Howard’s Elite Tracksuit

I didn’t get time to read the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday, so my thanks to QueerPenguin for spotting this superb quote from Tanya Plibersek, the federal member for Sydney (ALP):

Howard routinely dismisses arguments because of who makes them: environmentalists; teachers; students; church leaders; unionists — they’re all part of a cultural elite, he says. The constant use of “elite” as a pejorative has become comical from a man who loves the reflected glory of hanging around elite sporting heroes and who governs for big business and rich people while living one of the most privileged existences in the country with his fine mansion on Sydney Harbour, his unprecedented wine bill, his comfy VIP jet and his $170,000, four-day Rome hotel bill. You can’t hide privilege under a tracksuit.

It’s worth reading the entire piece.