Editor’s Desk: Amid all the change the date debate, ask yourself how much January 26 actually means to you

At risk of getting trolled, lynched and derided, I’d like to pose two scenarios to the readers of this column. Firstly, imagine there’s an Australia Day which is all about unity, celebration and the right kind of patriotism. A day which recognises and pays respect to the past, celebrates the present and makes you feel excited about the future. A day which makes the broken record phrase “change the date” obsolete. Wouldn’t that be a nice reality to live in? That’s the kind of Australia Day I would love to experience every year. Secondly, this question is directed to those people who are hellbent on sticking with the status quo, who want Australia Day to remain on January 26, regardless of the groundswell of opposition. How much of your stance is down to your rusted-on belief that January 26 is the only date in the calendar that can truly host Australia Day? Or how much is attributed to your resistance against change and “giving in” to a “whingeing” minority group and “leftie do-gooders”. Would it truly rip your heart out if Australia Day was held on a date other than January 26? Does that specific date really mean that much to you? Or is it just because that’s the way it’s always been. Well, there’s a long list of things in history that once were and some that still are, that should never have been. As a human race, we evolve with time. We might not like it, but we can change and sometimes it’s even for the better. I get it. No date is ever going to be perfect. I doubt very much 100 per cent of Australians would be able to settle on one day everyone is happy with. But there’s got to be a better option than this mess we’re in. Depending who you are speaking to, you feel shamed if you don’t celebrate Australia Day or if you do. The deep division in the debate is only going to widen. More people will call for a change in date, more people choose to work on Australia Day, or not attend events, meaning they will continue to be scaled back or even cancelled. So, is that the solution? That we shouldn’t have a national day at all? I don’t think anybody would agree with that. People passing judgment on other people’s trauma, and questioning their motives, also isn’t the right approach in my opinion. The argument that “giving in” regarding change the date — and more recently the Indigenous Voice debate — will give unfettered power to First Nations people is also misleading in my opinion. First Nations people feel genuine pain about this date. Not the day itself. They aren’t campaigning against Australia Day. Perhaps the question should be added to the Indigenous Voice referendum — that would give the people the chance to decide. Whatever happens, something has to give sooner or later, a circuit breaker. If all other reasoning fails, then just ask yourself: wouldn’t it be so nice to stop having this incessant debate every single year?