Victoria’s First Peoples Assembly set to negotiate new public holiday with Allan government

A plan for a new public holiday to celebrate Aboriginal culture will be negotiated as the Allan government sits down to talk Treaty next month.

Premier Jacinta Allan has left the door open to a new public holiday to celebrate Aboriginal culture.

Victoria’s First Peoples Assembly is expected to bring the idea to the negotiating table as Treaty talks with the state government launch next month.

Ms Allan on Wednesday refused to say whether she would support the new Victorian public holiday, which has been described as a day to celebrate Aboriginal culture and languages.

“I’m not going to negotiate through the media publicly what’s in and out about what First Peoples bring to the table because I’m focused on Victoria being ready, the Victorian government being ready … to negotiate,” she said.

But the opposition flagged that they would likely oppose it.

Liberal Leader John Pesutto, who backed away from a Treaty with Indigenous Victorians earlier this year, said he would “need some convincing”.

Liberal Leader John Pesutto says he will ‘need some convincing’. Picture: Getty Images

“I don’t support anything that treats Victorians or Australians differently in that respect,” he said.

“I think I’ve made our position on Treaty clear that we won’t be supporting that because we have a different approach that focuses on practical reconciliation, trying to get better outcomes for young Indigenous Victorians, trying to reduce the incarceration rates of Indigenous Victorians.”

It’s understood the Assembly will also call for more control over funds spent on Indigenous affairs.

Co-chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Rueben Berg said the idea of a new public holiday was aimed at sharing Indigenous culture “with everyone here in Victoria”.

“This country has the oldest living cultures in the world – that’s something worth celebrating together,” he said.

“We’d love to keep sharing in and celebrating our cultures together in this place.”

Originally published as Victoria’s First Peoples Assembly set to negotiate new public holiday with Allan government