OZ DAY MOVE

Hobart council forges ahead to change date

HOBART City Council is pushing ahead with its bid to change the date of Australia Day.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey has written to all Tasmanian may- ors seeking their councils’ support for a date change.

The council has also submitted motions to this month’s Australian Local Government Association national general assembly and next month’s Local Government Associ- ation of Tasmania general meeting, requesting the two bodies encourage member councils to lobby the Federal Government to change the date of Australia Day.

Alderman Hickey, right, said the number of indigenous and non-indigenous people protesting against the national day’s date was increasing every year.

“There is a growing acknowledgment that 26 January is not a day of celebration for all Australians,” she said.

“Aboriginal people view it as invasion day and rallies held this year in capital cities drew tens of thousands of supporters.

“In Sydney alone, more than 50,000 people came

out in support of a change of date.”

Ald Hickey said councils had an important role to play in discussions about a new date for Australia Day.

“We’ve got to bring the people along with us ... The thing about councils is they are the closest to the people, so if a lot of councils are prepared to write to the Prime Minister I think the Prime Minister would have to consider [it],” she said.

Ald Hickey said the existing date had only been in place since 1994, but she said she was not sure the community was ready for a change.

“It’s about starting the journey. I’m not 100 per cent confident of the outcome,” she said.

The Hobart City Council voted unanimously in April to call on other councils to join it in lobbying the Federal Government for a date change, a push supported by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said Australia Day should remain on January 26.

Another council decision — one that did not have unanimous support — to consider changing the date of Hobart’s Australia Day citizenship ceremony was criticised by Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.

“The Government takes a very dim view of a council like Hobart City deciding to politicise traditional Australia Day citizenship ceremonies,” Mr Hawke said at the time.

“The public commentary about citizenship is also a potential breach of the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code.”

In the lead-up to the Local Government Association of Tasmania meeting on July 26, the state’s councils are expected to decide their positions on a date change for Australia Day.

Clarence Mayor Doug Chipman said his council would form its position soon.

Ald Chipman said the issue had not been raised with Clarence City Council before.

Derwent Valley Mayor Martyn Evans said his council was also yet to consider an Australia Day date change.

Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has previously criticised Hobart council for getting involved in a debate to change the Australia Day date, saying councils did not have the power to change Australia Day and accusing aldermen of “grandstanding”.