Tate says ‘IQ drops south of the border’

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has questioned the intelligence of the Byron Shire Council, which has lost its right to conduct citizenship ceremonies because of its stand on Australia Day.

Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson dropped a bombshell last week, calling for a change of date for the national holiday. He was backed by his council in declaring Australia Day would be celebrated on January 25, because the actual date – January 26 – “did not reflect the importance of the First Australians and their history’’.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison responded by calling the shire decision “indulgent selfloathing’’ and stripping the citizenship ceremony role from the shire.

And the Gold Coast Mayor – who grew up in Sydney – said yesterday councils in northern NSW “have less IQ”.

“Well, I don’t know, when you go south of the border you have less IQ,” Cr Tate said.

“There’s a lot more things that you can do and deliver (to) a community than tinkering with Australia Day itself.”

Cr Richardson told the Bulletin Cr Tate’s comments were “unhelpful’’.

Cr Tate said he acknowledged the past but preferred to look to the future.

“Things have happened in the past and yes, we acknowledge that, but I look forward to the future and I want Australia Day to be the day we unite everyone,” Cr Tate said.

“In my opinion Australia Day is the day we all stand up and sing the national anthem, and have more ‘new Australians’ to embrace our country.

“Really it doesn’t matter what colour you are, what nationality or you’re here as an indigenous person. I love you all.”

Cr Tate said he respected Cr Richardson’s right to speak out but that the Byron mayor was focusing on the wrong issues.

“I wouldn’t want a gag order on any council,” Cr Tate said.

“You go down south of the border and they dig around with other issues and it’s not top of the agenda for their communities.”

Cr Richardson put a motion forward at a council meeting late last week proposing the shire’s 2019 Australia Day event be moved to the evening of January 25, sparking national debate.

He said the current holiday, which marks the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, was a reminder of “the day the cultural decimation and denigration of the First Australians began”.

“We’re interested in a respectful, intelligent, contemporary debate on something which isn’t going away,” Cr Richardson told the Bulletin in response to Cr Tate’s comments, which he described as “glib” and “unhelpful”.