Bob Ellis, one of Australia’s most articulate political writers and staunch critic of the Abbott government, has revealed that he maybe has just weeks left to live.
Ellis’ bio summarises his career as “Bob Ellis has been for forty years reviewing films and for forty-one years writing plays, films, novels and essays on the performing arts. In this, his seventieth year, he finds himself drawn to continue these midnight habits, and set down some of his conclusions on these art forms. A further section of this blog, As I Please, named after Orwell’s column in the 1940s, will explore some larger questions of life, and reprint some articles refused publication elsewhere”.
Ellis was confronted with the worst case scenario on the weekend after checking into Sydney’s Mona Vale hospital for tests. “I am in Mona Vale Hospital waiting cat scan tests on liver function which look ominous,” he posted on his blog on Saturday.
Yesterday he was still optimistic posting but still managed to get a swing in at Abbott’s reductions in health care. “I look and feel better. I am still awaiting the outcome of the crucial test. It is likely, though not certain, that a blockage can be removed, with or without surgery,” Bob wrote.
“I commend Mona Vale Hospital, a very fine place to be. Abbott is reducing it, and replacing it with something nearer his home in Forestville”.
Then the bad news followed by a promise to continue to leave us with a final exposé of Abbott.
“The news is very bad and I may have months to live but it is more like weeks,” he wrote.
“I will try to bring out Abbott: The Worst Three Hundred Days: A Political Fiction, and launch it sometime in August. And, if I am well enough, do one last performance of Orators”.
Today Bob Ellis was back in fine form reviewing the main story in play Madam speakers Choppergate scandal,
“It’s worthwhile noting what ‘corrupt’ means,” Bob Ellis writes.
“It is, or it can mean, the misuse of public money, as in a helicopter trip, provided by a friend of a man in Bronwyn’s office, at a cost higher than the minimum.
“But it can be also, surely, the use of Bronwyn’s office, provided free by her, for Liberal fundraisers. She is supposed to be above party politics, and is fundraising for a particular party. She chided Gillian Triggs for ‘not getting into politics’, like her, on Q&A, when she, amazingly, was already Speaker.
“On top of that, it was corrupt of her to favour one side as Speaker, and to refuse or interrupt questions from the other side, to reject within seconds points of order, and eject 393 times Labor or Green members of parliament, and only three Liberals.
“She is guilty of corruption and therefore of different crimes, and should be tried, convicted and gaoled for this.
“Or am I wrong?”
Bob Ellis is a thorn in the side of the Abbott government and a thorn that will be truly missed.
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