I have had enough of the Aboriginal industry and the posturing, harassment and denigration that it hurls at everyone else. And I have had enough of its latest destructive offshoot, the campaign against Australia Day. And I have already had enough of the latest campaign for which we are clearly being softened up, namely that the next governor-general should be an Aboriginal or, to use the latest piece of nonsense, that he or she should be someone from the so-called First Nations.

To start with that nomenclature, it is utterly absurd to refer to Aboriginal tribes as First Nations. They were never nations because they have never had any of the attributes that the word has meant to convey and it is false to pretend that they have. That is not to diminish their culture or traditional way of life, which I for one would like to preserve. It is simply to give the thing some sort of rational basis rather than the fantasy world on which the notion of First Nations is built.

Then there is the equally absurd notion that the European arrival in Australia was an invasion. Even if you do not believe Australia was terra nullius at the time, as I believe it was , and no matter what the High Court says about it, the factual reality is that this country was not settled until 1788. There was at the time a general understanding among civilized nations that there was a right and a duty to settle what were largely uninhabited territories and give their people a chance to share in the better life that modern society could give them. The British, and those who came later in waves of immigration, did exactly that, and they were a great success.

Obviously, there were blemishes in the settlement. But the motive behind settlement was good and its benefits were enormous and cancel out the blemishes a thousand times over. Of course, the Aboriginal industry will never accept that argument, because settlement was effected by the European race and to say that the European race could do anything decent or worthwhile is anathema to it.

I happen to believe that white settlement brought great benefits and opportunity to Aboriginals. Indeed, we should forget about Sorry Day and implement a Thank You Day, when Aboriginals and all Australians can give thanks for the bounty, prosperity and national identity we have received for being part of European civilisation.

In any event, if the settlement was an invasion, there is a very obvious and simple way of undoing it and atoning for it, and one that is still available to the do-gooders who have seized on the Aboriginal issue to denigrate all Western civilisation: give the land back, starting with the suburban block to give everyone a chance to share in that noble project. Strange, but I have not found a solitary Australian who will take part in such a gesture. Instead of that, we are content to blame the present generation for every perceived shortcoming of all previous generations, which is grossly unfair and does not help a single Aboriginal to better their lives. Rather, it turns the mainstream Australian population against them, as we saw with the Voice.

Worse still, this hectoring is now destroying our national identity and I worry for the future. No sporting match, no cultural event, no civic activity and no celebration is now safe without uncoupling it from any recognition of Australia Day or any suggestion that it might be an event of which Australia should be proud. And that attitude is utterly destructive for building a national spirit and identity. Just how bad this has become has just been seen by the abuse of Peter Dutton for daring to oppose Woolworths’ virtual ban on products for Australia Day which it presents under the deceitful guise of being a commercial decision. Dutton should be commended for taking a stand and he is emerging as the first Liberal leader with backbone since Tony Abbott. And here is a better policy to defend Australia Day: no money, absolutely none, for any municipal council or other body, private or public, while it will not celebrate Australia Day.

Like me, you probably feel that you could and should have objected to the unrelenting trend to debase Australia. But I have changed and am making my own protest and I hope you will. I have found that, surprise, I can actually live without shopping at Woolworths and without patronising the Nova Cinemas and Readings Bookshops in Melbourne for their abuse of our national day. I assure you: it gives you a great feeling of liberation.

It is said, of course, that our appalling record is shown by failures on Aboriginal health, education, housing and incarceration. There are simple solutions for all of these ills, if only our governments had the guts to use them. The answers are very straightforward. Health: stop taking drugs and start eating decent food. Education: go to school. Housing: start saving up. Incarceration: don’t commit the crime.

On the next governor-general, to say that he or she must be an Aboriginal is tokenism of the worst order. It is based on racism and should be abhorred. It would do as much damage to Aboriginals as was done by the discredited Voice. The appointment is by the Crown, the same Crown that made our national settlement; so how can the same Crown now deny the legitimacy of that settlement?

Finally, on a note of optimism, there is now a new challenge, the proposed treaty which should be opposed with the same vigour that defeated the Voice because it is just as bad, and for very good reasons. Only governments can make treaties. A nation cannot make a treaty with itself or its citizens. And we all know what the lobby will try to include: control over development and the use of land; more tokenism; the right for one race and its non-elected representatives to have more power in government decisions to all other races and to the prejudice of all other races. If you can defeat the Voice, you can defeat the so-called treaty. But only if you try.

We are losing our nation. Even the so-called national broadcaster now maintains that the news comes from Gadigal country, a completely offensive assertion that suggests it is not even part of Australia. The way we are going, Aboriginals may well be the First Nations. But Australia will become the Lost Nation. That is a tremendous sadness and it should be opposed in every way.