Paul Gray

Family man - one wife and four kids. Teacher and Educational Leader. All views expressed are my own.

[🎸 Rock History 🎸 @historyrock_]

Rod Stewart singing "It's A Heartache" in tribute to Bonnie Tyler 🙏🏻

Rod and Bonnie were very good friends.

[John Fogerty @John_Fogerty]

What a heartwarming video from Romania! It’s amazing what music can do. So happy to see so many people coming together to play John’s song “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”

[Todd Spence @Todd_Spence]

When filming THE GOLDEN GIRLS, Betty White would often improv her St. Olaf stories, causing Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan to completely break character. During this taping you can actually see Bea looking off at the director because she knows she's going to lose it 😂

[Introvert Problems @IntrovertProbss]

Does anyone else stay up late purely to recoup time they need alone?

[Daniel Willingham @DTWillingham]

It suddenly occurred to me that the real intention of icebreakers is to get us to bond over our shared hatred of the person making us do the icebreaker. But then I decided that whoever subjects people to icebreakers probably doesn't deserve credit for that much cunning.

[Robert Barwick @RobbieBarwick]

Memo to Australian media:

It is not "the president".

It is "the US president".

He's not our president. He's not the president of the world. He's the president of one country. Other countries have their own presidents.

Alternatively, you could say "the shithead president".

[Paul Gray @paulegray]

@rukky_nate Gray works well for me as a surname. Grey doesn’t.

[Rosita Díaz @RositaDaz48]

The Results Are In: Councils Have Gone Too Far on Australia Day 🇦🇺🦘

The debate is over. The numbers are in. And they tell a story many councils don’t want to hear.

An overwhelming majority of Australians are proud of their country, want a national day to celebrate it, and support keeping Australia Day on January 26. Around seven in ten Australians back the date, nearly nine in ten are proud to be Australian, and almost nine in ten believe having a national day matters. This view cuts across age, gender and political lines.

Yet across the country, a growing number of councils have chosen to ignore this clear public sentiment.

Some refuse to say the words Australia Day at all. Others have replaced it with awkward euphemisms, “January 26 events,” or bureaucratic doublespeak designed to appease a loud minority rather than reflect the will of the community they represent. In doing so, they have crossed a line - from recognition of history into open disdain for a national day that most Australians still value.

Let’s be clear: recognising the past matters. Indigenous history matters. Respecting culture, truth-telling and reconciliation matter. Australians understand that - the polling shows it. Respect for Indigenous culture ranks high among the values Australians say define being “truly Australian.”

But Australians are also done with cancel culture, symbolic vandalism, and the constant effort to frame national pride as something shameful or divisive. They are tired of being told that celebrating their country is offensive, backward, or morally suspect.

Councils exist to serve their communities - not lecture them, shame them, or quietly rewrite public traditions without consent. When councils refuse to even use the term Australia Day, they are not being “inclusive”; they are being contemptuous of the majority view.

That needs to stop. Immediately.

If councils want to broaden Australia Day to include reflection, education and acknowledgement of history, Australians are open to that. What they are rejecting is the erasure of the day itself, the language, and the shared civic moment that binds people together.

The message from the public could not be clearer: Australians want unity, not division. Pride, not perpetual guilt. Honest recognition of the past - without cancelling the present.

Councils that have gone too far should reverse course, restore the name Australia Day, and start listening again. Because this debate isn’t being driven by the public anymore.

— The public has spoken.
The bureaucrats need to pay attention because the people will no longer tolerate your bullshit 🇦🇺

https://t.co/uDhXZNEwen

[Craig Kelly:🇦🇺Foundation for Economic Education @craigkellyAFEE]

This is one of the saddest photos I have ever seen. It brings a tear to the eye of everyone who loves Australia.

In the name of political correctness and the pursuit of the woke agenda, we've imported a culture that hates our way of life and told them they don't have to assimilate.

And now our beautiful and cherished Opera House needs to have snipers on the roof because the enemy is inside the gates.

[Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 @PaulineHansonOz]

This was last night at the memorial for the Bondi victims.

Snipers and high powered surveillance cameras perched on top of Sydney Opera House, the most iconic location in Australia.

Isn’t it heartbreaking that we’ve reached a point where this is necessary — right on top of our national icon — because politicians refuse to address the spread of radical Islamic terror?

Australia shouldn't have to live like this.

[Clint Jarvis @clinjar]

Modern life looks normal—until you take away the phones.

A photographer did just that, and the result is deeply unsettling.

This series of photos speaks louder than words.

The illusion of being "connected" is real (and heartbreaking): 🧵

[Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 @PaulineHansonOz]

I want to say something clearly, because Australians deserve honesty and respect.

