Prev
Next

A muddled medal: Our volunteers deserve more

Lucy Kippist

by Lucy Kippist

01 Feb 06:00am

Must Reads

The Punch is moving house - this is a caption

The Punch is moving house

385

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this? - this is a caption

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

122

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming” - this is a caption

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

251

Filed under: Black Saturday, Cyclone Yasi, Disaster, National Emergency Medal, Queensland Floods, Volunteering

44 comments

In Grantham and beyond, they searched for bodies in battered houses and hot, swampy fields. Clearing debris from footpaths, roads and yards. Eighteen months before, they’d fought the inferno in southern and central Victoria, fighting fires, saving lives, and making endless cups of tea.

A more meaningful thank you…

They’re Australian volunteers - thousands of them - who left jobs and families to lend a hand to the natural disaster recovery efforts that swept across our eastern states in the past three years.

Their work saved lives and homes. Comforted hearts, and made towns livable again. Actions fit for a reward of huge proportions. But here’s what they got instead. A muddled up medal with serious eligibility issues and a confusing criteria that ignored the efforts of thousands of others. And a bungled up awards ceremony. Seem unfair to you? Well, here’s how it happened.

As we all know by now, despite what occurred at The Lobby on Australia Day, the ceremony had a very clear objective: to honour 26 Australians recognised by the government for their civic efforts during both natural disasters with the new National Emergency Medal. That is admirable. Each one of those 26 Australians deserved recognition for their efforts.

What we didn’t know, however, was the confusing, disorganised and grossly unfair way the National Emergency Medal was put together in the first place. Thousands of volunteers across the country also expected to be on that list.

As one Punch reader informed us this week, after the PM was seen at several disaster sites by a number of volunteers during the Queensland floods spreading the word about a new national medal, volunteers were left with the distinct impression they were eligible for the award.

In this regard, the PM was right. The National Emergency Medal fills an important gap. While organisations like the SES, and rural fire services have their own system and a number of awards for recognising the efforts of their volunteers, there has never been a national award. In fact, New South Wales volunteer Kendall Thompson received the American Benjamin Franklin award last year for his efforts during the Queensland floods. And even went to the US to receive it. 

But what the PM neglected to mention was that most of the volunteers who served in those regions were completely ineligible for the award. Although rumoured to be as a result of a three hour commitment “on the ground”, the National Emergency Medal award recipients needed to have spent quite a bit longer. At least we think, because the government website isn’t so clear.

Here’s what it says: 

The minimum duration of service that a person is required to have completed to qualify is:
• paid service on 14 days, including at least two days in the period beginning on 7 February and ending on 14 February 2009
• unpaid service on 7 days, including at least one day in the period beginning on 7 February and ending on 14 February 2009

Problem is, volunteers are only permitted to spend up to 72 hours in a disaster site – for their own safety. 

Inspector Ben Shepherd of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, told The Punch that in that amount of time volunteers in both Victoria and Queensland disaster sites had been exposed to the most severe conditions they’d ever experienced.

For this reason, they were rotated on a very regular basis and usually given directions to return home to families and paid jobs, after a maximum of three to five days on site.

As another Punch reader told us, some volunteers in the Queensland/Yasi disasters, chose to spend several days on each site. Clocking up five days here and five days there. Yet they still remained ineligible for the National Emergency Medal. Why?

According to Inspector Shepherd volunteering organisations were overwhelmed by the energy and motivation in all three disaster sites. Commitment he describes as nothing less than selfless, given the situations they found themselves in:

“It’s not just the sheer loss of human life. There were hundreds and hundreds of cattle and the broken, desolate towns. They all had an effect,” he said.

As Milanda Rout explored in a very powerful recent piece for the Weekend Australian, that can have devastating long term impacts on the volunteers and their families. Even though all voluntary organisations we spoke to offer their volunteers extensive counseling and support programs.

Bottom line is this: these volunteers deserve more. Starting with a national medal with clear and fair criteria, one that reflects not only the situations in which they found themselves, but also the capacity in which they worked and the time, that as volunteers, they could have realistically given to an incredibly important cause.

