If not January 26, when can we celebrate our wonderful nation?

Some say pick a date, any date.

But when January 26 is not acceptable because it is viewed by many as a day to acknowledge British invasion and the systematic and ongoing injustice and denial of rights for First Nations people, then what date is acceptable to celebrate this country?

A country that we proudly call Australia. A country that stands as a diverse and blended nation, a country that has become one of the wealthiest in the world.

A country that is highly developed with a mixed economy, home to more than 26 million people, with migrants making up more than 30 per cent of its population, and a country that is able to give billions of dollars in foreign aid annually. A home we are proud of.

If the call is to change the date, abolish or rename it because First Nations people feel the beginning of European colonisation represents systematic and ongoing injustice, then what date do we celebrate?

What date are we “allowed” to celebrate, not how it became, but all that Australia now represents? When we celebrate this country on Australia Day, we are wearing the Australian flag, not the British one.

It is a day represented by eating pavlova, having a barbecue on the beach and listening to Aussie favourites. We wear green and gold and get together with family and friends, enjoying a public holiday that allows us to do so.

We do not preach hatred or conquest, we simply show some love and appreciation of the place that we all get to call “home”.

So again, I will ask, if not January 26, then when?

Melanie Beak, Sandy Bay, Tas

Elites still in swamp

On display at Trump’s inauguration were Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and the bosses of Apple and Google.

Were there any of the disaffected blue-collar workers from rust-bucket areas of the US that Donald Trump, when in election mode, proudly claimed as part of his constituency? So much for striking back against the elites and cleaning out the swamp.

Peter Tierney, New Town, Tas

Biden pardon shame

Joe “nobody is above the law” Biden has, as your editorial rightly pointed out, shredded the last vestige of credibility in granting pre-emptive pardons to members of his family in a final, pathetic act, thereby marking them for the rest of their lives as potential criminals (“Biden trashes what’s left of legacy”, 23/1).

In the US, as in Australia, a criminal trial cannot proceed without evidence, and that is the only way their names could have been cleared. If these people had nothing to fear, no pardons were needed.

Peter Davidson, Ashgrove, Qld

Greg Sheridan recently described the late Jimmy Carter as a decent man but a lousy president. By that assessment, Joe Biden fits only the latter category.

Biden was seconded by the Democrats to save America from a Trump second term. He committed to restoring the American people’s faith in the rule of law and respect for its institutions – he failed. He denounced the prospect that Donald Trump would pre-emptively pardon members of his family in his last act as president in 2020. Trump didn’t, but in an act of hypocrisy that shocked many Democrats, he did. In time, history may be kinder to the 46th president, but right now Biden’s personal reputation mirrors that of his failed presidency.

Kim Keogh, Claremont, WA

Banks under influence

Janet Albrechtsen makes some splendid observations of the recent history of the ancient art of banking (“Banks get back to core business as woke fades”, 22/1).

As an old banker, I suspect that the commentary may have underestimated the pernicious influence of government (in its broadest sense) in bank credit decisions. Banks are forced to second-guess government ESG decisions, as they present exogenous variables that could bring an otherwise sound credit to its knees – to the detriment of the bank’s profits and its shareholders’ returns. It is bad enough that these variables exist, are known and need to be managed at the outset. It is diabolical when they are foisted on the borrower, the lender and the general public at a random date in the future.

I suspect that the credit limits placed by banks are more about sheer prudence and economic survival than a desire to be seen to be “woke”. Another example of politicians and woke activists (including superannuation funds) strangling the economy?

Stephen Maitland, Red Hill, Qld

Demon did well

Fantastically well done, Alex de Minaur, against talented opposition. Always take pride in your own unique abilities and press on into the future, is my earnest recommendation. As long as you’ve done as well as you possibly can, and I have no doubt at all that you did, what does it matter?

John Sheldrick, Peppermint Grove, WA