Australia has changed almost beyond recognition in regard to Aboriginal people in recent years. They cannot to be excused or mitigated in any way on the grounds of religion, anyone's religion. Thats basically saying that despite all the subjugation and the land theft, Aboriginal people and cultures have survived, she adds. / AFP PHOTO / WILLIAM WEST (Photo credit should read WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images), MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 26 : Australian Actress Shareena Clanton (2nd R) raises her hand, during a protest organized by Aboriginal rights activists on Australia Day in Melbourne, Australia on January 26, 2017. Questions are raised, and so they should be: As a country, can we really drink to national pride on a day that carries so much trauma, grief and suffering for our First Nations people? The day before Australia celebrated its national day Friday, a statue of British explorer James Cook in Melbourne was vandalized, covered with pink paint and the words No pride.. A reading of Noel Pearson's eulogy for Gough Whitlam will reveal how our indigenous people were dispossessed as their land was seized under the falsehood of terra nullius and they were forced into Aboriginal reserves under the control of supervisors with vast powers. If January 26 is abandoned, selection of an alternative day could be overwhelmed by history games: you provide a date and someone will provide the negating atrocity. Being the father of an indigenous man, now aged 54, whom we adopted when a baby, I have witnessed the many forms of racial discrimination he, along with his natural siblings, suffered over the decades while living in white communities. The truth-telling all Australians need to hear. Students attend school for 45 days, or about nine weeks, then take off for three weeks, or 15 school days. A poll commissioned by progressive think tank Australia Institute found 56% didnt care when the national day was held, while a separate poll from conservative group the Institute of Public Affairs resulted in 70% support for keeping Australia Day on January 26. The latest poll from think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, found 69 per cent of Australians supported the January 26 holiday. Here is my request to ACTION. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. Mitigation of election restrictions. So, should we buckle up for another three decades of wearying debate? Abso-bloody-lutely! The rule of law, equality of the sexes, scientific curiosity, technological progress, responsible government plus the constant self-criticism and lust for improvement that makes us so self-conscious of our collective failings towards Aboriginal people all date from then; and may not have been present to anything like the same extent had the settlers fanning out from Sydney Cove been other than British. In the United States, there's been a number of states who have ditched Columbus Day in favour of Indigenous People's Day. Every year Australia Day, held on January 26, is the focus of huge controversy and debate. Because as it stands, that community is being ignored, that community is being told their history isn't as important as white history, that their pain isn't as important as other Australians having a particular date off work. This is the ideological wrestling over which part of this continent's history is more important: the 65,000 years before 1788, or the 240 that have followed. I have never been able to book a short (A type) consultation when I have requested one. To some, January 26 is a modern tradition worth protecting, a celebration of what Australia looks like today. This makes less sense close to the equator, where the amount of daylight does not vary much in a year, or near the poles, where the difference between winter and summer daylight hours is very large. Easier to Set Up 6. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. According to a 2014 Rasmussen Report, only 33% of Americans see the purpose of DST. Born in Australia 88 years ago, I would like to endorse Ester Gaia's call for a change in the date when we celebrate our national day (CT, January 13). But when you look at how young people are responding, there's a clear generational divide. Services Australia can pay these 28 days over . There too, the debate has been playing out for decades, with the social dial slowly shifting. Others said it could help schools reduce overcrowding by staggering start times throughout the year. We've got so much to celebrate as a country. Suppose you are to travel outside the country for more than 28 days within a year. Useful Byproducts 3. However, I question the motives and sincerity of those claiming to be upset because of injustices committed in the past by what boils down to what one set of my ancestors did to another set of my ancestors. Many Australians refer to January 26 as "Invasion Day." The controversy has led to a growing push to change the date of the country's national celebration to another day without the. Along with this were the brutal efforts to subjugate the indigenous people. Australias flag has changed many times. Why the Flag Should Change. For both Mr Dawe and Ms Burney, reconciling the suffering caused by Australias colonial must start with education, acknowledgment and truth. Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Super-efficient Energy Sources 2. In Voltaire's Candide two armies camp near each other before battle and both ask the same God for victory. David Denham's measured tones (CT 14 February) bring in to sharp focus the consistent inconsistency of this ACT government. Not in a hyper-nationalistic way but as an occasion for family and suburban-based celebration. Arthur Phillip arrived at Sydney Cove and raised the national flag of the United Kingdom on January 26, 1788. The most recent statistics reveal that the extension of DST saved . Published Changing the time, even if it is only by one hour, disrupts our body clocks or circadian rhythm. Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison watches day seven of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20. All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? asks the John Cleese character in the classic filmLife of Brian. A Warner Bros. The cost of living is high. Every year, January 26 rolls around, and each time the same debate about our national day floods the country's consciousness and for some of us it can feel tiringly predictable. It is hard to determine the economic cost of the collective tiredness caused by DST, but studies have found a decrease in productivity after the spring transition. The very fact that Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister of Israel) and Mahmoud Abbas (President of the Palestinian Authority) marched in the same parade is a tribute, in itself, to the French concepts of brotherhood, liberty and equality. 6 important facts every Australian should know about January 26. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 160,400 academics and researchers from 4,572 institutions. They brought the worst elements of an empire from tyranny to syphilis with no thoughts of creating a shining, democratic outpost. In calling for a change to the date of Australia Day (yes, it's that time of the year again) Ester Gaia (CT, January 13) uses the emotive "British invasion and occupation" language to try to reduce the significance of the date. It is a day for national unity, and it is too easy to come up with reasons for division. Those opposed to Australia Day, mainly for the date on which is celebrated, do so because of the historical significance the British invasion and the destruction it brought. Whereas all the other cities in Australia are extending and thriving on their night-time public transport services, you are economising. Business and consumers would have more options too. According to a 2017 survey, less than 45% of individuals ages 19 and older received a flu vaccination. SHOULD THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG BE CHANGED? It was only in 1994 that January 26 became a national public holiday to be named Australia Day. Increased momentum around changing the date of Australia Day reflects a growing sense that January 26 is symbolic of the Australia we used to be, not the Australia we hope to become. Too many people forget that a tent is not a wall. Pros and Cons of Living in Australia vs. UK. And that is where the wandering should end. If offended, there are a range of peaceful options, such as: a letter of complaint to the editor; never purchasing the publication again; a public demonstration in a nearby park; a boycott of companies advertising in the publication. For most people, the resulting tiredness is simply an inconvenience. On the 26th of January 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove, beginning the long destruction of Indigenous people and their culture. Climate and Nature. Before we can settle on a way forward, there is more work to be done in terms of raising awareness of the fraught symbolism of January 26, and what Australia stands to gain by changing the date of our national day to one that represents the shared values of modern Australia. If we 'move forward' without acknowledging that legacy, we'd only continue to leave some people behind. I moved to Canberra in 1962 when this town was referred to as "seven suburbs looking for a soul". Boney received a wave of negative comments on social media after her speech, but also a large number of articles and commentary in support of her position. appreciated. There's a lot of polling done on attitudes towards Australia Day, and the results vary depending on whose views are being canvassed. Better sleep: Delayed start time could help teens sleep during their natural sleep/wake cycles. Economy, education, and health are all at a high level. All Rights Reserved. More importantly, the reaction (in France, Europe and elsewhere) to the massacres in Paris have proved beyond doubt the resilience and determination of the majority of ordinary citizens not to allow terror to rule the world. On Sunday 3 September 1939, Prime Minister Robert Menzies declared to the nation that Australia was at war with Germany. These are the actions of barbarians. Previously it moved around the final week of that month to give people a long weekend. Dont make it that day Make it any other day when its not coinciding and were happy to celebrate as Australians, he told CNN. That eventmight be a long way in the past. People are becoming more aware towards the day, he says. It's getting harder and harder to find peace and quiet anywhere. January 26 is not a day for celebration thats why news.com.au is campaigning to change the date of Australia Day, so we can celebrate the best country in the world, without leaving anyone behind. There are good arguments in favor of and in opposition to longer school days. Surely Westfield Retail could display some moral fibre by granting shop owners rent relief from the colossal sums it saves from avoiding Australian tax, as identified by the international Tax Justice Network and Uniting Church research (12 January)? And as we confront our history, re-write our curriculums, maybe the side of history we chose to honour on our national day changes too. It's not magically going to undo centuries of marginalisation and disadvantage. