It should be about the noise, not what makes it

There are some things you can complain about in your neighbourhood and get sympathy even if you’re being an over-reactionary NIMBY twat - housing for disadvantaged people, load music at a rock venue that was around before Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and an airport that has been operational since aircraft were made of wood, wire and canvas.

Quite often two people can have the same complaint but receive a different reaction to their cause depending on the source of their complaint.

For example, if your street was filled with cars every night and your driveway was blocked because of the Ramadan celebrations at a local Mosque, you’d get a 300-member action group, local newspaper support and council parking-restriction signs faster than you can say “not in my backyard Mohamed”.

But, have the same complaint about local traffic and parking problems caused by your neighbourhood’s over exhuberant outdoor Christmas light displays, and you’ll be branded the local scrooge who fucked baby Jesus and ate him.

It’s the same with the woman who complained about the constant sound of a gun going off next to her backyard every Saturday morning, which caused great distress to her and her baby. If the shots were noises from a construction site, or military training she would receive plenty of sympathy. But because the gun shots are the starting pistols of the Kew Little Athletics Club, she’s branded an un-Australian, blow-in, NIMBY bitch.

While I agree it’s odd that she is the first person to complain about the starter’s pistol in the club’s 30-year history, I think that her grievances should be considered before jumping down her throat - maybe the noise is horrible; maybe it does cause distress. Does it make it better because it’s being used to start races by good little Aussie Vegemite kids who may become Olympians?

Again, it should be about the complaint, not what causes it.

Why wasn’t Rudd at John Button’s funeral?

Senator John Button was one of the great political and ministerial minds of the Hawke Government and instrumental in bringing the charismatic Bob Hawke into parliament just in time to run as leader and bring Labor back to power in 1983.

Not a bad word was spoken about the great man in life and after his death last week - even Bronwyn Bishop had nice things to say about him.

His funeral yesterday was attended by people from both sides of the political divide including former Prime Minister’s Keating and Fraser, former governors general Peter Hollingworth and Bill Hayden, while Julia Gillard represented Prime Minister Rudd.

So why didn’t Rudd attend? As reported, he was in Sydney where he took time out to visit Cate Blanchett and her new-born son. The excuse was made that he had a community cabinet meeting in Penrith that night, a meeting that Gillard was able to fly from Melbourne after the funeral to attend.

Of course The Bolt and others accused Rudd of being starstruck and putting image first instead of paying respects to one of his Party’s finest - agree with him or not you can’t blame anyone for taking that line.

We don’t know why Rudd visited Blanchett - perhaps there is a past personal link; perhaps it was to personally hand over her baby bonus. But he could have chosen another time to visit mum and bub and showed respect to a great Labor stalwart and one of the great men of politics - a mantle that has become increasingly rare in recent times.