Most commented

44 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • Mahhrat says:

      05:56am | 01/02/12

      That criteria sounds like a pretty common type of bureaucratic error.  I’m reasonably confident that if enough attention is brought to it, it’ll get changed so it’s in line with OH&S policy.

      As to awards themselves, why can’t volunteers receive similar awards as any service person?  Up to and perhaps even including the Victoria Cross, I see no reason why acts of actual bravery rivalling previous recipients of the relevant award should not be so similarly rewarded.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      06:22am | 01/02/12

      Don’t we have bravery awards for civilians?  I thought we did.  Not sure whether there’s one that’s really the equivalent of the VC (back in the old days, the George Cross would have been it, I think). Anyway, I agree that bravery should be appropriately recognized regardless of whether the person is wearing a uniform or not..

    • Mahhrat says:

      06:38am | 01/02/12

      @Marley, I agree, but I would argue that a “volunteer” firefighter or rescue person is acting in a service role, not a civilian one.  After all, if we didn’t have volunteer services, we’d struggle to meet the need at all when these kinds of disasters strike.

      I’m happy to accept not military-specific awards or whatever, but things with those equivalents should be available to any “service” person.  Civilian bravery awards should be available to civilians who “step up” in a crisis.  There should be specific service awards to service people.  Whether those marry with military awards I leave to others to decide, but wouldn’t it be a pretty damn progressive step to glorify non-war activities with those awards?

    • marley says:

      07:43am | 01/02/12

      @mahrat - I’m not quite sure I understand what you’re getting at.  There are, as I understand it, two basic kinds of awards - awards for service, and awards for bravery - and they’re not the same thing.  The National Emergency Medal is a service medal, not a bravery medal.  It’s for people who do a good job in very difficult situations. 

      I think what needs to be done with it, is to have actual emergency workers, not bureaucrats, redesign the selection criteria.

      When it comes to bravery, I believe Australia has two apex awards - the VC for military personnel in combat situations, and the Cross of Valour for civilians and for military personnel in non-combat situations.  Courage is courage, and if you rescue people from a disaster situation at serious risk to yourself, I don’t think it matters much whether you’re a civilian, a fireman, a cop or a soldier on leave.  I think you should get a medal.

    • BJ says:

      08:42am | 01/02/12

      In regards to being rewarded for bravery.
      I was at a mates place with another mate a while back. We were having a few drinks in the backyard when we heard this shrill beeping. It was the next door neighbours smoke sensors.
      My mate had not gotten along with these neighbours all too well.
      Regardless the three of us ran around the house to the front, only to see smoke billowing out of the windows and front door. Both parents had made it outside and were laying on the lawn. Thing is that there were 2 small children still inside. While one of my mates ran to get the hose, I got to the front door and commandoed it down the hallway checking the three rooms on the way. We came to the bedroom where both kids aged 7 and 4 were and we got them out and then got to work trying to contain the blaze.
      The fire brigade and ambos rocked up 35mins later and took over. They asked who had been inside out of us and me and my mate raised our hands. The onsite paramedic checked us both out and made sure we were breathing fine and everything. Luckily we both were ok, a little sweaty and black but ok.
      The next week I received a letter in the mail, with a bill to pay of $324 for being checked by the ambo. I was furious and rang them and they refused to let it slide.
      This was my reward for an act of bravery. As the saying goes ‘no good deed goes unpunished.’

    • Mahhrat says:

      08:57am | 01/02/12

      @marley, that last sentence of yours is exactly what I’m trying to say.

      The query I have is whether we should continue to differentiate between “combat” and “non-combat” roles, but rather define them as “service” and “civilian” roles?

      I agree with your sentiment, and I also feel that service to the country is service to the country - that should be irrespective of what kind; if you put yourself in harm’s way for others, then you should be rewarded for that.  I also see that as an opportunity to glorify service rather than war, which I think is a noble goal.

    • Mahhrat says:

      08:57am | 01/02/12

      @marley, that last sentence of yours is exactly what I’m trying to say.

