Help clear up Australia Day confusion

Quite apart from its being confronting for many Indigenous people, January 26 is unsuitable because of what it does and doesn't represent in our own European settlement.

January 26 is Sydney Day, commemorating when a group of English military gaolers and their ship-confined captives fetched up on their second choice for a site of settlement, the first of several across Australia as we now know it.

We don't celebrate the date of their original arrival some time around January 18, 1788 in Botany Bay, nor do we wave Union Jacks.

It would be like the USA celebrating its national day on whatever day the first European settlement occurred, be it designated to be Viking, Spanish or English.

January 26 represents nothing in regards to the establishment of modern Australia as an independent sovereign nation, which occurred when the separate Australian colonies chose to federate on January 1, 1901, symbolically the first day of a new century.

If not for the inconvenience that its anniversary coincides with an existing public holiday in the middle of a wider holiday season, this debate would have been settled long ago in favour of that date.

Our closest comparators have made the jump; Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of the establishment of modern Canada and Waitangi Day superseded earlier celebrations of the proclamation of sovereignty in New Zealand.

David Jenkins, Casey

Some years ago I watched an interview with a state minister for education. They discussed Australia Day.

Suddenly the interviewer departed from the script and asked the politician what historical event was actually commemorated on Australia Day.

The minister suggested it might be the day the six colonies formed a federal union.

Sadly such confusion is partly the fruits of the neglect in teaching our Australian history in schools, and also the attempt to airbrush the British Empire out of the picture. But there is hope.

The very celebration of the day has gained in popularity since my youth when it was largely ignored. Now it is a rich multicultural festival.

The boom in genealogy has led to the uncovering of so many Australian stories and our links to Britain and Europe.

Fine Australian scholars such as the late Professor John Mulvaney have revealed the long and fascinating story of the First Australians.

To visit Lake Mungo and see our heritage reaching back tens of thousands of years is an awesome experience.

An Australia Day resolution would be to learn more of our heritage and pass it on.

Robert Willson, Deakin

As a proud Ahmadi Muslim from western Sydney, I was born in a majority Muslim country (Pakistan).

Over time, the extremists and politicians passed special laws to target my community. Still, I'm not allowed to call myself a Muslim, I can't greet anyone using 'Asalam-o-Alikum' (peace be upon you) and if I do, I can be imprisoned for three years. I can't call my mosque a mosque or do anything that other Muslims do.

Why? Because my community teaches me "Love for All, Hatred for None" and extremists don't want us to 'love all' but they want the people to hate those whom they don't like.

I'm lucky to call Australia my only home because Australia has provided me with all I could have ever dreamed of.

I'll do whatever I can to protect Australian values of justice, respect, equality, freedom of religion and speech because this makes Australia the best country in the world.

Happy Australia Day to all.

Aqeel Ibraheem, Blacktown, NSW

Like a petulant schoolboy caught wagging class, John Burns evokes the age-old excuse "everyone else was doing it" to suggest that Aborigines need to "get over" being colonised because that's just how it was in the 16th and 17th centuries (Letters, 23 January, 2017).

I wonder if Mr Burns' grandmother was stolen from her family and grew up institutionalised and abused, passing down the trauma and confused identity to his mother and him, would he be "counting his lucky stars" as he asks Aborigines to do?

C. Shipp, Tuggeranong

To avoid upsetting Indigenous people, perhaps Australia Day should be shifted to the date of the Tenterfield Speech by the founding father of the Australian nation, Henry Parkes, on October 24, 1889.

Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic

Before you girt your way around the country for Australia Day, check your clothing labels – Made In Australia?

Most people would probably like to wear clothes made here; most people would be girtying naked, if they wanted to.

Gary Frances, Bexley

Surely Trevor Willis' letter of January 18 (CT, page 15) was written in jest? Surely he just wanted to provoke a reaction by saying that on January 26 Aboriginal people should be celebrating the day that "civilisation" was brought to them? If not, what a shocking set of values he espouses.

Gerard De Ruyter, Wanniassa

It is not about changing the date. It is about not celebrating genocide. On any day.

John Passant, Kambah

The astuteness of the observation that "if voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it", receives daily reinforcement from relevance-deprived, self-opinionated, self-appointed, plutocratic guardians of social rules, who, cynically, hypocritically, and crocodile-like, weep at democracy's annihilation. ("Jones claims Liberals shut down premier vote", January 21, p.6).

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW

Sad home truth

When governments raise rates, investors raise rents.

R Craig, Narrabundah

Freedom of speech, as George Brandis frequently reminds us, is vital to our democracy so P O'Brien (letters, January 24) has every right to call Ian Warden "an ill-informed, opinionated old windbag".

Most journalists, like contributors to the letters page, love to put their views in front of a large audience so I guess they could be fairly labelled "opinionated windbags".

Mr Warden, like us letter writers, often has to meet a deadline and probably doesn't always have time to exhaustively check his facts ... so maybe he is "ill-informed".

As a fellow senior citizen I do object, however, to the use of the word "old" as a term of abuse. Why is an "old windbag" worse than a "young windbag"?

Does the prevalence of windbagginess increase with age? I doubt it.

For example, I bet arch royalist Professor David Flint, one of Australia's windiest windbags, was a windbag long before he reached his current 78 years.

The ageing process has only made him marginally windier.

Maintain the rage, Ian: we ill-informed, opinionated windbags need to stick together.

