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Australia Day on August 16 would honour our First People

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Australia Day date debate rages

Barnaby Joyce has called people pushing for Australia Day's date to change, 'miserable, gutted people'.

I wish you luck, Ian Macfarlane, battling for me and millions of other Australians of Anglo-Celtic ancestry against the likes of Barnaby Joyce ("Barnaby Joyce launches extraordinary attack on people who want to move Australia Day", smh.com.au, January 26).

May I suggest that an Australia Day we can all celebrate is August 16, the day in 1975 when Prime Minister Geogh Whitlam poured a handful of sand into Vincent Lingiari's palm saying "I put into your hands part of the earth as a sign that this land will be the possession of you and your children forever". It was the beginning of white Australia's official recognition of our First People.

Keith Dash Haberfield

So Barnaby Joyce says of the campaign to move Australia Day that he gets "sick of these people who every time, every time there's something on, they just want to make you feel guilty".

No they don't, Joyce. They just want to make you think.

Lloyd Swanton Wentworth Falls

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Changing the date of Australia Day is premature. Let's wait until the republic is declared and Republic Day (probably January 1 to coincide with the date of federation in 1901) will automatically be the new Australia Day. It will give new meaning to the New Year's Eve celebrations and workers can have an extra holiday on January 2. Let's hope it happens before 3001!

Viva Republica Australia!

John Challis Elizabeth Bay

Ian McDonald (Letters, January 26) has an excellent suggestion linking Australia Day to Matthew Flinders. Flinders circumnavigated and mapped Australia. His charts were being used right up into the 20th century as the most accurate. Bungaree did work with Flinders in this massive achievement. Most importantly, Flinders is credited with naming our land "Australia".

When Flinders' first complete map of our land was published it bore the name Australia. This is an excellent name as it does not imply "white settlement". It does not defer to royals and other distant dignitaries: think Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Queensland, Victoria et al.

"Australia" derives from australis, "southern". Great Southern Land, Australia, a name to be proud of.

Graham Tucker Kiama

For Australia Day, we should change the date to one that acknowledges the good work done by politicians. Now hear me out: by continuing to celebrate Australia Day on January 26, we emphasise the land mass being "found". Instead, I suggest we change the date to when the country was "founded". On July 5, 1900, the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (UK) was passed, uniting all colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia. This came into effect on January 1, 1901. Canada Day similarly commemorates the passing of their new constitution.

Changing Australia Day to July 5 would elevate the ideals of compromise, diversity, and egalitarianism; all ideals we could do with more of in this day and age.

Evan Solomons Glebe

After reading all the predictable articles churned out by the media on this one day of the year,I propose that Australia Day should be officially known as Groundhog Day.

Max Fischer Scarborough

On Thursday morning, Australia Day, I drove to the local shops in Drummoyne, a round trip of about six kilometres, passing hundreds of houses and home units. Sadly, l spotted just four Australian flags on display. It appears that the Australian flag, once the foremost symbol of Australian patriotism, may have lost its meaning for today's Australians.

Elizabeth Starr Chiswick

Discussions about changing the date of Australia Day could also include the need to change the words of our national anthem. They have little relevance to modern day Australia, are often forgotten and badly sung. We can do better.

Vicky Marquis Glebe

As the celebration of Australia Day continues to offend the Aboriginal community, could we at least change the title to the more inclusive "All Australians Day"?

Neville Aubrey Wallsend

Bank's logo should play no role on our national day

Watching the Australian of the Year ceremony on Wednesday night, I was dismayed that such an event should be demeaned by having the Commonwealth Bank's logo prominently displayed. How long, I wonder, before the award becomes known as the Commonwealth Bank Australian of the Year?

Warwick Farley Roseville

I started to watch the Australia Day Awards but switched off after the Young Australian of the Year Award went to the only contestant whose merit was that he had built up a successful private business in fashion design.

Having listened to the words from last year's winners and heard about the reasons other contestants had been considered I had discounted this young man as a possible winner since he was the only contestant not involved in any kind of self-sacrifice or giving, as were his rivals.

I am still puzzling about how and why this choice was made.

Antoinette Hirst Double Bay

Ahmed Fahour should get a brickbat rather than an AO for overseeing a parcel delivery service in which contractors routinely refuse to climb a few steps and instead leave your parcel at the post office for collection. Despite rivers of cash being earned by Australia Post for parcel deliveries its contractors simply don't do the job and complaints are not acknowledged or answered. For the life of me I don't understand why merchants use them.

Dennis Fardy Newport

After her well-deserved Australia Day award, I wonder if Alan Jones still thinks that Julia Gillard's father would be ashamed of her.

Rodney Worthington Narrabeen

Apparently the requirement to be awarded an AC is to run the country into massive debt, then sit back on a fat, publicly funded pension and wait.

David Sayers Gwandalan

But did Alan Mackay-Sim ever captain the Australian cricket team?

Tony De Lyall Bulli

Don't keep public in the dark about fence

So Australia's peak body for architects has had an abrupt change of heart about the new security fence proposed for Parliament House ("Architects backflip over Parliament fence", January 26).

One minute the fence was going to destroy the character, heritage and symbolism of the national Parliament but after a quick meeting with the Parliament Services secretary Robert Stefanic those significant concerns no longer have any validity!

