As Australia Day approaches each year, we have become accustomed to passionate debate regarding the date chosen for the celebration, and the distress caused to some Indigenous Australians who identify January 26 as 'Invasion Day'.

On that date in 1788 Governor Arthur Phillip appropriated the land of First Nation Australians in the name of King George III.

One of the lessons I have learnt in my experience of life is you can't please everyone, so don't even try, you will finish up pleasing no one, not even yourself.

Personally, as the 26th of January draws near, I look forward to flamboyant 'Slammin' Sam Kekovich's promotion of Australian lamb.

As Lamb Ambassador this year Sam is on a mission to 'Lift Australians back into the world's happiest nation'.

This entertaining 'tongue in cheek' commercial delivers the message in a lighted but forceful thrust, the effervescent Mr Kekovich once more delivered an award winning performance.

Perhaps the creators of the lamb ad on behalf of Australian lamb producers, should consider introducing the historic fact that Melbourne, Australia's premier city, was named after a lamb.

William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne twice served as British Prime Minister, and the fledgling city of Melbourne was named in his honour in 1837 by Governor Bourke.

Sam Kekovich was recruited by North Melbourne in the VFL from Myrtleford under the old zoning system, when the powerful Ovens and Murray League was a designated North Melbourne catchment area.

It proved fertile ground for talented footballers, yielding the likes of Mick Nolan and John Byrne from Wangaratta Rovers, as well as 'Crazy Horse' Gary Cowton from Benalla, and of course Sam Kekovich to win North's first VFL Premiership.

After football Sam became a well known media personality.

While in the US during Donald Trump's first term in the White House, Sam and the Don struck up an unlikely friendship, playing the odd round of golf together, and exchanging personal phone numbers.

With the news that Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd has 'thrown in the towel', perhaps 'Slammin' Sam would be a suitable replacement, with our Lamb Ambassador obviously enjoying great rapport with the American president and Kevin ‘I need a break’ Rudd soon to depart.

Barry McArthur, Wangaratta

No winners with increased emissions

The Victorian Opposition has announced a No Gas Ban Policy, effectively a campaign to keep households unnecessarily burning gas for water and space heating and cooking rather than electrifying those services.

This bad policy would increase Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions and cost of living.

Ignoring the 10 to 15 year commitment to buying gas and a gas connection for a new gas appliance is ignoring its biggest cost.

It’s a false economy.

Replacing gas appliances with electric equivalents at their end of life and making new homes all electric lowers energy bills, makes homes healthier, and reduces emissions.

A fully electric home with solar, battery and an electric car is $3000 to $4000 a year cheaper to run, so energy savings quickly repay extra appliance costs.

Explore home electrification and the long term savings of changing to electrical appliances at https://wlsi.org.au/electrify-wangaratta/home-electrification-guide/ .

Homes with solar panels and batteries can be all but energy self-sufficient, and needing less from the grid, help push down the price of electricity for everyone, including all who can't benefit directly from solar.

I call on the Opposition to support all Victorian homes to rapidly electrify, and where possible move towards energy self-sufficiency.

Electrification lowers the cost of living, improves community health and wellbeing, and benefits local economies and the environment.

Home electrification is a win, win, win, win.

No one wins with increased emissions.

John Naylor, convenor Electrify Wangaratta, a project of Wangaratta Landcare and Sustainability