      The query I have is whether we should continue to differentiate between “combat” and “non-combat” roles, but rather define them as “service” and “civilian” roles?

      I agree with your sentiment, and I also feel that service to the country is service to the country - that should be irrespective of what kind; if you put yourself in harm’s way for others, then you should be rewarded for that.  I also see that as an opportunity to glorify service rather than war, which I think is a noble goal.

    • John the Zombie says:

      10:53am | 01/02/12

      Mahhrat I understand what you are saying but the VC is a special medal for member of defence. The history of the VC/Geroge cross goes back to the days when non officers who would show bravery in battle were not awarded any form of award. The VC/George Cross was brought into award those who were not officers a medal for thier bravery.

      On the second point I do beleieve that a civilian defence force needs to be set up and paid for. This force will be trained in things like flood barrier construction, roof tiling and many other jobs that are done during times of disaster. Each state should have its own battalion/squad and have vehicles required provided to it and if this means high purchases then let it be. This might not be the best example but lets look at the US. They have the national guard who are used not just for security but also when natural disasters hit they are activated to help.

      The final point I make is for those scums of the earth, the looters. Laws shoudl be changed for these people to be shot if found looting. (I know off topic but when we talk about disasters all I remember is how these scum of a people robbed those who were hurting already)

    • marley says:

      12:57pm | 01/02/12

      @John the Zombie - this is going to sound pedantic, but I think you’ll find that the DCM, a gallantry medal specifically for enlisted men, predates the VC by a couple of years. Both were products of the Crimean War.  The George Cross is a much later creation, WWII vintage.

      @Mahrat:  maybe we have a terminology misunderstanding here. There are two kinds of medals: service medals and gallantry medals.  “Service” medals are awarded for being there and for doing a good job.  That doesn’t mean you’re “in the service,” it means you’re performing a “service.” Any organization can issue a service medal - the military does (my mother has one from WWII - no jokes, but yes, Mom wore airforce boots) but so can police departments and volunteer organizations.  The National Emergency Medal is another service medal, and it is available to anyone who meets the time criteria, whether paid or voluntary.  Fairly enough, paid employees have to do more time to get the medal than volunteers.

      “Gallantry medals” on the other hand, are awarded for specific acts of heroism. 

      The VC and its ilk are gallantry medals.  The VC has always been a medal for bravery by military personnel in combat conditions only. 

      The George Cross and its successors cover other situations involving heroism but outside the parameters of the VC.  Thus, they have been awarded to civilians showing heroism in combat situations and to soldiers showing heroism in non-combat situations, as well as to drivers trying to stop runaway trains or trams, cops facing down a hail of bullets to arrest a group of criminals, and people dashing into Bali nightclubs to try to rescue bombing victims. 

      An exceptionally heroic act by an emergency service person would certainly warrant a gallantry medal, up to the GC/Cross of Valour.  I think that’s the distinction you want to make between combat and non-combat heroism even though it’s not a quite a “civilian” medal. 

      And I certainly agree with your views.

    • KH says:

      06:23am | 01/02/12

      So what is the problem with the criteria?  To my reading, at least 72 hours (the max a volunteer can spend on a particular site) had to have been in the specific period mentioned, but the balance of the 14 days could be any other time if it adds up to the 14 days…...  Does it say anywhere when that time had to be?  There isn’t enough information here to say whether the criteria is unfair or not.  I think its trying to exclude people who simply showed up for that one emergency, in favour of those who volunteer outside of the immediate emergency and assist after the event or even at other times. It is also excluding those who are paid to do a job - which is not really ‘volunteering’ in the true sense. 

      IMHO if we are giving medals to volunteers, it should be to those who give up a lot of their own personal time year around, not just a one off situation.

