PM’s fury at attack on Aus Day

MALCOLM Turnbull has blasted councils who want to change the date of Australia Day accusing them of “using a day that should unite Australians to divide Australians”.

The Prime Minister (pictured) launched a blistering attack on Melbourne’s Yarra City Council after they voted to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day and ditch its citizenship ceremonies.

Channel 9’s Karl Stefanovic backed the council, calling for the date to be moved out of respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“If we are to truly follow through with the apology and move forward together handin-hand ... then I believe (the date) must change,” he said.

The Federal Government, however, has made moves to block Yarra Council’s vote on the issue by stripping it of the power to hold citizenship ceremonies and threatening to withdraw federal funding.

Mr Turnbull accused the council of being “totally out of step” with Australian values.

“An attack on Australia Day is a repudiation of the values the day celebrates: freedom, a fair go, mateship and diversity,” Mr Turnbull said.