Pete McCluskey.
Lifetime Supporter
Stupid politically correct Council bans Australian flag
A Sydney council voted against flying the Australian flag at Bondi Beach because of fears it would incite more race-fuelled violence on the city's beaches. Waverley Council voted 6-5 against the move on December 13, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reports. The Australian flag, along with an Aboriginal flag, were to be provided by federal Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull and flown over the Bondi Beach pavilion.
But Greens councillor George Copeland said the flag had been used in the recent race riots as "a symbol around which to perpetrate racial violence". The decision has been criticised by the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia founder Keysar Trad and Police Association president Bob Pritchard as well as locals and returned servicemen.
NOOSA: Sunshine Coast Council has defended its decision to exclude the word ``Christmas’’ from its 2009 corporate Christmas cards.
Mailed and emailed cards wish their recipients ``seasons greetings’’ and ``all the best for the festive season and the New Year’’, but no reference to Christmas.
Defending its generic message, council initially said it had no policy to remove Christmas but was ``mindful of people’s different backgrounds and beliefs’’.
A further statement added: ``Council’s vision is to be Australia’s most sustainable region vibrant, green, diverse. With diversity of belief and cultural background in mind council seeks to promote goodwill and peace during the festive season.’’
Noosa Christian Outreach Centre pastor Michael Clift said he was baffled as to why council would choose not to acknowledge the very season that provided the reason for it to mail cards.
``I’d also then ask why they are sponsoring our Christmas carols concert?’’ Pastor Clift said.
``Dear me, at the end of the day why sponsor that event as they do every year when we will be giving Christmas one heck of a belting?’’
He said anyone offended by use of the word Christmas should not take a holiday on December 25.
``Rock up to work on Friday the 25th and, for goodness sake, don’t have the following Monday off as that would really be hypocritical,’’ he said.
``If the ethos is to avoid offending people then they’ve already done it.
``I’m offended they’ve not had the courage to encourage Christmas.’’
Noosa District Catholic Parish Father Mark Franklin was similarly perplexed.
``It sounds a little crazy if you ask me,’’ he said.
``I cannot see the sense in sending cards to wish people a happy or merry anything unless it is about Christmas, seeing that is why we have a holiday.
``I know that lots of people from our church would find this strange.’’
Rev Scott Ballment of Tewantin and Sunrise Beach Uniting Churches said it was a shame Council had taken the stance it had, but he added that it would not stop his congregation celebrating Christmas.
``It does seem strange that if you’re sending out Christmas cards to only use season’s greetings,’’ he said.
``It’s certainly somewhat odd. It’s a shame they’ve removed it but we will still be celebrating in full force.’’
A former Noosa Council staffer told The Noosa Journal the old council had no policy against use of the word Christmas and had used the word on cards in previous years.
University of the Sunshine Coast lecturer in public relations Dr Amalia Matheson said companies and councils ran the risk of being ``bland’’ in their corporate messages in a bid to try to please all sections of the community with their choice of words.
``At least they have not gone for the American `happy holidays’,’’ she said.
A Sydney council voted against flying the Australian flag at Bondi Beach because of fears it would incite more race-fuelled violence on the city's beaches. Waverley Council voted 6-5 against the move on December 13, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reports. The Australian flag, along with an Aboriginal flag, were to be provided by federal Liberal MP Malcolm Turnbull and flown over the Bondi Beach pavilion.
But Greens councillor George Copeland said the flag had been used in the recent race riots as "a symbol around which to perpetrate racial violence". The decision has been criticised by the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia founder Keysar Trad and Police Association president Bob Pritchard as well as locals and returned servicemen.
NOOSA: Sunshine Coast Council has defended its decision to exclude the word ``Christmas’’ from its 2009 corporate Christmas cards.
Mailed and emailed cards wish their recipients ``seasons greetings’’ and ``all the best for the festive season and the New Year’’, but no reference to Christmas.
Defending its generic message, council initially said it had no policy to remove Christmas but was ``mindful of people’s different backgrounds and beliefs’’.
A further statement added: ``Council’s vision is to be Australia’s most sustainable region vibrant, green, diverse. With diversity of belief and cultural background in mind council seeks to promote goodwill and peace during the festive season.’’
Noosa Christian Outreach Centre pastor Michael Clift said he was baffled as to why council would choose not to acknowledge the very season that provided the reason for it to mail cards.
``I’d also then ask why they are sponsoring our Christmas carols concert?’’ Pastor Clift said.
``Dear me, at the end of the day why sponsor that event as they do every year when we will be giving Christmas one heck of a belting?’’
He said anyone offended by use of the word Christmas should not take a holiday on December 25.
``Rock up to work on Friday the 25th and, for goodness sake, don’t have the following Monday off as that would really be hypocritical,’’ he said.
``If the ethos is to avoid offending people then they’ve already done it.
``I’m offended they’ve not had the courage to encourage Christmas.’’
Noosa District Catholic Parish Father Mark Franklin was similarly perplexed.
``It sounds a little crazy if you ask me,’’ he said.
``I cannot see the sense in sending cards to wish people a happy or merry anything unless it is about Christmas, seeing that is why we have a holiday.
``I know that lots of people from our church would find this strange.’’
Rev Scott Ballment of Tewantin and Sunrise Beach Uniting Churches said it was a shame Council had taken the stance it had, but he added that it would not stop his congregation celebrating Christmas.
``It does seem strange that if you’re sending out Christmas cards to only use season’s greetings,’’ he said.
``It’s certainly somewhat odd. It’s a shame they’ve removed it but we will still be celebrating in full force.’’
A former Noosa Council staffer told The Noosa Journal the old council had no policy against use of the word Christmas and had used the word on cards in previous years.
University of the Sunshine Coast lecturer in public relations Dr Amalia Matheson said companies and councils ran the risk of being ``bland’’ in their corporate messages in a bid to try to please all sections of the community with their choice of words.
``At least they have not gone for the American `happy holidays’,’’ she said.
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