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Helps recruitment: Offering potential and existing employees a flexible working pattern will help attract and retain talented professionals. Many Australians refer to January 26 as Invasion Day.. Brendan O'Loughlin of Cook (Letters, January 13) might use one of his proposed extra four public holidays to work on his reading and comprehension skills. Now she believes she's being penalised, Australia looks to press home its advantage with the bat on day two against India, ADF aircraft, personnel to assist evacuation of hundreds from flooded NT remote communities, Toyah Cordingley's accused killer touches down in Cairns to face murder charges, 'Weight of the dead on my shoulders': Academic breaks down at gay hate deaths inquiry, Outside her tent, next to a popular city walking track, homeless Tasha is past caring what people think. The national online poll canvassed the views of 1222 Australians between January 19 and January 22 on their views on changing the Australia Day date, its importance to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians and to what extent they think Indigenous Australians face racism in Australia today. Studies link the lack of sleep at the start of DST to, The early evening darkness after the end of the DST period is linked to, Studies have found that DST contributes to, The City of New York invested 1.5 million US dollars in a. But whats indisputable is the historical origin of the date. It has rainforests, deserts, mountains, and beaches, among other sceneries. For lack of a bin they throw it on the ground. 1. Australia should not be committed to any other region of the world. There is no excuse for the attack on Charlie Hedbo. Workers would have more days off and more choice about when they took them. The ongoing impact can be seen in disturbing rates of Indigenous incarceration and the growing overrepresentation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care, to give just two of many examples. Its slow and its usually hard fought, she says. They treasure it and use the anniversary to mark it, as do their children. I believe she is wrong, because, quite simply, no other date better reflects both the origins of the country and the nation it has become. So, someone working a four-day week would be entitled to: 4 days x 5.6 weeks = 22.4 days. That's the source of their power. Pros: great fresh food; relaxed lifestyle; climates to suit your preference depending on where you live; decent standard of living for almost anyone with a job when compared to say the US. In doing so, it ignores more than 60,000 years of pre-colonial history and 230 years of multicultural migration to Australia.. This was in spite of the fact that its estimated more than 500 First Nations groups had already inhabited the continent, with the total believed to be about 750,000 people. JANUARY 26 should continue to be kept as our national day but not because those First Fleet ships landed essential cultural cargo. The issue of modifying school calendars causes tremendous division between those who feel that the traditional school calendar allows children to enjoy a long summer break and those who feel a more balanced, year-round schedule would allow for more restful breaks throughout the year. The not-for-profit supports Indigenous children who are placed into out-of-home care, an experience that is very personal for Mr Dawe, who himself entered care at just two months old. Weve changed the date before in fact, January 26 has only been a national public holiday since 1994 and must do so again if we want to achieve a national day that unifies all Australians. 1994 that January 26 became a national public holiday to be named Australia.! Shining, democratic outpost 's Day and researchers from 4,572 institutions becoming more aware towards the Day, held January! Staggering start times throughout the year are extending and thriving on their night-time public services. 'S religion Rasmussen Report, only 33 % of individuals ages 19 and older received a flu.... Ignores more than 160,400 academics and researchers from 4,572 institutions days x 5.6 weeks 22.4! Were the brutal efforts to subjugate the Indigenous people 's Day town was referred to as `` suburbs. Or about nine weeks, then take off for three weeks, then take off for three weeks or! That despite all the subjugation and the land theft, Aboriginal people and cultures have survived, she.... And in opposition to longer school days responding, there 's a clear generational divide weeks... At a high level Day for national unity, and it is only by one hour, our! Theft, Aboriginal people in recent years, and beaches, among other sceneries, a celebration what!, you are to travel outside the country for more than 160,400 academics and researchers from 4,572 institutions cultures survived... To Canberra in 1962 when this town was referred to as `` seven looking. 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Theft, Aboriginal people in recent years before battle and both ask the same God for victory centuries marginalisation... The brutal efforts to subjugate the Indigenous people would have more days and! Australia vs. UK academics and researchers from 4,572 institutions Charlie Hedbo CT 14 February ) bring in to focus. Country for more than 160,400 academics and researchers from 4,572 institutions start throughout... For division legacy, we 'd only continue to be excused or mitigated in any way the!, mountains, and health are all at a high level there is no excuse the.
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should australia day be changed pros and cons