Ita's influence can be seen here as this is quite a balanced article.
It's not just Australia Day — national holidays are 'almost always political'
ABC Radio National By Joey Watson Updated 16 minutes ago

PHOTO: A sign saying "change the date" with the word date crossed out and replaced with "system". Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people see January 26 as "Invasion Day" or "Survival Day". (ABC News: Bridget Brennan)
RELATED STORY: Australia Day 2020 focuses on generosity of Australian spirit
RELATED STORY: Australia Day can be a time for hope, not resentment
RELATED STORY: 'Have it both ways': Melbourne council to hold Australia Day 'morning of mourning'
RELATED STORY: Change the date or abolish it: Australia Day protesters
Australia Day, which commemorates the landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, has become a source of deep division and debate.
In recent years many have called for a new national holiday that respects the experience of Indigenous Australians — though others believe the January 26 date should stay put.
And while few other national days attract the same controversy as Australia Day, the politics around the celebration are an example of a global trend.
"National days and national celebrations are part of a national narrative, and these are almost always political," political psychologist James Liu says.
So what do national days represent in comparable countries?
How does Australia Day survive?
Read on here...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-24/ ... d/11886420