To tell the truth, our flawed emotional logic must be laid bare

Just after he became Prime Minister, Scott Morrison launched a predictable defence of leaving Australia Day where it was – he condemned “indulgent self-loathing”. Then, in what at first seemed a nod towards greater complexity than usually allowed by those making this argument, he proposed another day should be used to honour Indigenous Australians, but said, “That is a topic for another day”.At the time, Morrison was prodded on this – but had no answers.

The fact Morrison’s idea has never really resurfaced, then, is no bad thing. But there is something strange about the whole episode. A bold proposal was put forward by a prime minister. He is still in power, and has not made that many other bold proposals that might distract us. And yet, neither Morrison nor most of the rest of us have ever returned to the idea. This should feel surprising, but somehow does not.

Similarly, in a speech for Australia Day in 2019, he described in detail the ordeal of his family arriving on the First Fleet, but referred to Indigenous pain in abstract terms. Morrison is not unique. In this paper two weeks ago, John Howard madefor the importance of the National Archives. He dealt in detail with Australia’s democratic achievements: the secret ballot, votes for women. The horrific chapters of our past received a single euphemism: “blemishes”.

This is why the odd eruption then disappearance of debate around Morrison’s 2018 proposal does not feel surprising. The structure of the event was so familiar. It is what always happens when national debate about Indigenous pain and redress threatens. A discussion begins. It flares brightly, briefly. Then it goes out, and is ignored again.

So how about we stop guessing, and get the aborigine community to give us their top three choices (with a deadline to choose) and we vote on those. That way all the different tribes can combine into a single force and offer the options. If they can't we just leave it where it is

The date is 1 of many issues but its an easy starting point. As someone that was born in Germany 20 years after the war I have a good understanding of what it means to own ur history (good and bad) and the 1 thing u can't do is run away and hide from the bad stuff.

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