Invariably the arguments range from the bloodied history of invasion to arguments on the merits of federation.

Some facts of the day need to be remembered by all Australians. Just a little south of Port Jackson, on the first Australia Day, two French ships rode at anchor in Botany Bay.

Australia and the first Australians were going to be invaded by the British, or French, Portuguese or Dutch.

The British established themselves first with their better systems of justice and administration.

There were real achievements from the British landing of January 26, 1788.

The first fleet set records in the number of vessels, the number of passengers and the distance covered. Only 32 lives or 3 per cent of the total were lost.

We should approach Australia Day to understand, commemorate and mourn our nation's history in its entirety.

We should honour our achievements as a nation from the many stories that make up our history, the Aborigine, the convict, the governor, the soldier, the settler, the migrant and the refugee.

Frank Boddy, Lyons

David Casey makes a compelling case for reconsidering when we celebrate a national day, and just what it is we are celebrating (Comment, January 26, p.16).

The next likeliest contender, Federation, on January 1, 1901, is not without its own problems — quite apart from falling within a "holiday rich" zone in the calendar.

It is considered by many as having locked us into an unsatisfactory arrangement where our head of state is not only a monarch, but one of another country.

A potential alternative could be the day on which we cut our ties with Britain, become completely independent, and declare ourselves a republic. A real "independence day".

A bit of planning could ensure its date does not conflict with other important events in Australia's calendar.

Or we could establish a national day independent of any historical event that simply celebrates Australia as a nation.

In reflecting on the society he left behind to come to Australia, Ageel Ibrahim (letters, January 26, p.17) identifies the Australian values that he will do whatever he can to protect as "justice, respect, equality, freedom of religion and speech".

That sounds like something we can all celebrate.

Paul Varsanyi, Kambah

It is understood that certain radicals propose burning the Australian Flag on Australia Day to make some sort of point.

In many countries it is an offence to burn their national flag as it should be in this country.

If people don't like the flag and what it stands for, then they should peacefully agitate for a referendum to change it, not break the law by burning it.

In New South Wales, as is the case in most Australian states, unauthorised incineration is an offence due to fire bans in place and the Australian Monarchist League has written to the Minister for Justice and Police, Troy Grant, to mention that, should any dissident burn the Australian flag in a public place, then we would expect the full force of the law to fall upon them.

Philip Benwell, Australian Monarchist League

To describe January 26 as Australia Day has always been a misnomer. New South Wales day would be a better designation as it was on January 26 that Phillip raised the Union Jack at Port Phillip Bay (though the formal proclamation of the colony did not occur until February 7).

Australia came into being on January 1, 1901, so that is the true birthday of the nation.

The problem is no one wants to celebrate the nation's birthday on that date.

But what is to stop us separating the day we celebrate from the actual birthdate. We could designate January 1 as Australia Day but designate the last Friday in January as the day on which we celebrate.

John Goss, Kaleen

Whoever decided to reproduce the controversial Australia Day image ("Threats over image", January 26, p.3) at the Canberra Theatre knew what was coming.

As your news item stated: "social media outrage forced Victorian authorities to pull it from their Australia Day outdoor advertisements".

It beggars belief that in response to trolls, our city's fathers and mothers would choose to promote Islamic fundamentalism in our city square.

The image of two prepubescent girls in hijabs is a symbol of female oppression on steroids.

On behalf of all the women in the world forced to wear this garb, I protest.

Peter Robinson, Ainslie

Like many monarchists Gabriel Brown (letters, January 23) seems to believe that having a powerless non-resident foreign person as our head of state somehow protects us from having a demagogue rise to power in Australia.

The reality is that such an event could already happen under our current system and the monarch would not and legally could not intervene.

Australia needs a 21st century republican constitution that contains the safeguards against such an eventuality that our 19th century model does not.

The US is not the only republican model and there are many more successful ones e.g. Switzerland, Ireland.

We also need to prepare now for when the younger royals inevitably decide to end the farce and withdraw to just being monarchs of post-Brexit England following the Dutch and Scandinavian examples.

Jim Adamson, Flynn

Kellyanne Conway, a senior White House aide, justified the baloney shouted by Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer as "alternative facts".

Russian literature does not come to Trump's aid this time.

The great Mikhail Bulgakov put it best and very succinctly: "A fact is the most stubborn thing in the word".

And: "There is no such thing as second freshness sturgeon ... if sturgeon is of the second freshness, that means it is simply rotten!"

Luca Biason, Latham

The letter "Marooned in a communication void just 60km from Parliament" (letters, Katrina Chisholm, January 20) makes some incorrect claims about the triple zero (000) service.

Everyone in Australia should call triple zero (000) for assistance in emergency situations. Calling the 112 number directs you to the same Triple Zero Emergency Call Service.

Calling 112 does not give you priority access to triple zero (000), and does not give you access to a satellite to make a call to triple zero (000).

If you do not have mobile network coverage from your normal provider, your call to triple zero (000) will be carried by any other mobile network that has coverage in that location.

If you do not have coverage from any mobile network provider you should seek a fixed-line service to call from.

Kathleen Silleri, Department of Communications and the Arts

I concur with Anne Prendergast (letters, January 23) and the new minister for health in supporting the notion that "prevention is better than cure" in reference to the nation's health.

