Help me Social Media. Am I an old cynic? Do I need a holiday?
Today Bill Shorten’s motorcade pulled off a country road to do a press conference roadside moment. As a vehicle overtook the motorcade, it crashed head on with another car. Bill Shorten, cameras rolling, got into one of the cars and was filmed showing compassion to one of the injured occupants of the car. So so compassionate.
Cue local ALP candidate on camera saying “it’s times like these that you see a leader’s true character”. (Source: Channel Ten 5pm News Gold Coast). Phew:- cause I thought I saw his character when he knifed a sitting PM…..twice. Cue #cynicism:-
See:- I see this as being a basic human:- Not displaying leadership character. Another human is injured…you show concern, whether there are cameras or not.
This does not display character. It displays humanity. Character is something different. Remember that old quote “Integrity is what you do WHEN NO-ONE IS WATCHING.”
Now this accident wasn’t engineered by campaign strategists, but said strategists should have immediately demanded all cameras be turned off as this is a human moment, not a campaign moment. Sadly this didn’t happen. (I have watched the West Wing, I know how politics works).
The other day just south of the Gold Coast airport (just south of the tunnel for those who know that area of the M1), I passed an SUV with a flat tyre and woman sitting leaning up against the open boot, texting. I stopped, backed up, (I must admit dangerously) and offered to change the tyre. She told me her hubby was coming to change the tyre and he was coming from Burleigh. (She actually encouraged me to move on). I told her Burleigh is a good 25 mins away, and to tell him not to come, I will change the tyre on his behalf. She did. I did. And I went my way. I didn’t tell her my name, nor did she tell me her’s. I didn’t tell her Jesus loved her, I didn’t invite her to church, I didn’t mention Global Care. I simply helped a person who right then and there needed help. I then didn’t Facebook it, put a selfie of me and the flat tyre on Instagram and nor did I mention it on Twitter #feelingflat. I actually didn’t even tell my wife Melanie. I was just a person who helped someone who needed help. And then I drove to the office and worked for the day. (I also get the irony that I am now telling you). My point is, let’s help others with out making it a media moment.
Anyway that’s what I think.
Ps Peter Pilt
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peterpilt 
My thought on it was Big Deal…..If they hadnt of stopped there the other person wouldnt have overtaken and this would never have happened. The fact a gigantic media storm happened makes it a joke.
Watching Bill Shorten going into the local hospitals and fixing some of the problems so our sick children dont have to wait 2-3 weeks for a bed when they need a admission for Cystic Fibrosis…now that is newsworthy….
Good on you for stopping and changing a tyre….Good thing it wasnt a flat pack Ikea one……
Although a selfie would have been good to see
I wonder what happened to the other motorists that drove by and left her stuck on the hwy. You did a good thing and kept to yourself. I would like to think someone would do that for my wife if ever she found herself in that position. As far as polies go they all tell lies and are always looking to lift themselves up at the expense of others. I am glad he was able to help the people in the accident but why get a TV crew out there…….. it was all about him not so much others, anyway that’s my opinion
Sadly his compassion for another human being has been overshadowed by political opportunism
He only did what we all would have done
Well done good band faithful servant.
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And had he not gone to her aid what would he have been considered to be then?Uncaring? He did what anyone would do; go to see what he could do; certainly not put on an act for cynical people to pass judgement.Well done Bill Shorten.
My comment is that it didn’t need to be a photo op.
You entirely miss the point.
Which was?
He did what Most would do and similar item with Tony Abbott a couple of weeks ago. If I remember right he didn’t go for the photo op. Someone else reported that. God on Tony.
Oh Pete! Now that Melanie knows you helped a stranger once she’ll expect you to help her always 🙂
As annoying as this event is (I agree with your observations entirely Peter) the sad thing is that due to the apathy towards politics in this country (it was recently recorded as an Australian trait) it probably did have a positive effect on Bill Shortens campaign for becoming PM.
So as much as this political venture was inappropriate and wrong, it probably still got the desired effect by the people participating in it. Its good to know that one can be rewarded for doing the wrong thing, not.
My sentiments exactly, however, it is also a human trait to tell others when you do a good deed. Jesus called it “getting your reward already”. But it takes walking with God in obedience for a while to get that right, because everything in us wants others to know how nice we are, and with politicians it’s a double whammy.
You are dead right about this whole situation peter. That was my partner & son in the magna & yes she made a mistake (we mere mortals do that sometimes) but i find it very difficult to comprehend that anyone could give clearance for a cavalcade to pull up in that location, its bloody ludicrous! The final vehicle in the motorcade of morons not only FAILED TO INDICATE but also DID NOT PULL COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD & there is footage that clearly shows that & thats why she swerved, to avoid hitting that imbicile.
