The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Cassy O’Connor, today said now was the time for a thoughtful and reasoned debate about the appropriateness of celebrating Australia’s national identity on January 26.
Ms O’Connor today took part in the Invasion Day march in Hobart, expressing her strong support for the Aboriginal community, as its people mourn the loss of their country with the arrival of the British on 26 January, 1788.
“Australia’s national day should be a day for all Australians to celebrate our national identity and that includes the First People,” she said.
“However, the 26th of January is a day of great pain to the Aboriginal people.
“Like many fair-minded Australians, who love this country deeply and respect our First People, my conscience struggles with the great divide between the celebrations and the sadness of this day.
“It is time we had a thoughtful and reasoned debate about the appropriateness of celebrating our national identity on the day the British invaded Australia 225 years ago.
“There can be no chance of true reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians until we change the date of our national day.
“In my capacity as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, I will this week write to Prime Minister Gillard encouraging her to initiate this important debate.
“The date of our national day should unite, not divide, us as a country of many peoples and it should respect the First People,” Ms O’Connor said.
