Australia Day Weekend

Australia Day should simply be the forth Friday in January whatever date that happens to be? This would allow Australia Day to always be part a long weekend and everyone could just enjoy the time off without all the drama that currently exists. Australia Day celebrations could also then occur anytime during the weekend and employers would not have people calling in sich the Australia Day falls midweek. No one would be losing out and our indigenous people's concerns could be addressed without the Government loosing face.

January 26th been celebrated as Australia Day by the colonists since 1808. Although the date is embedded in our cultural tradition, the same date is not one of celebration for the First People who lived in Australia. The First People were not even granted the right to vote until 1962.

We now live in an enlightened age with cultural respect. We know our aboriginal brothers and sisters find the date January 26 offensive because it represents the day their land was invaded and subsequently taken from them.

Some people want the date of Australia Day changed, some people want it to remain unchanged. Everybody however agrees it would be better if Australia Day was attached to a weekend.

There is simple fix and its time the Government exercise common sense rather than stubborn close mindedness.