Every immigrant should have the choice of becoming an Australian citizen in their local community on Australia Day.
Labor are undermining the significance of Australia Day and bowing to pressure from Labor-Greens-dominated councils by allowing them not to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26.
Australia Day is a proud day for the many thousands of people who will join our multicultural family and become Australian citizens.
New citizens are taught that Australia Day is our biggest annual public holiday and that the day “is about acknowledging and celebrating the contribution that every Australian makes to our contemporary and dynamic nation”.
Now the message they are receiving from the Albanese Government is that January 26 is no more special than any other day of that week.
Make no mistake; this is Labor laying the groundwork to abolish January 26 as Australia Day despite Anthony Albanese promising during the election campaign that Labor had no plans to change the date of our national day.
Labor is giving in to pressure from Labor-Greens-dominated councils, such as Darebin, Yarra and Merri-bek, to undermine the significance of our national day.
It is a great shame that the Albanese Government won’t stand up for Australia Day. We can celebrate the best of us on January 26 and honour the truly incredible richness of our history that spans 65,000 years.