In recent days many public figures including the Mayors of both Albury and Wangaratta have engaged in what can only be described as counterproductive commentary about any changes to the date for Australia Day.
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The mayor of Albury, Kevin Mack, used a childish meme on his Facebook account to show his position on the matter while the mayor of Wangaratta was quoted as saying that the date should “certainly not” be changed.
What this type of behaviour does is shut down any hope of constructive discussion within the community.
Good leaders need to demonstrate the ability to engage their people in open and honest debate before arriving at a position of consensus, regardless of their personal position on any matter.
Instead what we are seeing here, unfortunately, is much the same as we experienced when dealing with the Marriage Equality issue, a long drawn-out acrimonious shouting match with two tribes in their respective corners.
We should expect better from our leaders.
Leslie Matthews, Wangaratta
It is a local issue
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack says the issue of the date of Australia Day is not a local government issue.
Evidently Cr Mack must have missed the three councils in Victoria and one in Western Australia that have chosen to find alternative dates for celebrating what it means to be Australian.
Cr Mack may think it's amusing to dismiss the views of those that would like to rethink whether January 26th is an appropriate day for Australia Day, and he clearly isn't alone, with former Labor leader Mark Latham on his side, and many other members of the intellectual peanut gallery.
While there are bigger issues that need to be dealt with in fostering Indigenous reconciliation, there are two facts that are beyond dispute, regardless of what the uncompassionate have to say.
Firstly, January 26th is a day of great hurt for Indigenous Australians.
In 1938, when Aboriginal Australians in Sydney organised the first Day of Mourning and refused to take part in a reenactment of the First Fleet landing, Aboriginal men from western NSW were brought to Sydney to act instead.
They were forced to sleep in stables whilst in the city, and during the reenactment told to act as if fleeing in fear from the British landing. With episodes like this on January 26th still in living memory, is it any wonder indignation amongst Indigenous people persists when eyes are rolled during discussion about the date?
Secondly, Cr Mack needs a serious re-think on what local government issues are, especially given the amount of time he has invested in spruiking a potential V8 Supercars event, for which phone calls that have (or haven't?) been made.
Christian Kunde Albury-Lavington Labor Branch
Facts not in doubt
There is no doubting what occurred on January 26 so long ago.
And there can also be no doubt of the horrendous impact that event had upon our first people, the oldest peoples in civilisation who may well have been treated as non-existent.
Perhaps as a half measure to reconciliation we should fly the Australian flag at half mast below the one that has true meaning.