The adolescent country. The bit player. The shrimp of the schoolyard.
For Australians it’s not so bad — most of the time — to be so far away, so overlooked, so seemingly insignificant as to almost never factor in major international news. The lifestyle makes up for it.
But occasionally, there’s an awkward, pimply youth moment so embarrassing that it does sting. Like when 19 of the world’s most important leaders visit for a global summit and Prime Minister Tony Abbott opens their retreat Saturday with a whinge (Aussie for whine) about his doomed efforts to get his fellow Australians to pay $7 to see a doctor.
Continue reading: http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-australia-parochial-20141116-story.html
Further reading:
Tony Abbott tells G20 leaders he backs coal, despite pleas on climate change
The Secular Jurist 