Fenton called from the Nation’s Capital1 and requested a list of my residential addresses for the past 10 years. Because his latest assignment is with a not-particularly-security-sensitive government department, he needs security clearance – and *obviously* the person he associates most closely with should come under scrutiny too. He also told me he’d be down there next week too (argh! this is how the whole Melbourne experience started!)
He rang later to tell me he would be returning home tomorrow, rather than Thursday and would not have to return. Why? He cannot get security clearance, because … he is a kiwi. Yes that’s right, cannot do work for a not-particularly-security-sensitive government department because he is not an Australian Citizen. Permanent Residency doesn’t count. And those kiwi’s, well they obviously can’t be trusted with not-particularly-security-sensitive documents and such. So off he will have to trot to become totally oz, fortunately the Compani will pay for it.
1Obviously the Lonely Planet people have NO idea.