      Reply

    • N1G3 says:

      11:57am | 01/02/12

      I don’t agree that it should be decided on how much time you have given. It may only take ten seconds of bravery and sacrifice to have an increadilble affect during a disaster

    • marley says:

      12:13pm | 01/02/12

      @KH - To get the medal you had to have been involved in the Victoria bushfire response between 28 Jan and 5 March 2009, or the Queensland cyclone/flood between 21 Dec 2010 and 14 Feb 2011.  Those are the only two emergencies that have been gazetted so far.

      Paid emergency services workers are eligible for the medal, but have to put in twice as much time as the volunteers. 

      In so far as Victoria is concerned, a volunteer had to provide 7 days’ service, including one in the crucial week of Feb 7 to 14.  If the volunteers were sent home after three days, and not asked to come back, I can see they wouldn’t fit the medal criteria, and I understand why they would be disgruntled.

      As for Queensland, the criteria set a total of 14 days for volunteers, again not consecutive.  It seems to me that, if a volunteer did 14 days spread out across various sites in Queensland, he or she ought to be eligible for the medal. 

      Now in both cases, maybe the length of service requirements are too long, but it’s clearly total service within the time frame, not consecutive days of service.  That is specified very clearly on the webpage.

      So, no, it’s not a volunteer medal for general emergency service.  As the article says, the assorted volunteer groups have their own awards.  This is a medal specifically for service in an emergency of “national” significance, not for the guy who pulls rockfishermen out of the water or fights local bushfires.

    • marley says:

      01:04pm | 01/02/12

      @N1G3 - the thing is, this is a medal for service, not for bravery.  There are other awards for the heroic.

    • Ian says:

      07:13pm | 02/02/12

      Regarless if you believe in medals or not, the criteria is wrong. A communicator or IMT person on 7 day rotation gets the medal, but frontline firefighters restricted by OHS to 72 hr frontline service miss out.. Pays to stay in the back lines.

    • Sarah says:

      06:42am | 01/02/12

      Kendall Thompson was recognised for performing helicopter rescues in the Qld floods and a top job he did too.

      There is a National Medal that all volunteer organisations can nominate for, once you’ve given 15 yrs’ service. It doesn’t recognise service at specific events and those with 5 yrs’ service will need to wait 10 more years before applying for it.

      Excellent point about length of deployment. It’s rare for staff for deploy for more than 7 days and volunteers for more than 5 without a 2 day break, for reasons of fatigue as well as not taking them away from work for too long. Volunteers have jobs as well and most bosses are ok with you going away for a few days once in a disaster for 5 days but not 2-3 times. Make the requirements achievable! Even paid staff are rarely sent anywhere for more than a week for fatigue reasons, and they can be sent anywhere for as long as the boss decrees.

      On the same note, ask why all emergency personnel -paid and volunteer- are not getting a Queens Jubilee medal to recognise their service, like other commonwealth countries are doing?

      Volunteers are largely unrecognised but essential for services provided to society. In these days of job insecurity and selfishness, everything that can be done to attract and retain volunteers should be done.

      Reply

    • KH says:

      07:20am | 01/02/12

      Agree but you also have to be careful about crossing the line - volunteering should be because of a sense of community - not for a reward.  The more rewards that are offered, the more likely it will attract the kind of people for whom medals and payment (in cash or in kind) will be the prime motivation.  Many organisations that do fantastic work rely on the kindness of strangers, and would be crushed if overrun with self obsessed reward seekers.

    • Carz says:

      08:38am | 01/02/12

      There are issues with the National Medal when it comes to volunteers. The main one being that receiving the National Medal can make a person ineligible for service awards within a volunteer organisation, as it can be considered “double-dipping” to receive both. Additional to that, anyone who has been employed by the public service for 15 years is as eligible for the National Medal as a person who has spent 15 years as a volunteer in their community.

      Time for a Volunteers Medal or award that doesn’t impinge on their right to have their service recognised by their own organisation.

    • Sarah says:

      01:42pm | 01/02/12

      Carz that is not quite true.The National medal is ONLY available to members of uniformed emergency service type organisations. eg you can’t get it if you got the Defence Long Service award.
      You also must be performing that organisation’s primary role, eg you cannot be a payroll clerk employed by the SES and get the medal, you have to be employed in a role directly linked to the function of the service (ie emergencies), or a volunteer doing that sort of work.
      All the details are at itsanhonour.gov.au

    • James In Footscray says:

      07:06am | 01/02/12

      Will the recipients on Australia Day get another ceremony?

