An Australian politician has made news by changing his name to Austin Trump. He did this to protest against the ruling Labor Party in Australia. Ben Dawkins, who is an independent member of the upper house of parliament in Western Australia, believes that the current government is corrupt and unfair. By choosing the name Austin Trump, he shows his admiration for former U.S. President Donald Trump and his way of discussing politics.
Dawkins has made sure that his new name is officially recognized. On the Western Australia parliamentary website, he is now listed as "Aussie Trump." He has also updated his social media accounts, using the name "Hon. Aussie Trump MLC" on his X account. This change is part of his plan to connect better with the people he represents and to share his political opinions more effectively.
In a recent social media post, Dawkins explained why he made this change. He said, "I've launched a political protest against the tyranny and systematic corruption of the Labor government in WA." Many people who feel the same way about the current political situation are responding to his message. He is open to talking with both supporters and critics about these issues.
Dawkins has also shared some of Donald Trump's more controversial views, especially about energy policies. In another post, he told his followers to "Vote Labor Out! & Drill Baby Drill!" This phrase is similar to Trump's push for more oil and gas production in the U.S. It shows that Dawkins is inspired not just by Trump's personality, but also by his ideas. He even invited Trump to contact him, saying, "I would love you to reach out Donald, just ring the office here." By calling himself Austin Trump, Dawkins is making a strong statement and positioning himself as a voice of political change in Western Australia.
Original news source: Australian politician changes his name to 'Aussie Trump' (Sky News)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Each team takes turns acting out key phrases or concepts from the article without using words, while their team guesses the term. Phrases can include "political protest," "systematic corruption," or "Vote Labor Out!"
– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Ask students to come up with catchy headlines summarizing the article. They can work individually or in pairs. Encourage creativity and discuss why a strong headline is important for capturing readers' attention.
– OPINION SPECTRUM
Instructions: Create a line in the classroom labeled "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Read statements related to the article, such as "Changing one's name for political protest is effective." Students must position themselves on the spectrum based on their opinions. Facilitate a discussion about their choices.
– MIND MAP
Instructions: In small groups, students will create a mind map that illustrates the main points of the article. The center of the map should be "Austin Trump," branching out to themes like "Political Protest," "Corruption," and "Trump's Influence." Each group presents their mind map to the class.
– TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
Instructions: Each student writes down two true statements and one false statement related to the article. They then share their statements with the class, and others must guess which statement is the lie. This encourages critical thinking and discussion about the content.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Ben Dawkins changed his name to Austin Trump to protest against the ruling Labor Party in Australia and to show his admiration for former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Dawkins believes that the current Labor Party is corrupt and unfair.
Dawkins has ensured that his new name is officially recognized by having it listed as "Aussie Trump" on the Western Australia parliamentary website.
The name "Aussie Trump" on his social media accounts signifies his political stance and connection to Donald Trump, as well as his intention to engage with the people he represents.
In his recent social media post, Dawkins said he launched a political protest against the tyranny and systematic corruption of the Labor government in Western Australia.
Many people who feel similarly about the political situation are responding positively to Dawkins' message, showing support for his views.
Dawkins has shared some of Donald Trump's controversial views, especially regarding energy policies, including the phrase "Vote Labor Out! & Drill Baby Drill!" which reflects Trump's push for more oil and gas production.
Dawkins invited Donald Trump to contact him, saying, "I would love you to reach out Donald, just ring the office here."
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
An Australian has made news by changing his name to Austin . He did this to protest against the ruling Party in Australia. Ben Dawkins, who is an independent member of the upper of parliament in Western Australia, believes that the current government is corrupt and unfair. By choosing the name Austin Trump, he shows his admiration for former U.S. President Donald Trump and his way of discussing politics. Dawkins has made sure that his new name is officially recognized. On the Western parliamentary , he is now listed as " Trump." He has also updated his social media accounts, using the name "Hon. Aussie Trump MLC" on his X account. This change is part of his plan to better with the people he represents and to share his political opinions more effectively. In a recent social media post, Dawkins explained why he made this change. He said, "I've launched a political protest against the tyranny and systematic of the Labor government in WA." Many people who feel the same way about the current political situation are responding to his message. He is open to talking with both supporters and critics about these issues. Dawkins has also shared some of Donald Trump's more controversial , especially about policies. In another post, he told his to "Vote Labor Out! & Drill Baby Drill!" This phrase is to Trump's push for more oil and gas production in the U.S. It shows that Dawkins is inspired not just by Trump's personality, but also by his ideas. He even invited Trump to contact him, saying, "I would love you to out Donald, just ring the office here." By calling himself Austin Trump, Dawkins is a statement and positioning himself as a voice of political change in Western Australia.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is your opinion on politicians changing their names for political reasons?
2. How would you feel if a politician in your country changed their name to protest against the government?
3. Do you think itβs effective for a politician to use a famous name to gain attention? Why or why not?
4. What is a political protest, and have you ever participated in one?
5. How do you think people in your community would react to a politician changing their name like this?
6. Do you admire any political figures? If so, who and why?
7. What is your view on using social media for political discussions?
8. How would you feel if a politician shared controversial views that you disagree with?
9. Do you think itβs important for politicians to connect with the people they represent? Why?
10. What is your opinion on the idea of "drilling for oil" as a solution to energy problems?
11. Have you ever felt strongly about a political issue? How did you express your feelings?
12. Do you think itβs a good idea for politicians to invite famous figures to connect with them? Why or why not?
13. What is a quality you think is important for a politician to have?
14. How do you feel about the idea of politicians using humor or unusual tactics to get their message across?
15. Do you think political protests can lead to real change? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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