Australia Day needs to stay on January 26
Newsport Poll
The announcement earlier this month that Douglas Shire Council would stage its Australia Day awards ceremony on the Friday night, January 24, was met with widespread objection from Newsport readers.
And, despite the success of the awards and an assurance from council the changed date was for this year only, readers have doubled-down on their calls for a return to the January 26 celebrations in our poll.
Almost 80 per cent of the 113 respondents to the poll, posted as Douglas Shire Council staged its Friday evening event, say the Australia Day date of January 26 should be retained.
Dozens of comments were posted on the original story, overwhelmingly calling on council to rethink their plan, a move they will have no choice in if Peter Dutton is successful at the next Federal Election. He says he will order councils to hold their Australia Day events on January 26.
There is, though, some support locally for a total shift of the date, with comments of support of council’s shift this year.
Then, there was this comment on our poll story from regular contributor Neil Jabs: “Newsport, stop inciting division and controversy. The Vote results say it all.’’
And a rebuttal from Geordie Bye: “The day is nothing to do with racism. It’s a day for all Australians to rejoice that we live in a beautiful country whether you’re black white or brindle.”
Here at Newsport, we’re just happy we can give our readers the opportunity to have their say… because that is the Australian way!
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