      Reply

    • Johor (ex pat) says:

      07:09am | 01/02/12

      “What we didn’t know, however, was the confusing, disorganised and grossly unfair way the National Emergency Medal was put together in the first place. Thousands of volunteers across the country also expected to be on that list.”
      So little self awareness! That is the Australian way isn’t it? So many other examples from aboriginal issues, refugee issues, electing party leader issues, trying to get consistent advice from the ATO, the list is endless.
      But she’ll be right - in the end!

      Reply

    • Emma says:

      07:13am | 01/02/12

      I think though that most of those volunteers would always act as they did - with or without medal. And I bet the gratitide they received directly from the people they have helped was far more important to them.

      Reply

    • Chris says:

      08:05am | 01/02/12

      I think Emma has struck the right note on this one.  I don’t expect many (if any) of the volunteers did so in anticipation of some kind of tangible reward or recognition.

      And that is the problem with this medal even existing - they will never identify all of the deserving recipients.  That will create articles like this and other forms of dissatisfaction, which suggest that volunteers should get something “more”.

      The truly sad result will be if those volunteers read articles and think to themselves (after the event) - “that’s right - I DO deserve something dammit!”.  They will then not volunteer in the future, for their intrinsic motivation to do so has been reduced by the un-met expectation of an external reward.

      I think the sheer number and motivation of volunteers during our various recent crises has been commendable and amazing.  But the medal is only going to create more problems, in my view.

    • Gregg says:

      08:17am | 01/02/12

      Totally agree Emma and that whilst being recognised with a medal is one thing, it’d not be a high priority for the volunteers who volunteer because of the need for it and the ability to help those in need.

      As is usual with these things, the list of people at the Lobby seems to be those of some rank or standing in organisations and though no doubt they all play their part I hope they’re not being recognised as being leaders or organisers more so than the foot soldiers for in recovery work it is always going to be those on the end of a shovel or whatever that play a huge role in clean ups.

    • Patricia Barton says:

      10:45am | 01/02/12

      Most Definately Emma. Volunteers do what they do not for reward, but with the notion they have done something good. Whether it be for solo acts, community, not for profit organisations, hospitals and so on, it is for the good of the organisation or those invilved as at Grantham. If something is done for gain ... what is the benefit of that. I have volunteered for many good services, but at one a charity dealing in used clothing, funiture etc, the volunteers “could purchase half price clothing”, then a memo came that said “because the clothing was so ... cheap”  we could pay full price. Greed!!!! For the act of endangering one’s life in the pursuit of saving another, I don’t believe a medal would be appropriate, rather the media attention and the gratefullness of the saved person/s would be sufficient. How many times do we hear of acts of bravery, and it turns out that, that person has disappeared into the crowd. We do what we have to do ... without looking for or expecting a reward.

    • jm says:

      07:50am | 01/02/12

      Grantham was one of the hardest things I have done (and seen) in my life, and that includes numerous army (RAInf) and RAAF exercises. Having said that, I’d do it all again in a flash if the need existed.

      Either have a medal or don’t. But don’t have some half arsed, badly thought out eligibility where one person will get the gong and the person who was standing next to them in the Victorian fires, Brisbane floods, or Yasi, doesn’t.

      Thanks Lucy for a fantastic, and balanced report on this fiasco.

      Reply

    • Typical Sexist Society says:

      08:51am | 01/02/12

      Hey Lucy
      I believe one group of people deserve a Service Medal,and they are the Nurses of every Hopital across this great land..I just find it very dissapponting that Nurses can leave a Hospital after 42 years of service,and walk out the Hospital Gates with nothing.Yet Ambulance/Fire/Ambulance all recieve a Service Medal after 10 years and then one every 5 years after than…Its just not fair…But typical.

