reporter for parting words to him, replied "adios". That it was said with a jocular grin was lost on Trujillo; instead it was indicative of the inherent racism that broods in us Aussies. That he issued his own share of stinging quips against then communications minister Helen Coonan, and industry regulator and adversario Grahame Samuel over four years did not mean he accepted, or perhaps understood, the Aussie vernacular.

He told the BBC Australia was "like stepping back in time" in regards to racism, comments that irritated Victorian Premier John Brumby, the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, and the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW which went as far as to tell The Age that Australia is not racist: "we don't have any problem at all and I can say that with authority".

Whether or not you subscribe to the Ethnic Council's comments, I think it's a little precious to take off with $35 million after less than four years' work, and chide the PM for what is a rather polite farewell considering what kind of send-off the wider telecommunications industry would have.

I know that $35M could have built some decent broadband out my way.

Adios, Sol.

Comments (3)

1

william_nguyen@idg.com.au

Tue 26/05/2009 - 16:35

good riddance.

2

Tue 26/05/2009 - 17:06

Partners in Crime

Hi Darren: Your ending comment does prove the racism prevalent in Australia right from the Top to street thugs throwing things at migrants. You are welcomed to do a research on employment of migrants within state and government sectors. Migrants are lowly placed, if at all they do get any job offer, and subject to indecent and racist remarks on a daily basis.

3

Tue 26/05/2009 - 17:51

well, then, vaya con Dios

Racism is endemic in Australia. Sol can thank his lucky stars he was able to leave with $35 Million in his pocket.

One African lady I know of gets passed by, regularly, when the school bus ought to stop and pick up her children in the northern suburbs of Hobart.

Then she gets to walk them to school, which roundly screws up the rest of her day (she is a student).

Maybe Sol can now afford to buy a copy of Clint Eastwood's "Gran Turino", which, on the face of it, suggests that racism is endemic in the USA as well.

Reminds me of South Pacific -

"www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/youvego0.htm

Rodgers and Hammerstein
TITLE: You've Got to Be Carefully Taught
(from South Pacific)

You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught before it's too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be carefully taught"

(sung with a hint of irony)

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