Andrew Dickens Afternoons

Today is our National Day.  It has been for a very long time and it will continue to be for a very long time ahead.It has been endorsed by multiple governments and generations.  I’ve heard the old debate again, that it isn’t our national day and perhaps Anzac Day should be instead and that argument belongs to people with different barrows to push than this day and it’s significance.Anzac Day is an enormously important day, laden with much emotion and meaning and as such it doesn’t need to saddled with the added responsibility of the national day. Anzac Day is a day to look back, but Waitangi is a day to look forward as our original peoples and our newest arrivals get together and celebrate and pledge unity and progressAnd Waitangi Day is a good day and always has been. I was in Australia this year for Australia Day. There, three Melbourne Councils chose not to celebrate the day.  Some call it Invasion Day because it only commemorates the arrival of European settlers.  Our Day commemorates when Maori and the s