      Reply

    • Kika says:

      10:48am | 01/02/12

      Very true. Nurses do an unbelievable job. The Doctors are the ones making the money and running from place to place yet it’s the nurses doing the care and the real work most of the time!

    • Gk says:

      10:08am | 01/02/12

      Why not have different categories of medals? Like, medals for paid responding emergency services who go above and beyond, medals for volunteers or citizens who kick arse and also go above and beyond, and medals for the old SES volunteers who make cups of tea for those on the front line.

      Reply

    • Ally says:

      10:23am | 01/02/12

      Why is a medal even necessary at all? You can’t tell me that people volunteer because they’re going to get recognition for it. They volunteer because they want to help and the knowledge that they did help should be the only recognition worth having.

      Reply

    • Sarah says:

      01:45pm | 01/02/12

      Noone volunteers because they’re going to get a medal.
      Can you see it? “I’ll join up and do years of training and callouts just in case in 13 years’ time the big one hits and I can get a medal” - yeah right.
      But that is different to recognising those who do volunteer and perform a great service.

      I didn’t get the ACT medal from the 2003 fire although my crew was dispatched to canberra (lights and sirens too). Why? Halfway to the canberra we were diverted off to another fire within NSW.
      Shrug. Others went to Canberra the day after it all happened, did little, and got the medal.
      That’s the way it goes.

    • Guran says:

      10:34am | 01/02/12

      Why not give every Australian a medal at birth, and take it off them if they transgress?  That would seem to satisfy the theme here that everyone who does something good should have a medal. /sarc

      Reply

    • Kika says:

      10:46am | 01/02/12

      Does one volunteer for the accolades… or does one volunteer for the genuine desire to help others in need? If someone is volunteering only to be given awards than that’s pretty sad.

      I live in Brisbane and EVERYONE helped out in one way or the other with the floods. Whether they were in the mud army or donating food or clothing to charities or helping people out with their claims for flood relief. None of us did it for the awards. And I doubt whether any genuine volunteer does it for that anyway. If you do then you have to question why.

      Reply

    • Red says:

      01:48pm | 01/02/12

      While EVERYONE helped in some way, there IS a difference between a volunteer in the SES as a swiftwater rescue operator being deployed to save lives, and Joe Average heading in to West End to help shovel some mud out of someone’s house.

    • Kebabpete says:

      11:43am | 01/02/12

      This sounds like more political patting on the back to me, and just more wasted time and money from a government that can not afford either.

      This medal is only going to ever be a political tool anyway. “Look what we did to recognize the volunteers.” I think it should be scrapped altogether.

      These people are volunteering because they want to help, not because they want a medal. A public thank you to all from the premier and/or prime minister should be recognition enough for everyone.

      Reply

    • Aussie Wazza says:

      02:07pm | 01/02/12

      A medal is all very nice and something to put in a drawer to be passed on later to a heir to put in their drawer.

      Recognition of an act of bravery or sacrifice deserves to be more than a b/s speech from a poli, tea and scones and a 50 cent tin gong.

      Perhaps something tangible like an annual dinner or a free weeks holiday each year for the rest of life at one of a variety of special resorts reserved solely for ‘heros.’

      If we can afford life long gold travel passes for every retired poli especially the slugs that get in and sit in a ‘safe seat’ for the necessary duration contributing naught to the nation except keeping their bench polished, surely those that deserve are worthy of something decent.

      P.S. For the cynics, I am not self serving here. I have done nothing brave all week.

      Reply

    • The King of QBN says:

      04:56pm | 01/02/12

      Look, i got a very unwelcome Canberra fires medal. Why was it not welcome?
      1. why should we get a medal for doing what we signed up to do thats not a long service medal or a bravery medal.

      2. the critera for the canberra medal was stupid easy (yes he was around some place doing some thing.. good enough).

      We call the Canberra fire medal the sandwich medal, whoever made or ate a sandwich during the fire got one. Its was the most usless gesture by the ACT government and it cost them a huge about of money because all these sandwich eaters came out of the wood work.

