Changing the date is not my priority

I want the date of Australia Day changed, but there’s so many more important issues, writes Warren Mundine. If only grandstanding activists were as passionate about indigenous suicide and closing the gap.

As Australia Day approaches the twittering classes are again obsessed over the date.

Last year we saw protesters cheering on calls to burn down Australia. This year GetUp is organising rallies claiming Australia Day celebrates massacres. Green-left dominated inner city councils are refusing to hold citizenship ceremonies on 26 January. The angst over the date is overshadowing the purpose of the day.

Put aside the date for one moment. Australians have every reason to be proud of this country and celebrate its national day with patriotism.

Our country is unique in hosting one of the youngest nations in the world (Australia, established in 1901) as well as the oldest continuing nations in the world (Aboriginal first nations). Our young nation was founded on great principles and institutions of democracy, free markets, rule of law, separation of church and state, social pluralism, individual right, Westminster government, common law, liberal rights. There are no better foundations.

RELATED: Aussies want to keep Australia Day on January 26

Patriotism is not racism, and Aussies have every right to celebrate our country. Picture: Cole Bennetts/Getty Images

In 1967 Australians rejected racial segregation with the highest voting result in Australia’s history before or since. We’re one of the most successful multicultural nations in the world; our population descended from over three hundred ancestries. People from every continent, ethnicity and religion have settled peacefully and contributed positively. We have taken refugees at record levels globally and continue to do so.

Australia Day is a celebration of these and other achievements, not a celebration of massacres.

But the activist mindset sees patriotism as the same as racism. These activists don’t really want to celebrate Australia on any date. They aren’t proud of Australia’s achievements, culture or way of life. Australians can see this and now associate the push to change the date with hatred and shame of Australia. In fact, the Green-Left GetUp crowd’s aggressiveness and national loathing have guaranteed the date will remain on 26 January.

The activist mindset condemns Australia as a racist nation with a shameful history. This is wrong. No nation has a pure history. History is messy and brutal; not about heroes and villains but real people with successes, failings, virtues and vices. I regard British colonisation of Australia as an invasion. I also believe the British institutions and Western principles on which those colonies were founded have contributed to Australia’s greatness. That’s the cognitive dissonance of history.

If you follow my writing you know I support moving Australia Day to 1 January, the anniversary of Federation and the actual date on which Australia was founded. For me, 26 January signifies conflict and conquest. I want to commemorate 26 January (and believe we should keep it as a public holiday for that purpose) but not celebrate it.

Unlike the activists I support a date change because I want to celebrate Australia, not because I want to condemn it.

However, changing the date is not a priority for me. It won’t close the gap or improve Aboriginal people’s lives. Frankly, I’m sick of talking about it.

Like many protesters, I regard British colonialisation of Australia as an invasion and think we should move Australia Day to January 1, but there are much more important issues to address. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian

If only Green councillors and GetUp could be half as passionate about real problems facing Aboriginal Australia. Like the epidemics of violence against Aboriginal women and sexual abuse of Aboriginal children. Or the suicide epidemic in Aboriginal communities. This month five Aboriginal girls across Australia aged between 12 and 15 have taken their own lives. At an age they should have the most to look forward to, these children were in such despair they saw death as more desirable than life. Where are the activist campaigns about these tragedies?

Activists believe these problems are caused by colonisation and racism. Rubbish. The social breakdown in Aboriginal communities has increased since segregation was removed, racism rejected and land rights won. It’s not grounded in 26 January. It’s grounded in lack of economic participation.

RELATED: Why are our indigenous youth committing suicide?

Why aren’t these activists marching in support of Aboriginal people being able to own their own homes on their own land like other Australians? Or to find jobs for Aboriginal people suffering chronic, intergenerational welfare dependency? Or to improve economic opportunities for remote Australia so Aboriginal people can get jobs and start businesses? Why don’t they march on state and territory governments to protest nearly 80 per cent of Aboriginal children in very remote areas not attending school enough to get an effective education?

If you listen to Aboriginal people across Australia outside of the urban, activist crowd you find these are the kind of issues they care about. Not the date of Australia Day. I know because I do it for much of the year.

Australians have every right and reason to celebrate Australia. And to do so in the very Australian way over a BBQ, a beer and a swim.

Enjoy it and be proud that there is no better country in the world — for all of us, including Aboriginal people — than Australia.

Nyunggai Warren Mundine AO is author of Warren Mundine — in Black and White and chairman & managing director of Nyungga Black Group.

@nyunggai

Originally published as Changing the date is not my priority