As for Mr (Im so caring) Bill Shorten, he needs a lesson in ethical behaviour in a major way. In the minutes after the collision camera crews were bustin their arses to get photos of my partner (which i csn understand) but when they started pursueing photos of our son she was not impressed & was not shy in telling them all to take a job involving sex & travel (f%£k off) & stop filming him. So to show his true caring nature Shorten requested that all the crews stopped filming espescially my boy, all except his camera crew who were allowed to continue taking pictures in a discreet manner so my partner wouldn’t erupt again & thats when most of the touching photos of Billy were taken & in the majority of them my partner isn’t clearly visible because they didn’t want her to spot them. He is an oppurtunistic arsewipe that took full advantage of a terrible situation to promote himself to the public. Dont get me wrong, i appreciate him & his people taking care of my boy & getting him home but as you said, it would have been far more genuine if ALL CAMERAS STOPPED. Now here’s the kicker, what the cameras didn’t show was the 2yr old little boy crying & calling out to Mr Shorten to let him keep a little plush horse toy that he was given to play with & then had taken straight back off him when the cameras stopped!! WHAT A GREAT MAN HE IS AYE!! Bill is just like every other oxygen wasting politician that has come & gone before him.
Shane,
I am glad to hear your partner and son are ok.
Thank you for your comment and enlarging the picture. I would like to blog this comment and so I am asking your permission to do so. More people will read it if I do than as opposed to just having it as a comment.
The person who tried to overtake the convoy recklessly endangered herself, her passenger, and other road users. She shouldn’t have a license if her judgement is so poor. Bill Shorten did what any decent, compassionate person would do: provide some comfort while the parademics were on their way. He did not exploit the situation at all.
So exactly WHAT LAW could Mr Shorten use to stop the media from reporting. They use long range lens as you well know, and Mr Shorten had no way of stopping that.
As regards the toy, why don’t you write or email Bill Shorten and put your complaint to him. Give him the chance to answer your accusations. There may have been good reasons why the child could not keep it, perhaps it is a favoured toy of another child?
I am loving the way you see the way. So positive and refreshing. Well done.
That’s right, in a convoy full of press people, Shorten’s minders are going to demand they all turn off their cameras and show a little compassion.
And the journos are going to do just that.
What else would you expect from Pastor Peter, who learnt his politics from… wait for it… The West Wing!
Now there’s REAL reality for you.
Pastor Peter tells us how to react in such situations. You help a woman change a tyre – “just south of the Gold Coast tunnel” so we all know exactly where this wonderful event occurred – then you write it up on your blog to show how compassionate you are.
Thank you Bushfirebill for your insightful and informative comments. See that’s called sarcasm. Just like my comment about the West Wing.
Peter, thanks for your reply.
You weren’t there and neither was I. Neither was Shawn for that matter.
You have no idea of whether Shorten tried to stop photographs from being taken.
It was a Press Convoy, full of Press Photographers and journalists. What’s amazing is that there were not more photos published.
Police were attending to the other driver giving her first aid, prior to the ambulances arriving. Trying to stop photos being taken in that situation is impossible. If you had any media savvy, you’d know that. Those shots would have been texted in seconds and landed on every editor’s desk in Australia.
Once photos like that were in the public domain there’s nothing that Bill Shorten, Malcolm Turnbull, or Pastor PeterPilt himself could have done about recalling them.
As to your offering advice, perhaps I can offer you some?
“Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matthew, 7:1)
You sounded in your blog piece exactly like the rich man in the temple telling himself how wonderful he was, while the poor sinner in the back row had no hope at all.
To have made the comments you did without having been there was wrong of you, and uncharitable. Yiour words were not what Christianity was about, then or now.
.
I love it when people judge me and my Christianity by accusing me of being judgemental. It’s seems most miss the irony. So let me make it clear for you. So I am not allowed to judge Bill Shorten. But you can judge me? Oh ok. Roger that.
“Shane” not “Shawn”
I was pointing out you were not there (nor was I). But there are some facts that are agreed by all but the most jaundiced.
You did not consider the fact that in a press convoy, covering a national campaign, that is involved in a serious accident, it is virtually impossible for anyone to stop photos being taken and texted off instantly, as you suggest Shorten should have done.
I’m not judging you, you did what anyone would do. But you are judging yourself: you are contrasting your own actions with another’s. By citing your own good behaviour at a routine tyre-change by the roadside – no cameras, no press, no police, no head-on smash – you bring your own conduct into favourable contrast with that which you allege was Shorten’s conduct. But the two situations – changing a tyre 1-on-1, and a near disaster involving (one way or another) a dozen or more cars, cops, journalists, photographers, fireys, ambos and victims etc. are nowhere near the same, and you should acknowledge that.
