The Australia Day Program

garglebutt said :

There’s a comment on fireworks but no times listed on any govt web site that I can find?

ACT events get listed all over the shop despite having a website called http://www.events.act.gov.au

Australia Day program is listed at http://www.australiaday.org.au/events/?view=ACT&m=557
fireworks are at 9pm.

There’s a comment on fireworks but no times listed on any govt web site that I can find?

John Moulis said :

So yet another “family day” in Commonwealth Park for Australia Day. Last year it was a Claytons version of The Wiggles on Stage 88, this year it is Ben 10. Nothing of interest to anybody over 10 years old. I remember back in the 1980s Australia Day in the park used to be a really special occasion. There was woodchopping, sheep shearing, parachutists, bush tucker like kangaroo burgers and an Australia Day ambassador from interstate. Now all we get is kid’s entertainment and a few junk food stalls. Sadly it probably reflects the decline of this country and society in general in the intervening years.

What? The lack of entertainment that you like at a public event equals the decline of Australia and society in general?

I think someone is being a little bit hysterical.

John Moulis said :

So yet another “family day” in Commonwealth Park for Australia Day. Last year it was a Claytons version of The Wiggles on Stage 88, this year it is Ben 10. Nothing of interest to anybody over 10 years old.

Welcome to the years of the cult of the family. If you’re not part of it, step aside.

There’s bound to be Clowns Face Painting and Jumping Castles, too.

So yet another “family day” in Commonwealth Park for Australia Day. Last year it was a Claytons version of The Wiggles on Stage 88, this year it is Ben 10. Nothing of interest to anybody over 10 years old. I remember back in the 1980s Australia Day in the park used to be a really special occasion. There was woodchopping, sheep shearing, parachutists, bush tucker like kangaroo burgers and an Australia Day ambassador from interstate. Now all we get is kid’s entertainment and a few junk food stalls. Sadly it probably reflects the decline of this country and society in general in the intervening years.

Swaggie said :

I feel sorry for the guy – being pushed out as a token religious harmony figurehead and then being awarded a pin by no less a person than….drum roll…..a local Woolworths Store Manager..

Gees, you need to take JB’s comments with a pinch of salt. Read Ikebal Patel’s bio in the Australia Day liftout that was in the CT today. Mr Patel has done a lot of good for the overall community, not just for his ethnic or religious communities. He has done a lot of work in multi-faith dialogue, civil liberties and the elimination of violence against women. As for the ‘Woolwoths’ manager’ quip the Australia Day Ambassador program is sponsored by Woolies.

I’m with you LSWCHP – I thought kept fluctuating between thinking – how frigging offensive and oh someone is being ironic.

Perhaps – like in welcome to country ceremonies there is a lot of tokenism in this gesture. However isn’t Australia Day in and of itself about tokenism. This is about bridging a divide that clearly still exists.

I want to enjoy Australia Day for what it is – but you know ever since Cronulla some bogan bastards have stolen that enjoyment from us. So now its about decent people reclaiming the right to feel pride and pleasure in their nation without the horrors of excessive nationalism.

I feel sorry for the guy – being pushed out as a token religious harmony figurehead and then being awarded a pin by no less a person than….drum roll…..a local Woolworths Store Manager….if i were him I’d rock up to the ceremony carrying a Coles Shopping bag and an IGA baseball cap in the interests of retail shopping harmony….

dustytrail said :

Oh? FFS. Stanhope is handing the keys to Canberra over to a Muslim? Who VOTED for Patel? How many Muslims reside in the ACT? Why are we bowing down to them? Why is Woolworths paying for this? What if the CEO didn’t agree to a Muslim getting the “award”. 🙂

The racists really do crawl out of the woodwork sometimes, don’t they?

We can no doubt look out for them on Australia day – they’ll be the ones draped in the flag with the “AmericaAustralia – love it or leave it” stickers on their utes, between the Jim Beam and Texas Longhorn cow stickers.

dustytrail said :

Oh? FFS. Stanhope is handing the keys to Canberra over to a Muslim? Who VOTED for Patel? How many Muslims reside in the ACT? Why are we bowing down to them? Why is Woolworths paying for this? What if the CEO didn’t agree to a Muslim getting the “award”. 🙂

Hang on, I’m confused. I’ve just had an ironic comment taken at face value in another post tonight. So rereading this makes me wonder if that smiley is supposed to indicate that this is sarcasm, whereas I read it as “Ha Ha up you, all you politically correct people!”? If it really was intended to be…ummm…humorous, then I’m sorry about the intense response. It’s been a long day.