The Democratic Labour Party of South Australia is supportive of retaining Australia Day on the 26th January as a day where citizens of all backgrounds and ethnicities can unite to celebrate our national identity.
On Australia Day, citizenship ceremonies are held all over the country where new arrivals who have committed to Australian values and culture are welcomed as new citizens of this country we are privileged to call home.
Australia is one of the most successful nations in our world today, with a high standard of living, a love of sports, incredible beaches and welcoming cities, and a vast, majestic outback that attracts thousands of visitors every year. We are also blessed to form a melting pot of hundreds of different people groups and cultures due to immigration to our great country over the last 250 years.
A hallmark of our national success is the ability of immigrants to adapt to, and contribute to our national culture, as demonstrated in our food scene, where Chinese, Greek, Italian, Eastern European, Indian, Thai and German dishes all contribute to our popular Australian cuisine.
Despite the overwhelming benefits of living in Australia, there are some in our society who only see grievances wherever they turn. Many of this small minority would like to see the date of Australia Day change to recognise the 26th January as "Invasion Day".
While we acknowledge that the arrival of European immigrants was not always a positive development for indigenous people, (particularly in Tasmania and parts of Queensland), it is important to develop an accurate perspective on how these issues should be addressed. Our country has come a long way in terms of addressing indigenous disadvantage, starting with the right to vote in 1967, removal of barriers to employment and education and the success of many Indigenous Australians in reaching the peak of sports, politics, business and education.
The Democratic Labour Party of SA is fully supportive of the efforts of our indigenous citizens to forge their own path in life, live sustainably in their own communities, start and run successful businesses and co-operatives and reach their full potential in leading a fulfilling, productive life. We are committed to removing any barriers that may remain, especially related to inadequate roads, poor telecommunications and internets services, lack of health resourcing and law enforcement in rural and remote communities.
Our focus should be on unifying as a nation to overcome challenges throughout our country, including in remote and indigenous communities.
Many successful indigenous Australians have show that the way forward is by embracing the opportunities of the future, rather than dwelling on the problems of the past. While the true history of what happened (good and bad) must be recognized and taught, it is critical for the success of our nation and indigenous brothers and sisters that we work together to solve problems, empower success, and wherever possible apply the DLP principle of decentralization to allow communities to be self-supporting, self-sufficient and self-motivated as proud citizens of Australia.
