A ban by Australia’s Parliament House on the term “mate,” a popular colloquialism and symbol of egalitarianism, has been overturned following a barrage of protest.
Security guards at Parliament House in Canberra had been directed on Thursday to refer to people as sir and ma’am. The ban was imposed after the head of a government department complained about being called mate, local media reported.
But a parliamentary circular issued on Friday removed the directive warning staff not to use “mate” when dealing with the public or members of parliament, instead suggesting they use their judgment on when a more formal approach is required.
Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke said the attempted ban was “pomposity gone mad,” while current Prime Minister John Howard described the ban as “absurd and impractical."
“There are circumstances where a more formal address is appropriate,” Howard told Australian radio. “But in the same conversation you might start off calling somebody you have just met sir or madam but as you become more familiar ... you might end up saying mate.”
The move also prompted a flood of calls to talkback radio around the country and was slammed by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper as “ludicrous” because it took Australia back to the days of the class system.
