AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR:

Judges drafting a shortlist of finalists for The Bug’s Australian of the Year for 2023 are seeking legal advice on the rules governing the accolade to determine if a particular individual is eligible.

Speaking to reporters outside the Indooroopilly police station where he was fulfilling his weekly reporting requirement while on bail, chair of the judging panel, The Bug’s finance and investment columnist Morrie Bezzle, (below) would not name the possible nominee in question.

“All I can say is that he is an elderly male and we as judges have been deluged with thousands of emails nominating him for the award to be announced on Australinvasion Day next week,” Mr Bezzle said.

“The problem is that those sending the emails all strongly recommend a posthumous award for this particular person.

“In addition there is the question of nationality. We are seeking advice on whether someone who has been but is no longer an Australian citizen is eligible for The Bug’s prestigious gong.

“We are trying our best to sort this problem so that we can give everyone on our shortlist a fair go when we make the final decision on who gets to be our Australian of the Year.”

Mr Bezzle said judges had been surprised at the level of support for a posthumous award for the unnamed individual.

“We have been responding to emails nominating this person by telling senders that he would need to be dead by 26 January to be eligible to win the award posthumously,” he explained.

Mr Bezzle said without fail they all had replied to the judges’ message by saying: “Yes, hopefully.”

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