Advertisement
Peter Dutton (pictured) has promised to make it mandatory again for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day. The opposition leader on Monday criticized Anthony Albanese’s attitude towards national day celebrations, accusing the prime minister of allowing January 26 to become “something to be ashamed of”.

‘Would we reinstate the requirement for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day? You can bet they will do it in the first 100 days,” Dutton told reporters. “It will be a sign of pride and nationalism in our country.” Dutton said he believed Australia was “the greatest country in the world.”

‘I am incredibly proud of Australians and who we are. “I am proud of our indigenous heritage,” he added. “I am very proud of our immigrant history and I am very proud of the fact that we are a country that must stand up, protect and defend its values.” At the end of 2022, the Labor government removed a previous rule requiring councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.

At the time, Albanese insisted there was “no change here”, but this led to more than 80 councils last year deciding to scrap citizenship ceremonies on January 26, compared to just four the previous year. The Prime Minister was accused of “sneaking around” by burdening local councils with a politically sensitive decision. But Dutton has made clear that, if elected, the coalition will restore the old government. “The Prime Minister sent a signal to those councils that Australia Day didn’t matter and it was something to be ashamed of,” Dutton said. ‘The Prime Minister does not speak publicly about it. But that’s exactly what he did.

Australia Day, celebrated each year on January 26, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788, when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, raised the Union Jack in Sydney Cove. But for many indigenous peoples, it is considered “Invasion Day” or “Day of Mourning.” A recent poll, conducted by the right-wing Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), found that 69 percent of 1,002 respondents agreed that the national holiday should remain on January 26, an increase of six points from 12 months ago. .

The survey also found that 86 per cent of respondents were “proud to be Australian”, while 68 per cent agreed that Australia has “a history to be proud of”. IPA deputy chief executive Daniel Wild said the results demonstrated a change in the vibe and energy surrounding Australia Day. “It is clear that Australians in general have felt bad about this attitude and about being humiliated by the elites,” Wild said. “January 26 is more than just a date – it represents the establishment of modern Australia as a free and fair country.”

Wild said backtracking by supermarket giant Woolworths and hotel operator Australian Venue Co on plans downplaying the importance of Australia Day was evidence of the turnaround. It comes after Liberal MP Andrew Wallace claimed most Australians have had “hearts” when woke activists tell them what to do.

Wallace, who represents Fisher in southeast Queensland, said he is frequently stopped on the streets by ordinary Australians fed up with the debate. “The word woke was never really in the mainstream vocabulary until recently,” he told Sky News presenter Danica De Giorgio last week. “I think people have had a real fit and I’m not talking about LNP members or people involved in politics, but just ordinary Australians who have had enough.” They want the government out of their lives, it no longer tells them what is right and what is wrong, how they should think, where they should shop, what they should do.’

Wallace said Australia Day was “special” and should be treated as such. “Australians are a friendly, peace-loving people who are, and should be, very, very proud of this great country,” he said. “It’s a very special day as we recognize Australia and we should be very proud of where we’ve come over the last 240 years.”

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more news you need.