My friend and Harvard classmate Andrew Laming lost his RU486 amendment yesterday (a good thing, in my view). But his personal stories about performing abortions prompted his first real spate of media attention since entering parliament in 2004. My favourite was this paragraph from Misha Schubert, writing in the Age:
Dr Laming’s official CV includes stints as landmine clearer, gymnasium manager, Aboriginal health researcher, World Bank consultant, travel writer, management consultant and ophthalmologist. He has worked and lived in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, East Timor, London and the US.
Thing is, it’s all true. The bloke is the Zelig of Australian politics.
It’s not clear, Dr Laming is a medical doctor, or a PhD (or both)?
He’s a medical doctor (a specialist eye surgeon). His Harvard studies were a 1-year Master in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government.
Is this really necessary? Aren’t we all better off if we just pretend that such people don’t exist except in fiction?
I thought I might go into ophthalmology at one time. Or podiatry … or mining engineering … or geophysics …
Andrew
What’s a bloody Zelig? I only understand Orstralian.
And fancy speaking highly of those opposite to me. I still maintain the rage.
Regards
Jan Dekker
Jan, I’m delighted to hear that your rage remains undiminished. But you should still watch the Woody Allen film Zelig sometime….