Here is the original of the photo you posted above. It is clearly NOT a “selfie”. Why didn’t you correct Shane above, on that?
http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/3916998/car-crash-at-bill-shortens-testers-hollow-stop-photos-video/#slide=1
It is a photo clearly taken by someone else (most likely from the Maitland Mercury, as it is on their web site).
Shane, the woman’s husband is posting here attacking Shorten and somehow trying to blame him. His wife attempted to overtake 11 cars that were under police supervision! How can that be Bill Shorten’s fault?
You might have had a chance if Shorten had walked off and left the lady there. Photos of that would be gold. But not when he offered her help and concern.
Malcolm Turnbull, on national TV, hugged a man who’d lost a family member in the MH-17 tragedy. He also stabbed Tony Abbott in the back, in record time – less than Gillard’s tenure and less than Rudd’s. Was Turnbull responsible for the cameras being there? Is back-stabbing in his character? Did he make the editorial decision to publish the footage? Did he shoo the cameras away? Why haven’t you had a go at him too?
Beating your breast and telling others how you behaved so well, compared to those sinners over there, is the crux of Matthew 7:1. You should read it and, most importantly, understand it.
As a Christian I am appalled by not only you being judgmental towards Bill Shorten as he did what anyone with compassion would do, but you based it on falsehoods. Bill Shorten did not take a selfie. The shot is obviously taken with a telephoto lens, and just how is Mr Shorten supposed to stop the news media doing their job? Mr Shorten has no legal power to prevent a media contingent from reporting the accident and he was too busy being of whatever assistance he could to the people involved.
I reckon the police and insurance companies will work who was in the wrong in this crash, but driving on the wrong side of the road instead of braking until the road was clear will figure heavily in their assessment. So any claims of wrongdoing by the convoy will be tested, but as it was under the control of the Federal police and the local police, then Mr Shorten has no responsibility in the matter.
It seems you have a jigsaw puzzle in your head, one that shows Bill Shorten as a creature complete with horns and a forked tail. Any bit of information that comes to you that does not complete that jigsaw puzzle is rejected, or you take the scissors to it to make it fit.
This is called confirmation bias and theologians know to beware of this way of thinking. It clouds truth and promotes false beliefs.
Why else would you take the act of compassion by Bill Shorten and pick at it to find a way of criticising it?
I would hate to think how any act of compassion, help or assistance that I might perform could be twisted, if a Pastor of the Christian faith is publicly criticising the actions of the Opposition Leader when confronted by a car crash and a distressed woman and her child.
I would have thought you would have used Mr Shorten’s actions as an example to others.
Why did you do the opposite?
Thank you for judging me based on one blog. As a Christian I am appalled at your behaviour. So judgemental.
with respect.
Your ‘poor me’ defence does not work. I am asking you questions which you have answered.
I was merely questioning the credibility of your conclusions. Its not a poor me defence. I actually don’t give a rip what you think of me or my faith.
There are people here who seem very upset the Bill Shorten did something nice. Does it not fit with certain prejudices?
Hey at least I put my name, bio and anything else that google reveals to my opinion. I notice most people who want to have a go at me are nameless faceless people….like Shorten was when he knifed Rudd. You want to seriously engage with me, then tell me your name and a bit about you. I find most people have a strong opinion whilst they remain anonymous.
As a woman, there is no way you or anyone else is getting hold of my details online and i am surprised you are demanding such information from people as a precursor to having their comments taken seriously. Do you not advise online security to women and girls (and boys) in your pastoral care?
You reveal your bias by your language. Shorten..’knifed’ Rudd. You dislike Shorten because you admire Rudd. You are angry that Rudd was removed as PM. Am I correct?
So the information that does not support your view Shorten as a ‘knifer’ but shows him as a caring person is dismissed because a ‘kniifer’ is a bad person. Ergo, Shorten as a knifer cannot be compassionate towards distressed people. So the compassion could only be for the cameras, because Shorten knifed Rudd
ps
You do not need to know about me. Engage with my arguments, not my bio.
So let me summarize what you just said.
I will not attach my identity to my opinion.
Oh and I like you played the female card.
And therefore I, Peter Pilt, who attaches an
identity with an opinion will not engage with you further.
Peter, you’ve tried everything:
1. Deflection – criticising you for being judgemental is allegedly in itself judgemental.
Round and round we go. You feel free to be as judgemental as you like, but hack into anyone who criticises you for it. All the while you maintain your original judgemental position. Nice. Fell free to judge others, but don’t call yourself “passionate” about Jesus Christ in the same breath.
2. Bullying – tell me who you are or your opinion’s not worth a stamp.
It’s a blog. You don’t require I.D. to post here. Perhaps you should ban anyone who doesn’t give you their credit card imprint? I find it funny that a pastor is also a “financial advisor”. Money lenders, temples and all that Jesus stuff… how many of your parishoners have invested with you? Who would give you their personal details except a client?
