What are the consequences of keeping the date?

Re letter from D Steley (CW 26 January 2023) regarding Australia Day.

I think you have answered your own question about what is the worst possible consequences of changing the date by simply inverting the question and asking what are the worst possible consequences of leaving it on the 26/1? If people do not want to celebrate Australia day, that is their choice, but for the people that find it important to leave at the 26/1 because that is the day the first fleet landed, that is their right. The first fleet was the start of this great nation and it should be celebrated on that day. The Indigenous Australians are free to celebrate it with us or not. I think you will find a lot of Indigenous do celebrate it on that day, which is evident by the fact they perform their traditional music and dance ceremonies at the gatherings.

I am sure people like yourself have anniversaries or birthdays that are celebrated – would you or they change those dates? People celebrate New Year, Ramadan, Christmas, Easter, St Patrick’s Day, Chinese New Year, Pramuka day to name just a few. They do not change their dates because they have no meaning to a lot of the population and nobody asks them to. In fact, most people join in those celebrations.

• V Evans, Macgregor ACT

Charging infrastructure barrier to EV uptake

Re electric vehicles. I see the biggest problem being the charging infrastructure – phone apps don’t work away from metropolitan areas, too many middle people between the driver and the power! Just a national network and pay by credit card direct would make buying EVs worthwhile.

• H Sinclair, O’Connor ACT

You call yourselves Australians

After seeing the pictures of Canberrans celebrating Chinese New Year in last week’s magazine I was hoping to see pictures of Canberrans celebrating Australia Day in the latest magazine. I guess your magazine is too ashamed, too embarrassed or too scared to show pictures of Australians celebrating their national day. No problems though of celebrating a country that has an appalling human rights record to this day, unleashed a lethal virus on the world and tried to cover it up and is planning a war with western countries. You call yourselves Australians.

• I Pilsner, Weston

[Editor’s note: The social photos in our 26 January edition were of Lunar New Year celebrations; while we didn’t include Australia Day social photos in our 2 February edition, that issue featured a story about the Australia Day awards and my editor’s column was about the celebrations.]

• Over 50 ACT residents recognised in 2023 Australia Day honours (25 January)
• Meet the Canberran who makes the Australia Day awards (29 January)
• Reflect on life as an Australian in ‘Lights on the Lake’ (19 January)

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