[VOOK]

Quote

THE new Australian of the Year Mick Dodson said this morning that he suggested changing the date of Australia Day because he wanted to "start a conversation". It worked.

Our readers have been debating the idea and while many reject it, others have plenty of suggestions of when a new national day could be celebrated.

Professor Dodson said soon after receiving the honour at Parliament House in Canberra that commemorating January 26 was isolating to indigenous people.

The activist and academic said some indigenous Australians considered the date "Invasion Day" and said another date might be more inclusive for a national day of celebration.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine said later that the date was a "festering sore" but that it was unlikely to change without a long conversation involving all Australians.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd immediately dismissed the idea of starting a debate.

"To our indigenous leaders, and those who call for a change to our national day, let me say a simple, respectful but straightforward no,'' Mr Rudd said.

"We are a free country and it is natural and right from time to time that there will be conversations about such important symbols for our nation.

"It is equally right as a free country that those of us charged with political leadership provide a straightforward response.''

Prof Dodson later said he wasn't worried by the Prime Minister's tough stance.

"I'm not fazed at all by the Prime Minister's comments,'' he said.

"But let's not close the door to having a conversation about this''.

I don't think there is anything to discuss, Mr Aussie of the year - The only thing I can agree on with Mr Rudd.

[Nighthawk]

They can call it Invasion Day, just as long as they accept that they lost and quit their whinging about it.

[VOOK]

Nighthawk, on Jan 26 2009, 02:50 PM, said:

They can call it Invasion Day, just as long as they accept that they lost and quit their whinging about it.

I thought they were meant to move on from this "Invasion Day" when Rudd said sorry last year? For years it was "We can't move on until we get our Sorry, all our problems stem from that" - Rudd says "Sorry" and what changes?

This is as stupid as changing the flag.

[NinjaDead]

See what happens when you say sorry? They just want more and more...next they'll be asking for a free alcohol day or something.

[Nighthawk]

Yeah, that's unfortunately how it goes. I really can't stand the whole mentality behind the apologist stance on the issue/s.

[trin]

Sorry day was pointless- and the week long "celibration" last year for it was just sh!t.
It's pretty much "I'm sorry we took you from an abusive home etc."
Thats all it is- infact there are a few people who want to do this again- expecially in NT areas.

@vook- I wouldn't mind a change in flag only if its for a change in government style- like for example becoming a republic.

This post has been edited by trin: 26 January 2009 - 03:11 PM

[LordZod]

I was listening to David Oldfield this morning on the radio, the callers and himself were ripping into this bloke and rightfully so.

First off, who chooses the Australian of the Year, and shouldn't they have known he'd come out with something like this?

Also, the term "reconciliation" seems to be thrown around a lot... The term I believe means something coming back together... Since when were we one with the ATSI people? And when will we have achieved "reconciliation"? It really isn't clear, this could go on forever...

[trin]

If Aborginals want to be accepted- they should stop accepting bonus payments, the dole, and other 'rights' which most of us have to pay for.

I'm not doubting the choice of Australian of the year- I'm doubting the fact that this man wants things changed with out thinking of the consiquences.

[playa271]

as much as I understand why they would want it moved or banished etc but ffs move on, get over it, sh!t happens and rudd has said sorry because that's the only thing that can be done now.

[Ninja Catfish]

trin, on Jan 26 2009, 04:18 PM, said:

If Aborginals want to be accepted- they should stop accepting bonus payments, the dole, and other 'rights' which most of us have to pay for.

I'm not doubting the choice of Australian of the year- I'm doubting the fact that this man wants things changed with out thinking of the consiquences.

Bonus payments and 'the dole' are paid to everyone else too y'know.
It's based on financial/family etc circumstances, ethnicity doesn't come into it.

[PlasmaDavid]

trin, on Jan 26 2009, 04:09 PM, said:

Sorry day was pointless- and the week long "celibration" last year for it was just sh!t.
It's pretty much "I'm sorry we took you from an abusive home etc."

