Australia Day: One in five young Aussies not proud, but only 15 per cent want date change

Researchers say the figures are a result of the indoctrination of young people at school to feel embarrassed about their own country.

One in five young people are not proud of the nation’s history but only 15 per cent of the population wants to change the date of Australia Day, according to a new survey.

Researchers from the Institute of Public Affairs think the results reflected how young Australians – aged between 18 and 24 – were being taught at school and universities to be embarrassed of their country.

It comes as Indigenous community leader Warren Mundine has called on universities to stop teaching controversial critical race theory and urged those seeking to change the date of Australia Day to focus on the real issues facing Indigenous Australia.

A woman holds a placard at an Australia Day protest last year.

Institute of Public Affairs Foundations of Western Civilisation Program director Dr Bella d’Abrera said the survey revealed Australians were fundamentally optimistic. But she said that was not reflected in certain segments of society.

“While only 15 per cent support changing the date, worryingly that minority view continues to occupy a majority in Australia’s institutions like the media, corporate Australia, universities, and schools,” Dr d’Abrera said.

She said the disparity between young people and the overall population was evidence universities and schools were overflowing with unchecked left-leaning thought.

Warren Mundine.

“The bad news is that the strongest anti-Australian sentiment is among young people, who through no fault of their own have been subjected to years of indoctrination at school and at university,” Dr d’Abrera said.

In the poll of 1002 people conducted in December, 65 per cent of respondents said they supported celebrating Australia Day as it was on January 26. A total of 84 per cent of people overall said they were “proud to be Australian”.

It also found 69 per cent of Australians believed the nation had “a history to be proud of” while 14 per cent disagreed with that proposition.

Mr Mundine said: “The idea that just because you’re black you’re an oppressed person and every white person is an oppressor is nonsense. The universities are failing us as a nation because there are good and bad, there were horrible things which happened.”

Mr Mundine urged those who were fixated on changing the date to focus on other issues which were more dire for aboriginal people, including employment or the disproportionate amount of Indigenous people in prison.