Happy Family and Community DayContrary to popular opinion, the ACT has its own fun-sized parliament. It sometimes pokes its head up on the news, legalising gay marriage or painting over commissioned art on a whim. What wacky hijinks has it gotten into this week? Nothing so exciting, just creating a new public holiday with the rather uninspiring name of Family and Community Day. I have no family in the ACT, and the ACT has a community like an AIDS orphan has a shot at becoming an astronaut. Still, I'm happy with a day off, and better yet, it's a four day weekend.
Family and Community Day is the stupidest name that I can think of. It reeks of being named by committee, and therefore reeks of compromise. But compromise of what? At first I thought that it was to make up for New South Wales getting an APEC day off, and then I thought it could be to make up for Victoria getting Melbourne Cup Day as it falls on the same day. Nay, the real reason is much more ludicrous. According to the Chief Minister's statement (the Chief Minister is akin to a state's Premier), it's a WorkChoices protest day. In retrospect the signs were obvious, it's the day after Labour Day. Subtle like a sledgehammer.
I dislike WorkChoices as much as the next man, but is it right for one government to protest the actions of another government in such a manner? Iran has no Death to America Day. I can just see this extra day evaporating as soon as the Liberals are out of office.
Why am I protesting an extra public holiday? Forget I said anything.
UPDATE:
My mistake, it isn't the day after Labour Day, it's really in November. Don't anyone not turn up for work next Tuesday and blame me.
I hate the word community. Its an Orwellian clusterfuck of a word that arrived in our media like a bloated albatross ten years ago, shat all over us and now won't go away. As far as I can tell it has no meaning other than shorthand for the kind of of moralising politics that used to be spearheaded by priest and wowser busybodies but is now spearheaded by priests and retiring born again wowser busybodies from the '68 generation.
Remember kids, towns aren't threatened by bush fires any more, communities are.
On the other hand a day off, woooohooo.
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