Key Points
- Anthony Albanese has rejected calls to change the date of Australia Day.
- The City of Melbourne said it will consider advocating to the federal government to change the date.
Anthony Albanese has rejected calls to change Australia Day, saying the government has no plans to shift it to another date.
Instead, the prime minster's priority is to bring the nation together and to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution, he told Seven's Sunrise on Friday.
"No, we have no plans to change Australia Day," he said.
The City of Melbourne said it will consider advocating to the federal government to change the date of Australia Day while "continuing its support for events delivered by other organisations in Melbourne on 26 January".
Councillors will meet on 6 September to consider "an options paper for approaches to 26 January".
It follows a survey of more than 1,600 local residents and businesses that found nearly 60 per cent of respondents wanted to see Australia Day celebrated on a different date, the council said.
The survey - conducted by consultancy group RedBridge - also found the same proportion of respondents believed that Australia Day would probably be moved from 26 January within the next decade.
The five Traditional Owner organisations that make up the Eastern Kulin nation also unanimously supported changing the date.
If the council endorses the vote, it would commit to still issuing permits for Australia Day activities by the state government and other organisations.
It would also support activities that acknowledged the First Nations perspectives of 26 January, and citizenship ceremonies would continue to be held.
LISTEN TO
How will the referendum on the Voice to Parliament work?
SBS News
08/08/202204:49
In a statement, the City of Melbourne said ultimately changing the date would require a change at the federal level.
"The City of Melbourne is working to advance reconciliation and govern with Aboriginal peoples, however any decision to change the date must be made at a Federal Government level."
Mr Albanese on Friday urged the Melbourne council to shift its focus to the planned upcoming referendum on an .
"I know the Lord Mayor (Sally Capp) there, she is a terrific person," he said.
"I'd say let's focus on recognising the fact that our nation's birth certificate should proudly recognise that we did not begin in 1788, which is what the 26th of January commemorates, it began at least 60,000 years ago with the oldest continuous civilisation on earth.
"That should be a source of pride."
