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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-21 Daily Xml
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Australia Day

The Hon. S.L. GAME (14:44): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Attorney-General regarding Australia Day.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: According to polling by the Institute of Public Affairs examining public attitudes to our national day, less than one in five Australians want to change the date of Australia Day, while nine in 10 say they feel proud to be Australian. Interestingly, while most agree Australia Day should remain on 26 January, Australians 18 to 24 are less supportive. According to the IPA, this is a result of relentless indoctrination of the education system.

We have seen Woolworths cancel the sale of Australia Day merchandise and at least 81 local councils across the country cancel citizen ceremonies on Australia Day. Who exactly are they representing? The answer must be themselves, because most Australians don't agree with Woolworths' decision nor do they agree with woke councils moralising from their ivory towers. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. Does he support our national day of celebration as most of the community he represents does?

2. Does he feel that Australians should be proud of our diverse and collective culture?

3. Does he support fostering and encouraging pride in being Australian in Australia in our young people through the education system?

The PRESIDENT: Attorney, just before you answer, the Hon. Ms Game, there was a fair bit of opinion in your question. That's out of order.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for her question. Certainly, I think one of the great strengths of this relatively young nation is our diversity and our embracing our multicultural communities. The fact that we are a nation made up of so many communities I think makes us stronger. I think one of the things that we are becoming increasingly proud of as a make-up of Australians is the fact that we have a link to the oldest living culture this planet has ever seen: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

In relation to the date that we celebrate Australia Day, I note that I think since 1994 there has been a national agreement on the date and which day we celebrate the public holiday. I think it's a reasonable national conversation to have and I support us having that national conversation. As we find strength in our diversity of cultures in Australia, so, too, do we find strength in the diversity of opinions. I think we are mature enough to have that national conversation about how we celebrate our identity in a mature way.

In relation to the views or opinions of the Institute of Public Affairs, that's not something I have ever commented upon or anything I propose to comment upon.

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