Melbourne council has voted to abandon its anti-Australian “change the date” campaign, and will now consider bringing back an Australia Day parade that was scrapped by the left-wing Labor state government.
The City of Melbourne decided in 2022 to lobby the federal government to move the date of Australia Day, but on Tuesday night councillors passed a motion to recognise January 26 as the national day, and acknowledge that the issue was not a matter for local councils to decide.
The council will now investigate whether it has room in its budget to reinstate an Australia Day parade that was previously funded by the Victorian government, but never brought back after being cancelled due to the state’s draconian Covid restrictions.
The decision comes after thousands of patriots marched though Melbourne on January 26, defying violent far-left counter-protesters who tried to disrupt the celebration.
The Australia Day motion was moved by independent ex-Liberal councillor Philip Le Liu, seconded by Liberal councillor Owen Guest, and was supported by Lord Mayor Nick Reece, who said he voted for it even though he personally believed the date should be changed.
“I understand that for aboriginal Australians, the 26th of January is seen as invasion day and it’s a day of heartache,” he told ABC radio.
“My view is that we should, as a nation, look to change the date and find a day that we can all get behind. But that decision is not made in the town hall chamber … it’s a decision that’s made in the Australian parliament.”
Former Liberal MP Gladys Liu also voted in favour, saying she wanted the council to focus on citizenship ceremonies, ABC News reported.
“The main thing is how to celebrate, how to feel proud to be Australian, especially on a day when we welcome so many new citizens,” Ms Liu said.
“We don’t want it to just stop just at the ceremony without any activities afterwards. People who want to mourn can do that.”
Far-left Greens councillor Olivia Ball called the vote “deeply disappointing”, and said council should be listening to “first nations” people and the “clear majority of residents and businesses” who want the date changed.
Header image: Left, patriots march through Melbourne on Australia Day (supplied). Right, “invasion day” protesters (Facebook).