At ANZAC Day services across the country, some booed the Welcome to Country. I don’t support that. ANZAC Day should never be disrupted. It’s a sacred day to honour the men and women who gave everything for our country.

But I do understand why people are fed up.

We said no to The Voice. Yet everywhere we turn, this divisive political agenda is still being pushed down our throats at every ceremony, every event, every time we come together as Australians.

People have every right to be angry at the division being forced on them.

What I will not accept is the media and politicians attacking everyday Aussies who have had enough. They’re lining up to smear anyone who expresses frustration as a “racist” or a “neo-Nazi.” That is disgraceful.

Let me remind you, protesters also shouted “Free Palestine” at an ANZAC Day service today. That barely got a mention.

Why? Because the outrage is selective. Those hurling slurs are not interested in respect or unity. They are pushing a political narrative and trying to intimidate good people into silence.

Here’s the truth: most Australians are proud of this country. They are not racists. They are not extremists. They are simply sick of being talked down to, insulted, divided, and told they live on “stolen land.” And they are sick of being told to stay quiet.

This country belongs to all of us. Whether you were born here or chose to make Australia home, you are part of this nation. It’s time we started acting like it.

To the decent Australians out there feeling angry, unheard, and insulted by the media and the political class, I hear you. You have every right to feel frustrated at this constant division, and I stand with you.

And I’ll keep fighting to stop the division and to unite Australia as one nation.

One note: I misspoke in the video when I said I don't support protests. What I meant was, I don’t support protests at solemn events like ANZAC Day.

[Peter Murphy @PeterWMurphy1]

Harry Dutton can't raise the deposit to get a bank loan to buy a home. His father is Peter Dutton, who has a $30M property portfolio. If Peter Dutton won't help his own son achieve home ownership, what hope is there for him helping ordinary Australians?! 🤔 #auspol #AusVotes25

[Paul Gray @paulegray]

@MadsMelbourne I’m sorry to hear this. Doesn’t sound like a very uplifting experience for you.

[Paul Gray @paulegray]

@W1zardof0z @OMGTheMess Bet you’re glad to get the $100 discount

[Paul Gray @paulegray]

@McFranchisee @snackolator Australian, and I remember serving a passion fruit sundae topping during summer specials.

[The Modest Teacher @ModestTeacher]

Unpopular opinion:

Not one student likes you more because you wore pajamas to school.

[Paul Gray @paulegray]

@AvidCommentator Please tell me where.

[Neil Mitchell @3AWNeilMitchell]

Strange. The Senate has no power to censure Senator Thorpe we are told. So a footballer can be punished for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’ . A senator embarrasses the country and nothing can be done. Wrong .

[Nova Peris OAM OLY @NovaPeris]

Today’s Outburst by Senator Lidia Thorpe Does Not Reflect all of Aboriginal Australia.

As a former Senator and the first Aboriginal woman in the Australian Parliament, I am deeply disappointed by the actions of Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe during King Charles III’s visit to Parliament House. Her outburst, which disrupted what should have been a respectful event, was both embarrassing and disrespectful to our nation and the Royal Family.

In 2022, Senator Thorpe herself affirmed allegiance to the Crown during her swearing-in ceremony, as required by Section 42 of the Australian Constitution, stating: “I do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her heirs and successors according to law.” This is a reminder that, regardless of personal beliefs, respecting our nation’s constitutional framework is essential, especially as an elected representative. If Senator Thorpe was not on board with this, she should not have accepted her position and made her affirmation in the first place.

For over 2 decades I have supported the principle that Australia should one day become a republic. Indeed, as a former co-chair of the Australian Republican Movement I advocated strongly for this. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that such decisions are for the Australian people to make through democratic means—not through rude interruptions or public outbursts. Senator Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect the manners, or approach to reconciliation, of Aboriginal Australians at large. They reflect only her, and it is important to clarify that the vast majority of us would not engage in this unconstructive confrontational way.

Australia is moving forward in its journey of reconciliation. As a nation, we are continually recognising the deep injustices faced by Aboriginal people. However, as hard as that journey is, it requires respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment to healing—not divisive actions that draw attention away from the progress we are making as a country.

I would like to extend my sincere apologies to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on behalf of all those who value mutual respect and the dignity of our nation. When King Charles visited Yolngu Country in 2018, he was welcomed with great respect and warmth by the traditional owners of the land, who honoured him with a traditional ceremony. That moment exemplified the kind of engagement we need—one where respect is earned and given in equal measure.

Aboriginal Australia values these opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding. We are a proud people, deeply connected to our history, but we also recognise the importance of moving forward together as a unified nation.

Lidia Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect all of our people’s views or values. I hope King Charles and Queen Camilla will continue to visit and engage with communities across Australia, where they are welcomed with respect and dignity.