Local councils are not

supposed to be "political" in Downunder. They are there to provide services to the local community. Their concern is supposed to be for the "other three Rs" - or "rates, roads and rubbish". They are also supposed to support things like library services, senior citizen services, activities for children and teens, the annual "Carols by Candlelight", the memorial gardens, parks, community awards...and citizenship ceremonies. 

I will repeat they are not supposed to be political - but our local council is rapidly becoming just that. We have had names changed, quite incorrectly, to "aboriginal" names nobody can pronounce or remember. It may well be that it is "respectful" to give indigenous names to places from time to time but, if so, then make sure you use the right name and not a name from some other tribe. Make sure you are doing it for something more than "well one of the local indigenous activists/spokespeople is saying that is what we need to do for reconciliation".  When the "local indigenous activist's" claim to be "indigenous" is no more than "one great-great-grandparent might have been..." I find it a little worrying expensive renaming of places with names that only might be correct is taking place. 

The same council has recently employed someone to teach a local indigenous language. I do not know first hand what was taught but a neighbour went out of curiosity and came back shaking his head. As he was once a teacher of such things at university level I have to take his word for it that it was "an initiative doing more harm than good". 

And last night there was a council meeting. One of the motions up for debate was "changing the date" of our national holiday. Apparently it would "save money" if we did the citizenship ceremony on a day close to it rather than on the day itself. It would save "about $9000" because it would not occur on a public holiday. According to the councillor putting up the motion this is also what our would be new citizens want. They apparently believe that this issue is so "sensitive" they do not want to become citizens on a day  that some find "offensive". 

I do not for one moment believe this. Very few, if any, would be new citizens would be that heavily influenced by the politics of a minority. Most new citizens I have met are simply relieved to have their permanent residence in this country confirmed. Actual citizenship with the duty to vote means safety and security for many of them. 

Council meetings are held at night and I have no way of getting there to listen to what is said but I will be interested to see the minutes when they become available. Will the councillor have succeeded in turning what should be a politics free occasion into a political statement instead?