Australia Day 2021: Calls for Cricket Australia’s Mel Jones to return honour
There are calls for Cricket Australia committee member Mel Jones to return her Australia Day honour after she supported the removal of the day to promote BBL matches.
NSW
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The most senior Cricket Australia committee member calling for the country’s national day to be erased from Tuesday’s Big Bash matches is facing calls to hand back her own Australia Day honour.
Former test cricketer and Fox Sports commentator Mel Jones was awarded the Order of Australia medal on January 26 two years ago and at the time said receiving it was “a very special day”.
Ms Jones, who has a West Indian father and came to Australia from England when she was three months old, is one of a handful of the 14-strong Cricket Australia Indigenous advisory committee who does not have Indigenous heritage.
NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham told Sky: “The person who headed the committee, Mel Jones, who made the decision to sort of pretend Australia Day doesn’t exist, two years ago she accepted an Australia Day honour. I say to you, Mel, give the honour back.”
Ms Jones has said she strongly supports the decision to refer to Tuesday’s three Big Bash League Games as being played on January 26 rather than Australia Day.
“It’s recognition that it’s a really hurtful day for many,” Ms Jones told the ABC. “We’ve got five Indigenous players playing those games and a lot of Indigenous fans that come to the cricket, we just want to make this space as safe and inclusive as possible.”
The move by Cricket Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Committee (NATSICAC) was condemned by PM Scott Morrison as “pretty ordinary”.
Ms Jones did not respond to requests for comment. She is co-chair of the committee with Justin Mohamed, who is Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People of Victoria and a Gooreng Gooreng man from Queensland.
The eight other members of the committee with Indigenous heritage are NITV News presenter Natalie Ahmat, Lowitja Institute chief executive Paul Stewart, SA Health Aboriginal Director Tanya McGregor, Edith Cowan University Indigenous education head Colleen Haywood, Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council project manager Jason Smith, former Imparja Cup team representative Andrew Gordon, Northern Land Council manager Rick Fletcher and Cricket Australia engagement specialist Courtney Hagan.
Sports stars have also criticised Mr Morrison over the issue with tennis great Pat Cash posting on Twitter that “it’s clear to all of us that the 26th of January is not a date for all Australians to enjoy ... unfortunately Scott Morrison still can’t for the life of him, see it!”
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