NSW: Australia Day should stay

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-1999
NSW: Australia Day should stay

SYDNEY, Dec 7 AAP - The best day to celebrate Australia Day was January 26, New South
Wales Premier Bob Carr said today.

Australians should be mature enough to recognise that Australia's history comprises
many different stories, he said.

Speaking today after the Queensland and Victorian Labor premiers said they wanted the
day changed, Mr Carr said he couldn't think of a better day.

"Well, January 26, 1788, is when the modern Australian story started...," Mr Carr told ABC radio.

"It was Australia being touched for the first time by the modern world and I believe
there are ways of incorporating within our celebration on January 26 as Australia Day,
an acknowledgement of Aboriginal Australians and their contribution to this nation, and
of their dispossession," Mr Carr said.

"We've got to be mature enough to grasp that Australia's history is many different stories."

Mr Carr said it was difficult to provide an alternate day and dismissed a suggestion
to mark Australia Day on the sitting of the first parliament of a federation in May.

"I think January 26 is likely to be the best available date. It will be controversial,
(but) so what?," Mr Carr said.

AAP sal/maur/rsm

KEYWORD: DAY CARR

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