Moreland Council Australia Day decision: Councillors vote to dump national day

UPDATE: The third Melbourne council to dump Australia Day hopes to hold on to its citizenship ceremonies, but is now under government review after it was slammed by a federal minister today.

Moreland councillors have voted to dump Australia Day. Generic picture

UPDATE: Moreland has become the third council to dump Australia Day but hopes to hold on to citizenship ceremonies after a heated council meeting.

But the move has been slammed by Assistant Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke, who said he “strongly condemns” the motion passed by the Moreland council.

He said the government would now consider whether to strip Moreland of its right to hold citizenship ceremonies.

Mr Hawke also hit out at comparisons made by one councillor between Australia Day and the Nazi Holocaust, saying it was “deeply offensive to all Australians”.

DAREBIN STRIPPED OF CITIZENSHIP CEREMONIES

“Australia Day, 26 January, is a recognition of our shared history and the Turnbull government, along with the vast majority of Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous, fully support Australia Day remaining on January 26,” Mr Hawke said.

Councillors on Wednesday night voted in favour of dropping all references to Australia Day and joined the push to change the date of national celebration.

Moreland chose to become the third council after Darebin and Yarra to snub Australia Day, but the council reaffirmed its commitment to holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26 in a bid to avoid losing the right to perform the ceremonies like its inner-city neighbours.

Moreland is the third council in Melbourne to axe Australia Day celebrations.

The federal government has barred both inner-north councils from holding citizenship ceremonies after they voted to drop the events from their January 26 schedules.

Aboriginal elder Ian Hunter voiced his disapproval of changing the date during question time, while Wurundjeri representative Gary Murray spoke in favour.

The council will now advocate to the Federal Government to change the date of Australia Day.

The decision backs up a Leader News survey of councillors conducted earlier this week.

Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton earlier said the Federal Government, by stripping municipalities of their citizenship ceremonies, was “playing politics” and she accused Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of overstepping his rights.

Cr Bolton said she was willing to risk losing citizenship ceremonies altogether to stand up to a “bullying federal government”.