Actress and British expat Miriam Margolyes has heavily criticised Australia, after living in her adopted country for seven years.
Margolyes, who played Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter movie franchise, recently played a role in the filiming of ABC documentary series Almost Australian.
“There is a brutality there and a greed in Australia, which I don’t like,” she told TV Tonight.
“We think we know what Australia is like, but we don’t. It’s quite complicated. It’s layered. Lots of things happen. I do think I was right that it’s harsher than it was. Maybe thats true in the world. There’s a harshness about it, which I didn’t expect.
The 78-year-old used to spend time in London and Australia before, in 2013, becoming a full-time citizen of the latter. The BAFTA-winning actress lives in New South Wales.
“My partner once said, ‘Be very aware that Australians do not like criticism.’ And they don’t, so I knew that I was doing something quite risky by, you know, having an opinion,” added Margolyes.
“Because I think Australians are a bit tired of Brits mouthing off about Australia, and I don’t blame them.
“I hope people will not be too annoyed about the things I have to say. That’s tough. I’m telling it like I see it.”
Also in NSW
Elsewhere in New South Wales, transport minister Andrew Constance has warned of increased traffic in Sydney and surrounds, as year-12 students at state and independent institutions return to school after several weeks of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Ultimately people are going to opt to drive because it’s safe. I could sit here and say there won’t be congestion on the roads but I’d be misleading you – there is. That’s why we want people to re-time their days,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Constance as saying.
“These are tough days – I know this is hard.”
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard concluded: “It’s fair to say that there has been, in a sense, a great NSW bust-out. That’s pretty much what it seems like at the moment, indeed.”