As is so often the case, we the public are not going to be made party to the discussion that has brought about this sudden change of heart, and that will include all the signatories to the petition raised by the architects themselves.

This is our Parliament House paid for and maintained by our taxes and we have a right to be fully informed about controversial changes to its character and/or symbolism

Stewart Smith North Kellyville

Dictionary dismays

Surely "fake news" is nothing more than a dumbing down of the much more meaningful word "propaganda"("Fake news makes word of the year", January 26). I would have hoped only in America, but no, now it has been immortalised in our very own Macquarie Dictionary! Sigh.

Donna Wiemann Balmain

Farm equals hard work

Really, Deb Genford (Letters, January 26), "farming lifestyle"? Despite what you must think, food does not miraculously appear in Granville supermarkets. It is laboriously produced by your "country cousins" on farms and orchards, then trucked or freighted in to cities. Yes, sometimes government assistance is needed in times of drought, fire or flood because vast quantities of food still need to be produced daily. If every farmer moved to the city I wonder how long you would last before the food ran out?

Sally Kay Orange

Man of wrong action

Oh, please, Gary Bigelow (Letters, January 26). You endorse the non-politician President Trump's crowing about getting things done. For such "a smart person", it's a pity that he is getting the wrong things done.

Clare Raffan Campsie

Fears of Nile flood prompt halt to visa

It's not surprising that Fred Nile was denied a visa for Donald Trump's inauguration (" 'Security risk' Nile denied visa for Trump inauguration", January 26). Nile has been so successful in praying for rain at Mardi Gras, the Trump team would have been fearful it may rain on their parade.

John Byrne Randwick

Fred Nile doesn't understand not being allowed into the US. He should know by now that God moves in mysterious ways.

Zuzu Burford Heathcote

This is nothing, Fred Nile. Wait till you get to the Pearly Gates.

Andre Krause Thirroul

So, that's it. The reason behind the small turnout for Donald Trump's inauguration was an Obama plot to stop people who were on their way to the festivities from getting there. The refusal to allow Fred Nile and his wife entry to the US is just one that we know about. The low attendance had absolutely nothing to do with Donald Trump himself, who remains as popular as ever.

Charles Linsell Five Dock

First-home buyers should get tax relief

A Camperdown real estate agent says, "there was a surge of investors and young couples and singles buying apartments with the help of their parents in 2016" ("Sydney house prices climb to record highs", January 24).

The investors can reduce their tax by negative gearing. The young couples and singles get money from their parents but the parents can't claim negative gearing benefits.

This unfair arrangement is easy to resolve: give the young couples and singles the same tax benefits as investors. Let them deduct the interest on their mortgages and council rates from their income just like investors.

If the government is prepared to forgo revenue from investors why shouldn't if be able to forgo revenue from young couples and singles buying their first home or apartment?

Allan Rodd Tennyson Point

Here's an idea for the new Premier: what about improving "squatters rights" so that after 90 days they start to earn an "increasing percentage of property rights". That would reduce the number of empty houses, reduce the pressure on rent increases, and create a more equitable society.

Tim Schroder Gordon

Sleeping booty an Opera House farce

Sleep-overs in the Utzon Room and the foyers of the Concert Hall and the Joan Sutherland Theatre foyers ("Opera House sleepovers, outdoor gigs slammed", January 26). What could Opera House management have been thinking?

Sadly, the staging of outdoor concerts in the surrounds of the Opera House reinforces the view that this wonderful building is just another backdrop for all sorts of uses. In his original concept of the House, Joern Utzon recognised that the primary purpose of the imposing outdoor stairway was to introduce the visitor to the "experience" of participating in one of the Opera House performance spaces. Outdoor performances were always of secondary importance.

The Opera House Trust needs to re-examine whether its attitude to the world-famous building reflects its true purpose.

James Prior Sylvania Waters

Opera house beds as "promo opportunities for corporate partners"? Holy sheet, can't they see the blanket coverage they'd get if they invited homeless people instead? That would be some really good snooze. Sadly, I doona think it will happen.

Mark Cole Kangaroo Valley

Who does Trump's wall benefit?

In time Mexico will be grateful for the wall that Trump is going to build ("Donald Trump moves ahead on Mexico border wall", January 26). It will protect them from the hoards of Americans escaping to a better life south of the border.

Richard Keyes Enfield

When the Soviets build a "great big wall" dividing East and West Berlin that's called an affront to human decency. When Donald Trump, the president of the United States, builds a 'great big wall' dividing the US from Mexico that's called a …

Matt Kaarma North Nowra

Cost of debacle

"Ministers Porter and Tudge need to reflect on the fact that it only takes just two scandals on the Coalition Lower House benches to trigger by-elections (which the Coalition will lose) and thus a general election (which it will also lose). Then they will be joining the queue at Centrelink (Letters, January 26).

Bruce Stafford Tascott

Are Tudge and Porter this year's 2014 budget?

David Brooker Bomaderry

Ministers for the Centrelink debacle? Porter and Tudge. Sounds like a Dickensian debt collecting firm.

David Lloyd Kincumber

PM's vision

Only 500 days into his prime ministership and Malcolm Turnbull, at the National Press Club on Monday, will present in detail his vision for Australia – why the rush?

John Fryer Ryde