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Following on from his comments last night where he voiced his concern that Macklemore was bringing his personal brand of politics to the NRL grand final by promising to perform his hit song Same Love, which is about same-sex marriage, Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has fired shots at the late civil rights icon, Nelson Mandela, for his history of using sport to drive the message of equality.
“Politics should not be mixed with sport!” said Abbott on twitter, in a vague attempt at mirroring Donald Trump’s populist remarks this week surrounding the current boycott of the American anthem by black athletes in the NFL.
Speaking to The Betoota Advocate today, Abbott says sport should be reserved for both the oppressed and privileged elite to enjoy at once, without the fear of equality being mentioned.
“I’ve said this since day one when Nelson Mandela used his platform as the recently-elected President of South Africa to unite both the black and white citizens of his divided nation”
“Mr Mandela should have chose a more appropriate time to drive his political agenda!” he said.
Mandela’s iconic speech, which has since been dramatised in the 2009 Clint Eastwood film ‘Invictus’ starring Matt Damon, is as follows:
“Sport has the power to change the world… It has the power to inspire.
It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.
It speaks to youth in a language they understand.
Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.
It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
Mr Abbott says that this pivotal moment in the history of civil rights should not have been forced upon international audiences who just wanted to watch a match of football.
“It was hardly the time or place for South Africa to unite as one”
Abbott’s comments about Mandela and Macklemore have drawn a response from Australian rock icon, Jimmy Barnes, who has come out publicly today to apologise on behalf of his band for ‘bringing politics into sport’ by singing the hyper-critical anti-government rock anthem ‘Khe Sanh’ at the 2015 NRL Grand Final.
“Had I known that Tony Abbott would have had a problem with my political sentiments, I would have not sung the most popular Australian rock song ever written” said Mr Barnes.
