John Wharton, Jenny Hill, Danielle Slade, Jane McNamara, Greg Campbell asked views on Australia Day
A North Queensland mayor denies an invasion, and called inner-city and southern centric voters who support changing the date “fat, placid and comfortable”.
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A regional North Queensland mayor has denied there ever being an invasion, and has taken swing at southern inner-city populations pressuring to change the date of Australia Day.
Richmond mayor John Wharton said federal politicians should stop catering to city-centric residents that had never visited the regions, so that they could concentrate on more important issues for Australian interests.
He said he did not care either way if the Federal Government decided to change the date of national celebration.
“Those people down in southern Australia are getting very fat and placid and comfortable and they pick on the small things in life,” Cr Wharton said.
“We’ve got bigger picture stuff down here, we’ve got jobs to create, we’ve got health issues up here with all our people in rural and remote Australia.
“And I can tell you now the time that gets wasted worrying about these little fickle people that live in Bondi or somewhere else in the middle of Melbourne that have never ever been around Australia and seen the issues, it’s driving the rest of us mad.
“All the people out in the rest of Australia and paying taxes and working, we don’t get chances to go down there and bloody lobby our members and everything else and go into all that bulls—t that goes on.
“We know it wasn’t an invasion, that’s just all made up, all that stuff’s made up, we don’t care about that.
“So give us a date and we’ll celebrate the great country we live in – if they want to change it I don’t care.”
Cr Wharton was among mayors from Mount Isa to Townsville that were asked if they would support or protest a federal government decision to change the date of Australia Day.
Townsville mayor Jenny Hill supported Australia becoming a republic, and she said the date of which Australia did this should be marked as the holiday instead.
“If Australia became a republic, that would be the day that you would assume people would get behind, that would become the new day of uniting Australia,” Cr Hill said.
“But until that day occurs, this is what we have and this is what we work with.”
Cr Hill recognised the meaning behind Australia Day had changed in recent history, with January 26 initially being labelled Foundation Day.
But there were many questions that needed answering if a Federal Government under the Commonwealth insisted on changing the date.
“I mean, what do they want to change it to, and why?
“And they’re the questions that would need to be asked before you say yes or no.”
Flinders mayor Jane McNamara strongly supported keeping January 26 as a day of national celebration.
Cr McNamara had been a member of the National Australia Council for more than three years, and through this role had researched the subject.
“These particular governments we have now I think are probably leaving the door open to change it, but by stealth,” she said.
“It’s still supported by the majority of Australians, but it’s more in the regional areas they feel strongly about retaining it, it’s more in your capital cities that seem to see the need for change.
“You need to listen to people like Jacinta Price and a lot of people in Indigenous communities, they also see it as a day of celebration and a day to be able to go out and actually celebrate that everyone is Australian.”
Mount Isa mayor Danielle Slade said councils should not be boycotting a sanctioned date set by the Federal Government.
“I don’t think local governments should be getting involved in the politics.
“They do, but we’re roads, rubbish, sewerage,
“We’re not voted in to do that, our state and federal member are voted in to do that, we’re there to make sure the community have got everything they need to live in Mount Isa.”
Cloncurry mayor Greg Campbell said he could probably “get into a three hour debate” on the subject, but he said there were practical reasons for keeping January 26 as the day of celebration.
“It’s earlier in the year, it almost coincides with the start of the school year so all the new people to town are here,” Cr Campbell said.
“There’s so much on for the rest of the year to give it the recognition that it deserves, that it is not squeezed in between all our other events.”
Cr Campbell said that considering Australia’s history, he was uncertain what day could be considered a suitable alternative if the date did change to consider First Nation people.
“I reckon there would be almost any day of the year where there could be something that has happened, that would mean it’s not a good day.”
Palm Island mayor Mislam Sam, who represents the only Aboriginal council between Mount Isa to the coast, was reached for comment but he did not respond.
Charters Towers’ deputy mayor Graham Lohmann said the national holiday itself held “immense significance” for Australian identity.
“It is a day dedicated to honouring our cultural diversity, acknowledging our achievements, recognising our historical roots, and collectively envisioning a brighter future for our nation,” he said.
The council would observe Australia Day’s awards and ceremony the night before, so that attendees could celebrate and enjoy the day freely and “in a manner of their choosing.”
Originally published as John Wharton, Jenny Hill, Danielle Slade, Jane McNamara, Greg Campbell asked views on Australia Day
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