Mike Reddy, Curtin

Couldn't have put it better myself, P O'Brien (letters, January 24). Remember the olden days when Ian Warden wrote "Paspalum Place"? In those days he was genuinely funny and interesting, but those days have gone. Time to hang up your pen, Ian. And sadly, Jenna Price is heading the same way — used to be good, but now just whinges.

Geoff McLaren, Scullin

I write in defence of my former colleague, Ian Warden, who was pilloried to within an inch of his plumage by P O'Brien (letters, January 24).

As a card-carrying windbag, I would welcome the draughty Warden's elevation to our sufflated ranks.

Frank Cassidy, Kambah

What a success story Gladys Berejiklian is.

One of her uncles, Father Razmig Boghosian, was abbot of the Armenian monastery in Bethlehem during the many troubled times there.

During a lull in the fighting he was captured vividly by a TV news team clutching a large white handkerchief with the word " help" stencilled on it and crying desperately for assistance for the injured.

In minutes the scene went around the world media.

Ms Berejiklian's reported life philosophy is: "Be good to others, stay close to your family, work hard, be grateful for what you have."

Colliss Parrett, Barton

I wish people would stop lauding Mike Baird as some sort of economic guru because of the "surplus" he has created.

I wish him and his family well in retirement but surpluses, as Peter Costello will tell you, are easily come by.

It is how the surplus is attained that is important.

All you do, as most Liberal governments do, is sell off our publicly owned assets and make huge cuts like the $1.7 billion to education that Baird's government did. Then you sit back and say "Oh look at our wonderful surplus". I see no fiscal wizardry in that.

Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW

Why is our city looking like any other mediocre suburban sprawl instead of the capital of Australia?

Not only is it looking rubbish-strewn, in recent times it has become evident that the general standard of graffiti visible on just about every available space has not improved. In fact, in some places it is becoming more unsightly.

If Mr Barr and co are really in earnest about promoting Canberra as "a city for all people" perhaps cleaning off some of the rather meaningless daubs could be a good start.

By all means encourage those street artists with true artistic talent.

Perhaps the running of an annual competition (with suitable prizes) for the most artistic and acceptable street art on selected public spaces could be seen as such, with a photo exhibition of the entries mounted in one of the many accessible galleries.

Apart from being seen as encouragement to those with aspirations of achieving something more than the meaningless tags, it would give recognition to the true street artists.

Patricia Watson, Red HIll

Bravo John Trueman (letters, January 20). Who needs trees?

Clearly, neither ACT ministers nor their officials get out in the suburbs to see the parlous state of footpaths, road gutters and stormwater drain inlets, children's' playgrounds etc.

Basic maintenance no longer exists and it is a disgrace!

After cycling around Holt and Higgins last Sunday morning I would like to publicly invite Minister Fitzharris to come for a walk around Holt so I can show her what I mean. I would even shout her brekkie if an early morning start was necessary, due to her arduous days sorting out trams, Barton Highway roundabouts and multiple non-compliant unit developments!

Unfortunately I am certain she will not take up the offer because ugly, unkempt suburbs are not on the government's radar.

Phillip Harris, Holt

Since Medicare was taken over by Centrelink in the name of progress, it's a joke. When Medicare was in operation refunds were processed and in the bank account within usually 48 hours, now you are lucky to receive it within two weeks, or longer.

So another service has gone backwards, and makes it hard for pensioners when they have paid an account from the aged pension.

B. M. Cooke, Latham

EMERGENCY CALLS

It would be great if The Canberra Times could help correct the misconception held by many, including Katrina Chisholm (letters, January 21), that emergency calls made by dialling 112 are relayed through a satellite network to the Emergency Services. They are not.

The website www.triplezero.gov.au explains all.

David Wade, Holt

THE TRUMP NETWORK

In view of comrade Trump's affection for the Czars of Russia and his disaffection with the moguls of the media, I wonder how long it will be before he solves his PR problem by launching a National News service of his own.

As multi-squillionaires the Trump family must already be well-acquainted with Pravda!

John Clarke, Pearce

I'm still waiting for President Trump to hold a press conference from a remote location on the US West Coast to review the post-truth alternative fact of the existence of Big Foot.

I'm sure there are Big Foot who no longer want to hide out and may make suitable nominees for positions in his administration.

Rohan Goyne, Evatt

Now that The Donald is President a brief guide to Trump terminology:

Making things up are alternative facts.

Fibs are terminological inexactitudes.

Bullying is a robust exchange.

Beloved fearless leader is President Trump.

Its 33 years late but Orwell's 1984 has finally arrived.

T. Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

Mark Sproat (letters, January 24) seems to have as much a problem distinguishing peaceful protest from a riot as he has distinguishing democracy from neo-feudalism.

Paul McElligott, Aranda

BOOKMAKER'S SERVE

I note with some concern that William Hill, a bookmaker and gambling app provider is an "Official Partner" to the Australian Open Tennis. I wonder who the other partner is, and how an "Official" status is bestowed on an organisation that only makes money by people losing it.

Brian Breach, Greenway

WOOLIES CRUMBS

Considering the court ruling Woolworths did not act unconscionably in demanding up to $60 million from suppliers to plug a profit shortfall ("Woolworths set to break bread with its suppliers", January 23, pp34, 35), it appears the company is about to feed suppliers on crumbs.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

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