Rubenerd

When did politicians and news outlets start referring to Australians as the Australian people? And why? Either this is a new trend, or my defences have worn down over time and it’s starting to grate.

I never heard a politician back in my adopted home saying the Singapore people or the Singaporean people. They would say Singaporeans: short, sweet, and to the point.

Whenever I hear someone say the Australian people, I tend to tune out because I know the next few sentences are going to be a long-winded speech charged with political gobbledygook. It’s a crutch, like mumbling and trailing sentences that seemingly…