Monday 30 January

1 Australia Day has come and gone and many have made their annual contributions to the appropriateness or otherwise of 26 January as our national day.

This year we celebrated it under a cloud of far right nationalism that is threatening our way of life. At least we didn’t have Abbott screaming at us that ISIS is on its way to get each one of us. My own observation was that there was increased interest in our National day but for the majority the melancholy of it is firmly entrenched in its own awkwardness.

It doesn’t capture the imagination of Australians who have a natural disposition to sport and a disregard for authority. Other nations are more disposed to nationalist fervour than we.

America has just consigned theirs to a president who wants to take the country back to a La La Land that doesn’t exist anymore and probably didn’t anyway.

The Essential Poll published last week posed this question:

“Thursday 26th January is Australia Day. Will you personally be doing anything to celebrate Australia Day or do you treat it as just a public holiday?’’

Most people recognised the holiday but only a third of us said we would actively celebrate the occasion.

For most it’s just another holiday and they don’t get too fussed about the reasons behind it.

Just what the future of the National Day is, is anyone’s guess. Probably it will just linger on in its present form until a catalyst presents an opportunity to give it sincerity and integrity.

Such a time may very well be when we become a Republic. When we have cast away our final ties to the motherland, without a Union Jack on our flag, and we can declare that we have arrived at our adulthood, with one of our own as head of state. Australia Day would then have all the necessary ingredients for a national day of celebration. So I declare that Australia Day should be moved to the date on which we become a republic and cancel the Queen’s birthday holiday.

2 Shane Crocker is a Facebook friend and drives a taxi in Townsville Queensland. Like most drivers he likes a chat. His hobby is science and is extremely well-informed on the subject. On Sunday he made these observations.

For non-Australians the statement “Australia Day celebrates the landing of Captain Cook” needs clarifying. The far Right Australian politician, Pauline Hanson also made this statement on Australia Day (January 26) last week.

James Cook landed at Botany Bay (now a part of the city of Sydney) on April 19, 1770. Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships on January 26, 1788.

Pauline Hanson, like many Right-wing populist politicians, is profoundly ignorant and made a fool of herself by confusing the two events.’’

These are actual statements made by taxi customers in Townsville.

“Not all of them are rednecks. The comment about the Jews bringing the Holocaust on themselves was made by a professional person”.

Things I’ve recently heard around the place from people in Townsville, Queensland, Australia:

”One Nation is going to wipe the ALP off the map.”

”Maybe fascism is what this country needs right now.”

”Gay marriage would bring down society as we know it.”

”God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.”

”The answer to the crime problem is to bring back the death penalty.”

“Australia should free up the gun laws so we can protect ourselves.”

”The right to keep and bear arms is in the Australian Constitution.”

”The Jews brought the Holocaust upon themselves.”

“Muslims should be banned from coming to Australia as well.”

”Refugees get everything for free.”

”Australia was established as a Christian country.”

”Australia Day celebrates the landing of Captain Cook.”

”A lot of people just say they’re Aboriginal so can get everything for free.”

”It should be illegal to speak any other language than English in public.”

”It’s a criminal offence to burn the Australian flag.”

“Hitler had the right idea, his only mistake was to have a war with England.”

The only thing missing from that lot is that the Australian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech.

An observation.

”Today the characteristic that most defines modern Australia is diversity. In all its forms, together with multiculturalism it defines us as a nation. People of my generation and later should divest themselves of their old and inferred racist superiority”

3 In the month of September rumour has it that Christian Porter will replace George Brandis as Attorney-General who in turn will replace Downer in London.

4 Trump’s public endorsement of Fox News over cable news rivals is something extraordinary. He’s really acknowledging that Fox is now state TV.

5 On this day in 2016 I wrote:

31 January 2016

The Coalition regrets having to announce that good government has been further delayed. At least until after the next election. Circumstances beyond my control.

Authorised by Malcolm Turnbull. Canberra.”

Malcolm Turnbull is facing flak from the Abbott conservative forces within his government. There is hardly an issue of any substance where he is showing quality leadership. The issue is again in the headlines with conservatives saying they will not abide by the outcome of the proposed plebiscite on Gay Marriage. In fact they are lining up to say they will vote against. We pay for good Government and expect it from day one. Tony Abbott said that we would get it 12 months after the ball had been bounced. Even then it didn’t happen. We are still waiting for Turnbull to stop talking about it and start delivering. By the time the election comes around the electorate will be entitled to ask whether the Coalition can ever deliver on it.

6 Only in America. Both the President and the Vice President have made it very clear that the next appointee to the Supreme Court will be an anti-abortionist. I would have thought that the first attribute of a judge of any court anywhere would be impartiality. To appoint people who will do your bidding is tantamount to rigging the judicial system.

7 The way Theresa May looked at the President and repeated what they has discussed looked to me like she was wanting it confirmed publicly.

My thought for the day.

“For the life of me I fail to understand how anyone could vote for a party who thinks the existing education system is adequately funded and addresses the needs of the disadvantaged”.

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