1. We are not responsible for the actions of our ancestors
No one is saying that you are. However, it is about understanding how past acts of injustice continue to oppress and disadvantage First Nations people today.
2. Name a country that wasn’t invaded. It's just the way of the world.
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New Zealand wasn’t invaded they were colonised. In NZ they have a treaty and whilst their First Nations people have suffered many similar atrocities, they have been able to hold their government accountable. New Zealand's national day is on on 6 February – Waitangi Day – the first signing of New Zealand's founding document: Te Tiriti o Waitangi, The Treaty of Waitangi, on 6 February 1840.
3. Stop dwelling on the past. Australia Day is about celebrating how lucky we are today to live in our country.
This is a matter of perspective. A lot of First Nations people who still continue to suffer the effects of invasion may not feel as fortunate as you. Choosing not to celebrate on Australia Day does not mean we can’t acknowledge what a great country we live in. It’s about ensuring we celebrate on a day that is appropriate for all Australians. The Closing the Gap Report is a good place to start developing an understanding of current affairs and issues regarding First Nations struggles and inequality.
4. Australia Day has always been on the 26 January.
No, it hasn’t. 26 January has been a day of mourning and protest for First Nations peoples since 1938 and it has only been known as National Australia Day since the 1990s.
5. I’m not sorry for something I didn’t do.
Saying sorry isn’t about accepting responsibility, it's about having empathy and compassion for the hardships that others have gone through and continue to go through. If someone has had a death in the family you would still say ‘I’m sorry for your loss’, even though you didn’t directly cause that loss.
6. What’s the big deal, it's just a date.
Privilege is when you don’t consider something to be a problem because it doesn’t affect you personally. If it's not a big deal, then a valid argument could be made for changing it to a date that unifies us and allows all to celebrate.
7. Changing the date won't change anything.
It will show respect to First Nations peoples who see the day as a time of mourning and signify an intention to Why Change the Date of Australia Day? There are many things worth celebrating about Australia, but the 26th of January doesn't represent those things. The dispossession of Australia's First People in January, 1788. In fact, the actual landing date of the first fleet was between 18th to 20th January.