The stolen egneration was about taking "half Aboriginal" kids from stations and education\converting them in missionaries. It wasn't like now where the communities were such an unhappy lot. The issue was the Aboriginals were pretty much all out bush\on stations and education\healthcare was poor at best. I'm not saying it was any more right etc, but from the Government standpoint they were doing them a favor.

This post has been edited by PlasmaDavid: 26 January 2009 - 04:15 PM

[NinjaDead]

Apparently though, Aboriginals get paid more from centrelink.

[lexielab]

Well I personally see the idea of "Invasion Day" as melodramatic, but I do agree with changing the day for Australia Day. I think celebrating Federation (ie the time that we actually became Australia) much more appropriate as a national day. Realistically, what will probably happen is that we will become a republic and the day that that officially happens will become our national day.

[VOOK]

lexielab, on Jan 26 2009, 05:49 PM, said:

Well I personally see the idea of "Invasion Day" as melodramatic, but I do agree with changing the day for Australia Day. I think celebrating Federation (ie the time that we actually became Australia) much more appropriate as a national day. Realistically, what will probably happen is that we will become a republic and the day that that officially happens will become our national day.

Australian's won't want that, it's New Years Day and of course no one is going to give us a holiday/excuse to get drunk. That would be un-Australian.

[lexielab]

Just move it to another month a la Queen's Birthday and I guarantee you most people won't know the difference

Of course, that pretty much defeats the purpose, but most Australians don't seem to want a national day, they just want a public holiday.

[James]

Ninja Catfish, on Jan 26 2009, 04:58 PM, said:

ethnicity doesn't come into it.

There are much more bonuses paid to indigenous Australians. Much, much more. (Children who are indigenous get paid to attend school, get their excursions + books etc. paid for and so forth).

[VOOK]

I gotta so this thread turned out so different on GAF...

[Nibbler]

Change Australia day to another one.
Get over it, history has been made and you cant change it because you lost......

[ENKC]

It may have been an ill advised choice of national day to begin with, but now it's an established tradition. Mr Dodson doesn't seem to have had anything constructive to add in his new role save to stir up interracial resentment. Well done.

[Phantom Ganon]

Nibbler brings up a good point. History is written by the winners. Hence why AustraliaDay is as is. Plus it's the perfect time to hold a day honouring the nation's predominantly summer culture with things like cold beer, bbq, cricket etc.

[Obscurus]

VOOK, on Jan 26 2009, 02:53 PM, said:

This is as stupid as changing the flag.

trin, on Jan 26 2009, 04:09 PM, said:

@vook- I wouldn't mind a change in flag only if its for a change in government style- like for example becoming a republic.

Green backround. Gold Southern Cross.


Anyway, sure, let them change the date. Just so we have public holidays on both days, aha

[Iniqius]

arrghh more of this "Let's change Australian/Culture Tradition because it may offend someone" Crap.
Don't mess with tradition even if celebrates something bad I honestly don't care if Australia day was on the day that some settler set the record for most Aborigines killed as it celebrates AUSTRALIA as a nation not what actually happened.

[(Chibi) ^-^ (Nation)]

Well to be honest the guy has a point. It would seem a bit difficult for you to celebrate your nation on the day that it was taken over and followed by a series of intensley racist events. I can understand where he is coming from and it probablly wouldnt be a bad idea.

However Australia is well known for it's old fashioned-ness, so I don't see a majority of the country supporting it.

[Nighthawk]

(Chibi) ^-^ (Nation), on Jan 26 2009, 11:30 PM, said:

Well to be honest the guy has a point. It would seem a bit difficult for you to celebrate your nation on the day that it was taken over and followed by a series of intensley racist events. I can understand where he is coming from and it probablly wouldnt be a bad idea.

Because this guy was totally around in 1788, when the stuff he's talking about actually happening.

And he's totally had a direct linkage to those events, TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE YEARS AGO.

[playa271]

apparently he had a time machine