Scott Morrison, Ken Wyatt slam cricket body for erasing Australia Day

Criticising Cricket Australia’s decision to drop the words “Australia Day” from its Big Bash extravaganza, Scott Morrison says January 26 “wasn’t particularly flash” for the First Fleet either.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared January 26 “wasn’t a particularly flash day” for convicts on the First Fleet either as he criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to drop the words “Australia Day” from its Big Bash extravaganza after consulting Indigenous leaders.

The comment, made yesterday while touring Queensland, sparked swift backlash as debate rages over CA referring to BBL games next week as being held on “January 26” and not “Australia Day”.

Mr Morrison said the decision was “not cricket” and the sport’s bosses should “focus a lot more on cricket and a lot less on politics”.

“Australia Day is all about acknowledging how far we’ve come,” he said. “When those 12 ships turned up at Sydney all those years ago, it wasn’t a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels either. And I think what that day demonstrates is how far we’ve come as a country and I think that’s why it’s important that we do mark it in that way.”

Federal Labor Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Linda Burney said the PM “should know better”, while barrister Julian Burnside QC called him a “numbskull”.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt backed Mr Morrison’s stance, saying Cricket Australia has “missed an opportunity to unite Australians on Australia Day”. “Reconciliation means walking together with respect for one another and differing views – not rejecting or enforcing one point of view,” Mr Wyatt said.

“We should walk together, side-by-side, as one to reflect, respect and celebrate all that makes us Australian – Indigenous and non-Indigenous.”

Ms Burney backed the move by CA.

“It is important to note that this decision is more than just a branding change and is part of a broader effort by Cricket Australia to make good on its Reconciliation Action Plan,” she said.

The Melbourne Stars have declared they will continue to promote the match as an “Australia Day” blockbuster, while their opponents the Sydney Sixers will follow the CA recommendation to refer to the event as “January 26”.

CA’s First Nations Advisory Committee, which is co-chaired by CA board member and former international Mel Jones, made recommendations which included not making reference to “Australia Day”.