this post was submitted on 25 Jan 2024
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New polling shows a significant drop in support for January 26 in just two years.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (6 children)

It's become a day/weekend for bogan flag waves to get drunk and annoy the shit out of everyone.

It's the only long weekend I stay home and don't go camping due to ever increasing fuckwits.

The entire idea of Australia Day means nothing to me anymore.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago

It's literally a day off work for me where I can sleep in, nothing more.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's the holiday equivalent of those oversized American utes

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Omg that is a fucking brilliant analogy.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Perth has an Australia Day tradition that's pretty wholesome. The slogan this year is "Reflect. Respect. Celebrate" it's a family day, very multicultural. Tonight there's fireworks and a drone show.

(I'm here, now. The kids are watching dreamtime stories)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Not many flags?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It's the only long weekend I stay home and don't go camping due to ever increasing fuckwits.

If I do, I go inland away from the maddening crowds and down trails too difficult for common folk, but too boring for P-plated GQ Patrols. Avoid iconic regions. I used to live in SE QLD, and the only safe bet was around Granite Belt areas since everyone would pile to the islands, coasts, and surrounding forests. Helps to be far from a town with a bottle shop, since "the boys" in closer camps will go do top up runs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The Commonwealth and state governments agreed to unify the celebrations on 26 January as "Australia Day" in 1946. So it is not even an age-old tradition the white supremacists like to pretend it is.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Some extra context on that:

Despite not being recognised nationally the foundation of the colony of NSW had been celebrated much longer

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

It's become a day/weekend for bogan flag waves to get drunk and annoy the shit out of everyone.

Not according to Murdoch's report. Am surprised they published it.

Scenes at Bondi Beach today made it clear: Australia Day certainly isn’t celebrated as it used to be.

“I went to a barbecue last year, and I was surprised because they had heaps of Australian flag stuff out, but they wouldn’t have done that in public,” she said.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't get it first they're saying that the majority of Australians celebrate Australia Day over on Sky but now they're admitting maybe they were wrong on Sky?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Maybe they figure there is more money in being controversial than in pandering to what has been their base?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The only thing I care about is more holidays.

The donkeys smashing up Woolworths stores, and vaping on the train and driving their stupid dodge ram utes cutting through corners when driving though have ruined it for everyone.

No idea why we haven't just changed the date yet. It's not a big deal, and the people who are making a big deal about it are the kind of people nobody wants in Australia I've noticed anyway

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

because changing the date is a lose / lose for whoever attempts it, so it will just be left 'as is' and disappears on Jan 27. Fact is, some people support changing it, and other people want it left the same. Either of those two groups are going to be the noisy minority to that discussion... IMO, it will never happen, they will just mobilise police for the protests and schedule them for time in leiu the day after.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I'm not sure it is these days honestly.

I think only the loud and annoying people only care

It's like the EV discussion, if you jump onto Facebook, you'd think everyone loves petrol. However, in practice, people are happy to switch, but just want them cheaper. But they aren't the kind of people to be plastering Facebook with it

We have a huge problem with a small amount of toxic people here (and they cause the same problems for everything).

They might protest, but after aus day passes, honestly, it will simply flame out the debate when people realize they don't care.

But you do make a good point, as they'd have to survive that first year. I just wish we had more mature people in here (I'm starting to think I'd be better off in NZ or elsewhere, because I hate all the kids who have temper tantrums here constantly, they're ruining Australia)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I think we are saying the same thing.. the noisy ones will be around for either decision.. they will be either protesting that it should stay the 26th (if it were to be changed), or protest that it is the 26th as invasion day… the fact that it goes away the day after makes it an easier decision for the government of the day.. they just have to wait it out.

I don’t care which, I don’t celebrate other than enjoying the public holiday. If I could swap it for my birthday off, I would do that :0)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

yeah.. I couldn't give a toss about Australia day either way. If there is anything we can all agree on, its to make it two days

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Foreigner here. Would you like a different date? When? Or would rather re-define the current one?

Edit. I just saw the SJ Patterson post and learned a lot on there.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (3 children)

saw the SJ Patterson post and learned a lot on there

Haha yeah.

What isn’t exactly made explicit in that thread (it’s sorta just understood by everyone, so while hints towards it are there, nobody needed to make it explicit), 26 January is associated with the arrival of white people on this land, and thus it’s symbolic of the start of oppression towards the Aboriginal population. Among progressive and Aboriginal circles, you’ll often see it called "invasion day" for that reason.

That’s why people think it should be moved, though agreeing on when to move it to is a much harder proposition.

Some people want it to stay around this time of year because it’s summer and people like barbies and outdoors. Others say we have enough holidays already between late December and early May (Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, Labour Day) and would like to see something in the back half of the year, between September and November. Then there’s the question of whether or not it should be a day that has meaningful symbolism, and if so what that symbolism should be.

I’ll re-share my proposed alternatives in case anyone else wants to see them:

3 March as the day of commencement of the Australia Act (1986), which saw the last vestiges of Australia's status as a British dominion ended.

3 September as the day Australia adopted the Statute of Westminster with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942, which removed the United Kingdom's ability to legislate over the Commonwealth of Australia and making Australia truly a legally independent nation in a de jure sense.

9 July as the date the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 became law, enabling the constitution to actually take effect on 1 January 1901.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

We do the queen/king's bday on a different date to whatever the current Monarch's actual bday is. Surely we could just do the same thing with any of these other dates.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The march and September dates are already holidays. Not that I object to shuffling Labour day around.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

According to the Australian holidays calendar I subscribe to, 4 March is Labour Day in Western Australia. That would just mean they get an extra-long weekend. (Besides, no offence, but that's a dumb time for Labour Day. In terms of the history of the labour movement, on or about 1 May is when it should be.)

There's no holiday listed on my calendar on or near 3 September. Are you thinking of October, which is when ACT, NSW, and SA have their Labour Day (plus Qld has King's Birthday and Christmas Island has Territory Day)?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It turns out our (WA) Monarch's birthday is September 23. I thought it was earlier in the month than that. But still, it's a bit close to September 3.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

(WA) Monarch’s birthday is September 23

Yeah apparently in WA the Governor chooses each year and announces his decision on the first Monday in June. It’s almost always either the last Monday in September or the first in October.

Edit: his decision is apparently largely based on when school holidays and Perth Royal Show are

But still, it’s a bit close to September 3.

Not really any closer than the current date is to New Year’s.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Those suggested dates are great, except July... I don't think I could celebrate Australia in winter or that close to America day

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago

I was speaking with an Australian friend like an hour ago about this, his partner is aboriginal so they don't really celebrate it in the same way cause of the whole colonialism part.