No, it’s
worse than that.
But first. I
follow sport all around the world. I can become immersed in a battle between
bat and ball at Lords, and don’t need a run to be scored to enjoy it.
I can marvel
at the tactics playing out in American Football and since attending Ice Hockey
at Madison Square Garden New York, have enjoyed the exploits of The Rangers. I
can also deprive myself of sleep for 3 weeks following the Tour de France.
Be it
professional Cricket, Football, Ice Hockey or Cycling, all participants are
well paid, which only serves to help illustrate just how ludicrous our societal
values are.
In
Australia, our primary sports are Cricket, Australian Rules (AFL) and Rugby
League (ARL). All governing bodies are in heated dispute with players over
money.
All player
unions want to lock in an increased share of revenue for player payments.
Those paid
the most, want to be paid more.
Until the
last 48 hours, I was in favour of the new deals. I was firmly on the side of the
players who produce the product that generates the income and pays the bills
and develops the game.
I don’t care
that much anymore. It all seems irrelevant.
I don’t care
if a player earning $1.2 million a year will now earn $1.5 million. I just don’t
care.
My lack of
care, or jolt to realism is due to Rick Maddison.
On Monday,
he (allegedly) shot and killed Brett Forte.
Brett is a
Police Officer in Queensland. He has a partner and three children.
Brett was
doing his job and lost his life doing it.
Brett and
his brethren Police Officers throughout the world protect me, my family and
friends our way of life, and your way of life.
Without
Brett, I don’t get to support my family, play my sport and enjoy watching
sport, or go safely to work.
At work, I am
not in danger of physical conflict. Very, very many others can do what I do
each day, equally as well, and possibly better. Not many can do what Brett did,
and his colleagues do. If we could, perhaps we would.
I get paid
more than Brett did. Much more.
So, what do
we as a sophisticated society value?
Do we value our
sportspeople at a premium of say 10 times those who protect us?
A key reason
I get paid what I do is to manage risk to the business. This includes our
compliance with the law. The more responsibility I have for ‘risk’, the more I get
paid.
Why is the
risk our Police face so undervalued?
Our
Government talks about a levy on this and a tax on that, to pay for this and
pay for something else.
How about we
re-align some values and better asses value.
We need to
look at how we remunerate those that protect us and maybe, just maybe, levy us
in order to do so.
To Brett
Forte and his fellow officers wherever you are in the world, we thank you.
Rest in
Peace Brett Forte.
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