Sun newspaper man slammed

By Melissa Meehan
RANTING Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt has been slammed by former Endeavour Hills resident and Miss Earth finalist.
Sally Arnott is furious after Mr Bolt wrote an article describing the contestants at the pageant as stupid and illiterate.
And Ms Arnott’s mother says Mr Bolt is not in a position to question anyone else’s intelligence.
“Especially when he misspelt Sally’s name in the caption underneath the photo printed in the paper,” Mrs Chandler said.
“Who is the illiterate one now?”
Ms Arnott’s mother, Tooradin resident Trish Chandler, says that this is an unfair description of the girls because beauty doesn’t affect intelligence.
“Just because these girls are beautiful it doesn’t mean that they are stupid,” Mrs Chandler said.
“All of the girls in the contest are interested in global issues, their looks have just helped them gain a voice in a public sphere.”
Both Ms Arnott and her mother agree that Mr Bolt is entitled to his own opinion but say that his comments about the contestants’ intelligence are untrue.
Miss Earth Australia is Australia’s only national beauty pageant that is designed to promote young women and environmental issues.
Contestants are assessed on criteria including knowledge of environmental issues, the ability to speak publicly on them, appearance and a talent such as singing a song, reciting a poem and dancing.
In addition, contestants must have a good idea about the ways in which households can save energy and water and thereby reduce their environmental footprint.
A graduate at Swinburne University, Ms Arnott says that the contestants are intelligent girls who, like herself, spend their spare time volunteering for charity organisations and looking for new ways to encourage those around them to take note of what is happening to the environment.
“We all entered the contest because we want to get the public to take notice of the environmental issues we are facing,” Ms Arnott said.
“It wasn’t about prancing around in our bikinis, it was about finding an ambassador for environmental issues that the media would relate to.”
Mr Bolt’s article focuses on the mispronunciation of words such as environment and salination made by the Miss Earth contestants.
Ms Arnott puts the mistakes made by the girls down to nerves.
“Everyone is so nervous standing up on stage, we have so much to say in limited time so the girls just rush their speeches so that they can get everything in before the time is up,” Ms Arnott said.
“I guess it’s a combination of nerves and talking quickly that causes the slip-ups.”
Ms Arnott has done voluntary work in her spare time for Victorian Government drug prevention initiative Connectus and not-for-profit organisation The Beacon Foundation.
As part of her work at The Beacon Foundation Ms Arnott mentors young people through its Polish initiative that gives them the ability to prepare and conduct themselves when entering the world of work and throughout their employment.
“It is really important to Sally that she sets a good example for kids growing up in Cranbourne and surrounding areas,” Mrs Chandler said.
“She wants to inspire them to get involved in community events and show them that the sky is the limit when you set your mind to something.”