MP slams date debate

Greens Australia Day push ’diversion’: Henderson

A GEELONG MP has called on the Greens Party to stop playing politics with the date of Australia Day.

Corangamite Liberal MP Sarah Henderson said the Greens should instead spend their time supporting the recommendations of a family violence law reform parliamentary inquiry — chaired by herself.

But Greens leader Richard Di Natale said Ms Henderson may be missing the point of the ongoing push to move the date to one more considerate of aboriginal history.

Yesterday, Ms Henderson said the Greens campaign to change the date of Australia Day was “regrettable and, frankly, a diversion”.

“If the Greens were genuinely focused on the needs of indigenous Australians, they would speak out on critically important issues like health, education and the alarming high rates of family violence in indigenous communities,” Ms Henderson said.

“Rather than engage in divisive debate, I call on Richard de Natale and his party to stop their politicking and back our report.”

Mr Di Natale said she may be missing the point of the issue.

“If Sarah Henderson thinks First Australians don’t want to change the date of Australia Day then she hasn’t been listening,” Mr Di Natale said.

“While I appreciate Sarah has spent several days chairing an inquiry, I have seen many of the issues First Australians face first-hand through my years working as a doctor in Aboriginal communities in the NT.”

The parliamentary inquiry report was released last month with 33 recommendations, including one for the government to implement Family Law Council recommendations from both the 2012 Improving the family law system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients report, and the 2016 Families with complex needs and the intersection of the family law and child protection systems final report.

Mr Di Natale said his party had been working for justice and reconciliation alongside indigenous Australians for decades.

“The Greens are leading the fight in Parliament to close the gap, improve access to healthcare and education, for treaties with our First Nations peoples and to change the date of Australia Day to one inclusive for all Australians,” he said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews this week told ABC Radio he did not support the date of Australia Day being changed.

“I think you can have both a respectful reflection upon the history, our past, and you can have a proper celebration,” Mr Andrews said on the morning program.

“A hopeful celebration about the values that we share about how special our state and our nation is.”