      Reply

    • Tubby says:

      06:11pm | 11/02/12

      So king of queen-bee, you haned the medal back? Still in the rfs?

    • S says:

      07:50am | 03/02/12

      I honestly think there is no need for a medal.  I served in the army for 18 years and got medals to recognise service, tours of duty etc.  I am also a volunteer in the NSW RFS that was on the first strike team to the VIC fires.  I volunteer because I want to and not for recognition, if I wanted recognition I would have joined a service in a full time/paid position.  I agree there are some that join volunteer services to “be in a uniform ” when they cant get into any of the full time service roles ie police etc.  We are slowly turning into America where their soldiers get a medal for shitting in the bush….

      Reply

    • The Dirty Digger says:

      08:53pm | 08/02/12

      Why are there only two National Emergencies (Vic Fires ‘09, Qld Floods ‘11) recognised?  The criteria for the medal states that by law the committee deciding on national emergencies to award the medal may only look at emergencies that occurred 3 years prior.  This seems unnecessarily arbitrary, divisive and penny-pinching.  The Australian Government has compared this medal to the ADF Australian Service Medal introduced 8 years ago which recognised all those, regular and reserve, who gave 6 years or more service since 1945.  There have been more than a few civil National Emergencies since 1945 and that the rules/law for the committee be altered to include all National Emergencies since that date.  A fair go

      Reply

    • jg says:

      10:58am | 10/02/12

      Mate,

      it’s simply meanspirited and wrong. You will not get a fair go.

      Gillard was being hammered in the polls and Anna Bligh looked every inch a leader.

      The best gillard could do was blurt out something about a medal, but, as usual, it was half arsed and not thought through.

      Maybe the ridiculous eligibility will be changed in time, but I doubt it.

      And no, it’s nothing like the ADM.

    • mick says:

      09:35pm | 12/05/12

      I tend to agree here. I drove to chinchilla, to help people I know in the flood effort. Because I have very little evidence, it doesn’t apply. I then drove back home to Mackay. We then braced for Cyclone Toni and waited. We were then briefed by EMQ Mackay to be ready for YASI clean effort. We drove to Townsville and were there for 7 days or so. They were intense days as there was no power etc you can guess the rest. Because of OHS parameters, we could not stay longer. AND you guessed sorry not enough days to be eligible. Why even bother producing a medal of recognition, when it is so hard to be even eligible? Its a bloody insult as I know so of you did less days then us, but you still worked your bums off.

    • mick says:

      09:44pm | 12/05/12

      At the very most. I thought 7 days volunteering straight would be enough. It was 7 days for the Vic fires but is 14 days unpaid for floods/cyclone. I am too confused. And I also agree that , I never joined for the medals but the recognition is good, even if it is only for your children’s sake, to hand it down to them.

 
Sorry, comments are now closed for this article.

Facebook Recommendations

Read all about it

Punch live

Up to the minute Twitter chatter

ToryShepherd

ToryShepherd 19 May 13 10:27PM

@Cmdr_Hadfield @mattpturner Hope you have sweet views while you heal

Lucy Kippist

lucyjk 19 May 13 02:24PM

RT @HeatherSmithAU: Can living in another country change your life for the better? by @lucyjk on @newscomau f. moi http://t.co/E5Ma3kBut2

David Penberthy

penbo 19 May 13 01:02PM

@mooks83 sophisticated response. Think the kids parents saw it differently

David Penberthy

penbo 19 May 13 12:50PM

More class from 9's footy show, lampooning a baby that allegedly looks like Sterlo with a pic swiped from Facebook http://t.co/BGoYP6Pn68

See all tweets

Recent posts

The latest and greatest

The Punch is moving house

by The Punch Team

385

The Punch is moving house

Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

by Hannah Harborow

122

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

by Sarrah Le Marquand

251

Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go

Tim says:

They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]

From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go

Kel says:

If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]

Light weight

Gentle jabs to the ribs

Superman needs saving

Superman needs saving

Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more

28 comments

Newsletter

Read all about it

Sign up to the free News.com.au newsletter