Queen's Birthday Irrelevant, let's celebrate something important
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY IRRELEVANT – LET’S CELEBRATE SOMETHING IMPORTANT
Sixty-five per cent of Australians responding to the realholiday.com.au survey said that celebrating the queen’s birthday is no longer relevant to multicultural Australia.
But most also said that getting rid of the long-weekend would be “un-Australian”.
The Australian Republican Movement says that Australia can come up with better reasons for a winter long-weekend than the birthday of a foreigner on a day that is not even her real birthday.
The Chair of the Australian Republican Movement, Major General Mike Keating, said that Australia needed a true national day.
“We do have more meaningful public holidays,” said Major General Keating. “Even so, some Australians see Australia Day as marking the landing of an imperialist expedition.”
“Again, some Australians see ANZAC Day as commemorating the military deeds of mostly men, mostly in the pursuit of other nation’s goals, mostly in far flung reaches of the world ,” he said.
Major General Keating said that perhaps Australians are still waiting for the achievement that could be truly worth celebrating as our national day.
“Could it be that the establishment of Australia as a republic in our own right, on our own shores, in our own time, involving all the Australian people, might be that real national achievement that we could all celebrate as our National Day?” he said.
“It would surely beat some of us, in some states, celebrating an irrelevant event on the incorrect day.”
The Australian Republican Movements calls for discussion on creating a real National Day, and a real reason to celebrate on a long weekend.
Bring on the Republic!
June, 2009
Further comments:
Michael Keating (ARM Chair): 0412 337 137 (or chair@republic.org.au)
David Donovan (ARM Media Director): 0403 237 880 (or media@republic.org.au)