Comment on Make Oz Day a celebration of the future, not the past by Hal Duell.
Domenico: “… with eyes on the future.” (What I said) is a bit different than “celebrate the future” (how you read it).
Federation Day is indeed on January 1, but to ask people to come together the day after the night before, or New Year’s Eve?
As an intelligent man, surely you can see how that, while factually correct, is an impracticable solution.
Hal Duell Also Commented
Make Oz Day a celebration of the future, not the past
Domenico: Please stop misquoting me. I do not and have not suggested Anzac Day be also known as Australia Day.
“If (IF!) we want a national day to celebrate our coming of age in the crucible of war, Anzac Day amply suffices.”
No one, myself included, has suggested we meld that day into Australia Day.
You are doing your argument no favours by resorting to underhanded and misleading rhetorical tricks.
Make Oz Day a celebration of the future, not the past
Domenico: Perhaps we need to think again on what constitutes an acceptable national day, or day of unity.
We already have a designated Federation Day, but does anyone really pay much attention to it? And falling as it does on the day after the global party of New Year’s Eve makes it hard to imagine it becoming anything more than what it already is.
If we want a national day to celebrate our coming of age in the crucible of war, Anzac Day amply suffices.
My suggestion of the last Monday in January was mostly to offer a minimal alternative to January 26, which will never be accepted by many.
Following comments to my letter, I am coming around to the idea of September 1, or Wattle Day.
It is politically neutral, it is the first day of Spring, it celebrates the green and gold, and it allows for the participation of schools and school children.
Not a bad combination when celebrating the present and looking to the future.
Recent Comments by Hal Duell
Ministers lash out at council over gallery
I appeal to the NT government, especially to Ministers Gunner and Wakefield, to reconsider their approach to building the proposed National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs.
I doubt if many residents, and certainly not a majority, would be opposed to the gallery being built here. But why do you need to destroy what we have (an old high school, a central oval and a debt-free and functioning civic centre) to do that?
It’s not like we’re short of space down here.
It’s a bit unfair to ask council to solve your location problem when to date both of your proposals have presented it with a solution impossible to sell to the residents. And remember, councillors also face the coming elections.
Indigenous suggestions range from the Desert Park to the Desert Knowledge precinct.
It’s not negotiating if you reject in advance any suggestions other than your own.
And a note to council: The NT Government has clearly stated through Minister Wakefield that these discussions can be held in open. Time for you to stop hiding from us. Let’s hear what you have to say.
Locally produced hemp could replace plastic
This is a very good initiative. Congratulations to the Gunner government.
Hemp is a not only a better fibre than cotton, but growing it uses less water and fewer chemicals. What not to like?
Again, congratulations to the Gunner government.
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Perhaps one of the more astonishing features of this continuing saga is the overweening arrogance of Alice’s current group of councillors.
They somehow think they have the right to dispose of our civic centre.
They forget they were elected to look after our assets, not use them as bargaining chips in some shady back-room deal.
Commercial-in-confidence is such a scam. Come on councillors – I challenge any of you to grow a pair.
Despite clear leads, no-one was punished for making this mess
It can be done. Read this.
US military base in Darwin: what risk to NT?
The Opium Wars are over. China won. And all this “containment” and forward posturing is more like dogs barking in the night while the caravan moves on.
Poor Oz! Hanging like a pendulum between London and Washington with (just) the Kiwis for company. That means Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. What can go wrong?