We are among the most obese nations on the planet, with one in five of our kids obese before they start school.

When I was at secondary school in the '60s we had only one slightly tubby kid in a class of 32! Is today's health epidemic preventable – for many of us, you bet it is, if we take responsibility for our own health.

Perhaps I can offer another dimension to the discussion, that of the cost of health insurance. My wife and I have always eaten sensibly and have never smoked or used drugs. We drink in moderation, exercise regularly and take remedial action if our weight creeps up a bit.

In terms of car insurance, I get a "no claims bonus" for being a responsible driver. While I recognise absolutely some people do suffer from conditions which are not of their own doing and who genuinely need the full support of the health system, why not implement a reduced premium policy for people who chose a healthy lifestyle to encourage others to do the same?

Such a policy would align with Mr Hunt's focus on prevention.

Dave Richardson, Narrabundah

L. J. Thompson (letters, January 23) was rear-ended by a driver who broke Road Rule 126: "A driver must drive a sufficient distance behind a vehicle travelling in front of the driver so the driver can, if necessary, stop safely to avoid a collision with the vehicle."

Almost half of ACT crashes are rear-enders.

When releasing the 2015 ACT crash report, Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury said, "Australians are still too casual in our attitudes towards road safety".

Almost 3500 drivers cause rear-end crashes each year, but only about two hundred are charged. Any previous justice minister, with a stroke of the pen, could have directed the police to charge drivers who rear-end other drivers.

But no justice minister did.

Police can convict a driver of speeding, drink-driving, running a red light or not wearing a seatbelt, without having to prove the driver could not have avoided a collision. But they can only convict a tailgating driver if they can prove in court that the driver could not have stopped safely to avoid a collision.

Any previous justice minister, with a stroke of the pen, could have brought Rule 126 into the 21st century by mandating a minimum following distance.

But no justice minister did.

Will the current minister exercise his pen?

Leon Arundell, Downer

A Parliamentary Senate Committee is presently accepting submissions regarding suicides by veterans and ex-service personnel.

The submissions are available for viewing at the following address and make for disturbing reading.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/VeteranSuicide/Submissions

They certainly reflect my own experiences in dealing with the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

I would strongly recommend anyone who is thinking of enlisting to read these sad accounts.

At some point in time you will most certainly suffer a service-related injury which will probably impact on the rest of your life and you will be abandoned by the system.

It is actually worse than that, you will also be treated like a fraudulent criminal.

But don't take my word for it.

Look at the evidence provided in these submissions.

Chris Morgan, Evatt

Peter Bazeos is not alone in his concern at the excessively high volume in cinemas (letters, January 25).

I ceased attending cinemas a decade or more ago due to the discomfort experienced. I tried watching with my fingers in my ears, then purchased some ear plugs but nothing overcame the noise. The level long ago reached an intolerable level and one has to ask "Why?"

As we sweat in fear of North Korea's nuclear missile capability ("Fears that Pyongyang will launch", January 21, p.21), it's worth remembering who to thank – George W Bush.

Clinton had a deal for North Korea to give up its nuclear activities in return for aid.

The North Koreans, the South Koreans and the Japanese were all on board. Bush nixed the plan.

It seems quite likely that in 15 years we'll be reading similar stuff about Iran's nuclear activities, and we'll know who to thank for that.

S W Davey, Torrens

THINK OF OTHERS

Paul O'Connor (Letters, January 25) says a "majority of Australians" feel privately intimidated for holding racist opinions.

I doubt his "majority" claim is anywhere near true.

If private intimidation is a worry I hope it leads to an understanding of the public intimidation, and worse, of Indigenous Australians over 229 years.

Eric Hunter, Cook

Australia Day should, perhaps, be celebrated on May 27 — the day when, in 1967, the Federal referendum was passed removing the Constitutional discrimination against Aboriginal people.

That would seem to be the first day on which Australia could claim to have become a true nation.

John Walker, Queanbeyan, NSW

On page 3 of today's (January 26) edition you have an article raising the concerns of hospital staff about the influx of drunks that can be expected on Australia Day.

On page 13 you give a list of nine suggested venues for Australia Day celebrations.

Five of these are places one can get pissed. Well done.

Barbara Fisher, Cook

Just wondering how many of the people around Australia are having today (January 26) off and don't agree with having a holiday today.

Please leave this day alone. We are all Australians.

W. Johnson, Kaleen

Thank God that the Australian of the Year does not appear to be an over-earnest, self-promoting person like last year's.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

BARR'S SELL-OUT

Why am I not surprised about Andrew Barr's call to expand advertising images in Canberra?

Murray May, Cook

No billboards – please.

Colin Smeal, Holder

TURN IT DOWN

I don't know which film you saw Peter (Letters, January 25) but I watched Rogue One recently at Woden. If I was alone I too would have walked out but I wasn't. I watch the whole show with fingers in my ears.

My sound meter app recorded 92 db peak. Painful.

Fred Schelb, Chapman

I agree with Peter Bazeo's complaint (Letters, January 25) about the audio volume at public venues, be they cinemas or just the local club with its myriad, wall-mounted, flat-screen televisions.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

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