January 26 is almost upon us and the annual debate has begun.

There is a thought that Aboriginal people who are not in favour of the January 26 date are against the idea of an Australia Day.

That is not true.

The vast majority of Aboriginal people I know are all for an Australia Day, it’s the actual date that is the issue.

Depending on which side the fence one is, the valid arguments are trotted out every year to advocate keeping it or finding another less divisive date.

Being a Wadjuk Noongar Marman I am biased.

From developing social and political awareness over the past 40 years I reckon it needs to be another date.

What prompted this offering to The West was the two opinion pieces in The West on Tuesday 7 January, Emma Garlett (page 13) and Bradley Woods (page 34).

Emma argues we need to find a more respectful date given what the current date represents and Bradley puts the case to keep the current date as it can be reframed as a learning and uniting date.

Emma says changing the date “would be an act of peace, inclusion and respect.”

Brad says the current date “is an opportunity.”

Great opinion pieces.

As I said I am biased and Emma’s view resonates with me.

However I see where Brad is coming from.

As I said, keeping that date is the actual issue rather than how it is presented.

It will always be challenged by most Aboriginal people no matter how the narrative is reframed.

Put simply we will eventually need a neutral date.

I have no doubt it will change because the children of today are taught way more the actual truth of our history than the non-Aboriginal leaders of today.

Some time in the future the “keepers of the current date” will be overtaken in numbers by the “change the daters”.

What is not often presented by the NO side is well then what date if not 26 January.

I have an idea of a more appropriate date when we are ready to change it.

I actually didn’t come up with it but it has been floated around in my little circle by others such as Tim Muirhead.

Whilst Australia Day is in January there are too many actual public holidays in that four weeks already.

Having the public holiday on the actual day means that a day off can be in the middle of the week which makes it awkward in terms of having a BBQ and a beer/wine cause you need to front up to work the next day.

If you go into the city to watch the fireworks you get home late that evening and will be weary the next day.

I reckon the alternative date needs to be the third Friday in February.

A February public holiday moves away from the end/start of year block of holidays. It needs to be a Friday because we are the land of the long weekend.

A Monday public holiday would leave people tired the next day after the bbq and fireworks.

The third Friday will always be a rolling date meaning the idea is celebrated not the actual date.

If the actual date of a third Friday is controversial it will only be an issue every seven years.

For me the biggest argument to move the date from January is that schools are not operating until February.

Changing to the third Friday in February would mean schools have been back in session for three weeks.

Week One is getting settled, Week Two is getting in the rhythm and Week Three is spent across all of Australia with every student in every grade having conversations about what it means to be an Australian.

The learning opportunity for young people together with all the official functions, how patriotic and powerful would that be.

Danny Ford is the director of Kambarang Services and a Wadjuk Noongar man.