ALCT: Albanese Spineless on Australia Day Date

Media release – Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, 23 January 2023

ALBANESE’S WEAK STANCE ON MOVING CELEBRATIONS FROM JANUARY 26TH CAUSES REAL PAIN FOR SPORTS AND PUBLIC

Land Council Chairman Michael Mansell has slammed Prime Minister Albanese’s ‘pathetic handling of the divisive January 26th debate’ and called on all federal Aboriginal politicians to demand Albanese changes the date.

Mr Mansell said “The change of a national government raised reasonable expectations that the previous hard-line approach to keeping January 26th would change. But Prime Minister Albanese is maintaining the previous divisive position taken by the Morrison government.

Albanese’s weak and politically spineless approach to moving celebrations away from January 26th is causing real trauma to Aboriginals wanting to participate in sports or even attending to watching sports. The Ashley Gardner stand is to be applauded, but neither Ashley Gardner nor any other sports people should be put in a position of wanting to play but feeling traumatized by playing on January 26th.

Albanese wants an Aboriginal voice to parliament. Albanese is not listening now so is unlikely to listen to any advisory body he establishes.

Industry, sports people, sporting bodies, local councils even the former vice-chair for the National Australia Day Council, are calling for change. When will we see leadership at the national level?

Nor is it enough for Premier Jeremy Rockliff to say he personally prefers the date to change. The Premier has to put his foot down and tell Albanese the state of Tasmania will no longer cooperate with any events held on January 26th.”