‘Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always’
A Hong Kong-owned company that runs 200 pubs and bars has issued an embarrassing apology amid widespread fury over its plan to cancel acknowledgements or celebrations of the national day.
Victoria
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A foreign-owned hospitality giant is facing pressure to axe the 15 per cent public holiday surcharge from transactions on Australia Day amid criticism it is “anti-Australian” to slug patrons if it refuses to celebrate the national day.
Australian Venue Co – the nation’s second-largest pubs group – issued an embarrassing apology on Monday amid widespread fury over a planned ban on Australia Day celebrations and acknowledgments at more than 200 of its bars.
The previous day, a spokeswoman for the Hong Kong-owned company had told the Herald Sun: “Australia Day is a day that causes sadness for some members of our community, so we have decided not to specifically celebrate a day that causes hurt for some of our patrons and our team.”
But after the huge backlash and community threats of boycotts, the company backtracked in a statement on Monday, acknowledging its earlier comments had caused “concern and confusion”.
“We apologise … It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone,” a spokesperson said.
“We sincerely regret that – our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it. It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day.
“Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always.”
The company would still not clarify, however, if venues would be allowed to celebrate the day, despite suggesting it would not stop individuals celebrating in its pubs.
Federal opposition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said: “If this organisation is so opposed to January 26 being a public holiday, then they should put their money where their mouth is and not charge their patrons a public holiday surcharge on the day, or they might consider doing something meaningful with their money, like donating to alcohol rehabilitation in some of our most affected and marginalised Indigenous communities.
“If they aren’t willing to take that financial hit, it shows how shallow their convictions about this really are, and exposes the virtue signalling that is underlying this.”
Deputy chairman of the parliament’s economics committee, Garth Hamilton, said charging Australians less would be the “only position of integrity” if the company was opposed to the day.
“If they are actually committed to this nonsense they will be charging us less, if they’re not it’s just virtue signalling of the lowest order,” the MP said.
“They are happy to profit off the day, just not allow people to celebrate it.”
Australian Venue Co did not respond when asked if it would impose the surcharge.
Pubs billionaire Bruce Mathieson described the anti-Australia Day stance as “stupid beyond belief”.
“We are blessed to live in (this) country, we should look after it and everything we can celebrate about it, we should celebrate,” Mr Mathieson said.
“It’s just respect. I just don’t think Australians are patriotic enough anyway. We should celebrate Australia anytime we possibly can, in every way we can.”
A spokeswoman for ALH Hotels, part of the rival Endeavour Group that Mr Mathieson has a stake in, said each of its hotels would determine how or whether to mark the day based on their local community and guest preferences.
Craig Laundy, from the Laundy Hotel Group, said business owners should stay out of politics or run for the federal parliament.
The former Liberal MP said the public backlash showed the “passion” people held for the day, adding that his marketing team would turn their minds to Australia Day celebrations in coming weeks. “People making these decisions, I think, have lost touch with how well celebrated Australia Day actually is by the next generation,” Mr Laundy said.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the decision was for the owners and commercial operators of the venues, and that she would continue to proudly celebrate Australia Day. “I’ve participated in many Australia Day events over decades, and I plan to continue into the years ahead,” she said.
“For some, there is the opportunity to celebrate the things that make us strong and united.”
Lord Mayor Nick Reece refused to comment on Australian Venue Co’s controversial decision to ban Australia Day celebrations. This is despite six venues, including State of Grace and The Victoria Hotel, being located in the CBD.
Originally published as ‘Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always’
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