Mayor rebuffed on date

Abetz Australia Day stance wins odd ally in Zucco

TASMANIAN Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has found an unexpected ally in his attack on Hobart Lord Mayor Sue Hickey over the council’s push to influence Canberra to change the date of Australia Day.

Hobart City Council Alderman Marti Zucco said Senator Abetz had been correct in labelling as “grandstanding” Alderman Hickey’s support for the state councils collectively lobbying to change the date.

“I have never agreed with Eric Abetz before – but in this instance he is right on the money,” Ald Zucco said yesterday.

“It is a political move by the HCC and again Eric is right when he says council should be concentrating on doing things to benefit the city and its ratepayers. There is no point in HCC getting involved in something it cannot change.

“It is not a matter for local councils but one for the Federal Government. Hobart’s ratepayers don’t have any expectations on this issue. There is no local outcry about Australia Day being January 26.

“What the ratepayers do expect is for council to keep rates reasonable, to fix the city’s traffic problems and approve appropriate development.”

A war of words has erupted this week between Senator Abetz and Ald Hickey over the issue with Senator Abetz telling the Lord Mayor council should stick to its “day job” and Ald Hickey firing back asking what Senator Abetz had ever done for the people of Hobart.

Ald Hickey argued the council was just trying to get a national conversation going.

Ald Zucco was not present for the HCC’s unanimous vote in support of raising a motion for Tasmania’s councils to lobby for a date change at next month’s Local Government Association of Tasmania general meeting. But his opposition to changing the date had previously been recorded.

“This is not a matter for the HCC despite my own understanding of why the indigenous community may want the date changed.

“I don’t understand why the Lord Mayor is standing on this issue yet is quiet when it comes to major local government business like the takeover of TasWater,” Ald Zucco said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is on the record saying he does not support changing the date of Australia Day.

“Changing the date does not have my support, it is a debate everyone is entitled to have, but it’s not a change the government supports,” he said.