3. Fake Facts – Bill Shorten posted selfies.
He did not and you still haven’t acknowledged that, or corrected Shane’s post. Shane obviously loves his wife and is worried about her being prosecuted for overtaking 11 cars and causing a head-on crash. It’s a pretty hard one to wriggle out of, but good luck to him with blaming Bill Shorten.
4. Lack of forgiveness – you think Shorten knifed someone, therefore anything else he does is bad.
I thought Christians were supposed to forgive the sins of others? You just can’t accept that someone who you obviously don’t like very much could do something decent, so you twist it into monstrous hypocrisy. Forgiveness fail.
And please explain just what’s wrong with political leadership challenges and changes? They literally happen every single day. Even the sainted Malcolm Turnbull pulled one off, and in record time. If you claim to be so savvy about politics you should learn the realities of it, and then apply it to both sides of politics.
Pride. Bragging about how wonderful you are compared to others. Lack of forgiveness. Refusal to admit you were wrong. Bullying.
I bet you give really great Fire & Brimstone sermons too.
Hey bushfirebell. It’s pretty clear you know nothing about Peter Pilt, his heart for social justice, his passion for Jesus, his passion for Australia, the list goes on.
Funny reading your comments though. You like making assumptions just as you have accused Peter of.
Peter Pelt comes across to me as a sanctimonious financial advisor who dabbles in religion, and who presents himself as a saint for helping a woman out with…. a flat tyre. Saints be praised!
He claims that he did not receive, nor seek, national press coverage for this altruistic act… but who would? He helped change a flat tyre! We’ve all done that. Get over it Pete!
He then makes a false comparison between this run-of-the-mill bloke-helps-woman scenario, and a major traffic incident that happened in the presence of the national media, where all the “bad guy” did was comfort one of the victims (who it seems, was the perpetrator as well).
Her husband, Shane, posts on this blog a highly one-sided version of events, which incidentally exculpates his wife, where Bill Shorten caused the traffic incident and allegedly posted selfies… all of which is palpably untrue.
Shane then goes to Miranda Devine (of all people, “fair and balanced”) with the link to this blog. Devine then writes a sh*t sheet tabloid article accusing Shorten of being the real culprit…”all is not as iot seems”hints Devine.
Funny thing was, she didn’t even spell Pastor Pete’s name correctly. She wrote “pelt” not “Pilt”. Somehow I don’t think Miranda is a lurker or regular reader here. I don;t think she came across Shane’s post by chance.
Pastor Pete declines to point out the true facts, and instead goes on the offensive against the couple of posters, with smarmy weasel words accusing THEM of being the wrongdoers… because they judged him.
Pastor Pete’s comment was pure politics. He doesn’t like Bill shorten. Fair enough. Lots of people don’t like other lots of people. But he doesn’t have to wrap Jesus up in all of it and put himself forward as the model of behaviour at roadside incidents. That is prohibited, straight out of Matthew 7:1.
Judge not lest ye be judged.
Bushfirebill, I like how you have so articulately unpacked my apparent failings.
You are right though. I am not perfect. I do make mistakes. I am not the perfect Christian or Pastor. Sometimes my opinion is wrong. Sometimes when people attack me I do go on the offensive which apparently I am not meant to do.
Peter, you are not entitled to “go on the offensive” when you are wrong… and I think you know you are wrong, at least on this one.
Bill Shorten is a major public personality, who was surrounded by a ravenous, even rabid media gaggle ready to grab at the slightest hint of movement or color. When the two cars collided, they grabbed, and held on. No-one could have stopped them.
To allege – or at least insinuate – that somehow Shorten managed to craft a malignantly cynical political tactic designed to make him look good in the middle of the chaos that surrounded him is a step too far. To allow other posters – with a clear axe to grind – to blame him for the incident, and to allege he posted selfies is jumping the shark.
We all have a right to our own political opinions, but when commenting on incidents for which there is ample contradictory evidence, we need our opinions to be fact-based. None of us have a right to our own facts.
Miranda Devine is proudly am ultra right-wing “journalist” whose sole mission in life and work is to be a contrarian, usually against her hated political enemies, Labor and anyone who leads it.
She cynically used your blog, and the comments of one of your posters to push an agenda which was palpably incorrect tabloid rubbish or a particularly nasty variety. In doing so she associated you personally with her poisonous words.
She then suggested that, when everyone had calmed down and did not wish to speak further on the subject, this was because Labor heavies/goons (call them what you will) had gotten to the complainants and somehow intimidated them into silence. This is paranoia writ large, except Devine does it in a most calculating manner.
I wouldn’t think you’d want your blog to be in any way associated with any of this smear campaign.
As a final comment, I am sorry, and unreservedly apologize for my unnecessarily negative words last night. They were wrong too. I don’t know you at all, and thus had no right to cast any aspersions on your character or motivations.