Getting involved in politics

is not what our local council was elected to do. Local councils in this part of Downunder are responsible for things like rates, roads, rubbish, libraries, the community bus service, local history, the cemetery and so on. Yes, they hold "citizenship" ceremonies - a duty delegated to them by government but they were not elected to comment, as a council, on  political issues. They were most certainly not elected to comment on sensitive political issues such as the date of our national holiday.

The 26th January 1949 is the day that the government chose to enact the Nationality and Citizenship Act of 1948. The date was chosen because it was the date already being used (celebrated if you like) as the national holiday.  (The Act was subsequently amended a number of times before being replaced by the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.)

That does not seem to have stopped the Council voting to demand a change and telling the ratepayers, none of whom were even aware that it was part of the council's agenda, that the day would no longer be acknowledged by the Council. No, for the Council, it has become a political issue. It is "Invasion" day. 

The fact that Captain Cook did not "invade" the country in 1788 is apparently irrelevant. If he were to return now and be told of these claims I think he would be - shall we say "bemused".  "Invasion" suggests armies and a much more complete and immediate takeover. What happened more than two hundred and thirty years ago may not have been "right" but it is part of what made the country what it is. 

Many of those who object to what happened are actually descendants of those who were directly involved in the act of "invasion". They have mixed, sometimes in shameful ways, with those already resident.  Their "indigenous" heritage is often so limited it is difficult for others to acknowledge and accept it. As someone said to me recently, "How indigenous do you have to be to be indigenous?"  

We need to think about these things. We need to address those issues. We also need to address the issue of why some people feel the need to protest about it? In doing that we also need to address the issue of what the real agenda is. Is it really about the stated issue or is it about other issues?

I suspect the issues are much more complex than the protests about an "invasion". It isn't for our local council to get involved in these issues. It is not what they were elected to do or what their role is. They can, if they wish, go to the next election with a statement about these things and ask for the support of voters. It is however very unlikely they will get support. Less than 20% of those who can vote in council elections support their moves. If they take it much further then it is likely they will lose their seats.

That might be a good thing. They can get back to fixing footpaths.