My solution was: brand it officially “John Howard’s Australia Day”. Credit where it’s due… and people can properly make their choices. In other news - the Australia Act, March 3, 1986. Legally independent Australia turns 40 this year. What do you get for a middle power hitting middle age?

Also when did it become an “arms race”? And did anyone check how this “race” is supposed to end?

Followed up Christine Anu with this remade Aussie classic - leading into discussion of how Colin Hay from Men At Work had to issue a disclaimer to the bogans with slogans that this song was not up for adoption by anti-immigrant goon squad conventions... youtu.be/_4Zkj8ek0RU?...

For the journalists who DM'd me about missing SCMP journalist Minnie Chan then published ZERO upon the two year anniversary of her disappearance in 2025, here's a read probably worth following up?
@tanganzhu.bsky.social hope dies last: her colleagues never gave up. substack.com/@chinadrew/n...

An Australian classic to be viewed every January 26...

Very quick update to this post lest someone (rightly) school me in Ash Wednesday 80s history. My source of info was interviewing a CFA chief in the Otways whose family goes back generations, back with ABC Ballarat/SouthWestVic in the 2000s (all sadly now deleted) www.ffm.vic.gov.au/history-and-...

* when I say "walked in" I meant "played it for the 5th or 6th time since it came out. This is the news podcast happy place.