Confessions of a Misguided Trio

Election Day

In honor of the QLD state election I am going to post something completely unrelated to the QLD state election.

It appears as though a British Tory MP has decided to offend more citizens of the planet...

Boris Johnson, one of the most colourful figures in British politics, is the higher education spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party.

He issued an apology after receiving a tongue-lashing for his latest column in The Daily Telegraph newspaper, where he revelled in the turmoil surrounding Prime Minister Tony Blair's plans to leave office.

The well-spoken politician, famous for his mop of blond hair, wrote: "For 10 years we in the Tory Party have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing, and so it is with a happy amazement that we watch as the madness engulfs the Labour Party"

Jean L Kekedo, Papua New Guinea's High Commissioner in London, said she was "shocked and appalled" by the bumbling eccentric's remarks.

The comments were "very damaging to the image of Papua New Guinea and an insult to the integrity and intelligence of all Papua New Guineans," she told Britain's domestic Press Association (PA) news agency.

"How far removed and ill-informed can Mr Johnson be from the reality of the situation in modern-day Papua New Guinea?"

His response?

Johnson was suitably humbled, albeit in typically ironic style. "I would like to thank the high commissioner very much for her clarification," he told the PA.

"I meant no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea who I'm sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us," he added.

"My remarks were inspired by a Time Life book I have which does indeed show relatively recent photos of Papua New Guinean tribes engaged in warfare, and I'm fairly certain that cannibalism was involved."

"I'd be happy to show the book to the high commissioner but I'm of course also very happy to take up her kind invite and add Papua New Guinea to my global itinerary of apology."

posted by Mark @ 5:28 PM