Australia Day citizenship row: federal government issues rebuke to Darebin Council

UPDATE: Peter Dutton has accused a Melbourne council that wants to move its citizenship ceremonies from Australia Day of pulling a “political stunt”.

FEDERAL Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has accused Darebin Council of creating a “political stunt” over Australia Day to attract media attention.

Mr Dutton spoke to ABC Radio following yesterday’s report that the Federal Government had threatened to revoke Darebin Council’s power to hold citizenship ceremonies should it move them from Australia Day.

“Some councils have used the proposal to move citizenship ceremonies (or to) refuse to hold them on Australia Day (and) they claim that there’s a good motive to this,” Mr Dutton said.

“In the end once they’ve got their media attention they fold and they hold the ceremony on that day, and if they refuse to they won’t be holding that ceremony otherwise,” he said.

Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke issued a written warning to the council over reports it could dump its citizenship ceremony from January 26 in favour of an event acknowledging indigenous suffering.

Darebin Council considering moving Australia Day citizenship ceremony

In a July 19 letter, seen by the Leader, Mr Hawke warned the council could be in breach of the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code, which requires ceremonies to be apolitical and bipartisan.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LETTER

“You must not use your ability to preside over citizenship ceremonies or the dates they are held to delegitimise Australia Day,” Mr Hawke wrote.

Ezechiel Mukundane celebrates Australia Day. Darebin Council could lose the right to hold citizenship ceremonies if it goes ahead with a plan to move them from January 26.

“If you were to continue to use a citizenship ceremony, or your ability to preside over one, as a promotional tool for an anti-national day event, I will consider this a serious breach (of the code) and will revoke authorisation from those persons in the City of Darebin who can currently receive the Pledge at citizenship ceremonies.”

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Darebin Mayor Kim Le Cerf said Mr Hawke had misunderstood the council’s position.

“Our consultation is not about de-legitimising Australia Day in any way, we are in fact seeking feedback to strengthen it by making it more inclusive,” she said.

Darebin Councillor Trent McCarthy said the idea of an alternative Australia Day event was worth considering.

“We have the second largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in metropolitan Melbourne and we take that responsibility very seriously,” he said.

“It might mean we have a (citizenship) ceremony a few days out, or a couple of days before.”

Cr McCarthy said Mr Dutton had “missed the point” and invited him to attend a Darebin citizenship ceremony.

“There’s a lot of support for this around the country (and) we’re really keen to be as inclusive as we can,” he said.

An online Leader poll of more than 2300 respondents found 87 per cent opposed moving the Australia Day citizenship ceremony.

But many readers voiced support for the idea on social media, saying it was long overdue.

January 26 marks the arrival of the British First Fleet in Australia, but many associate it with invasion and the beginning of the nation’s violent colonial history.

Assistant immigration minister Alex Hawke.

Darebin mayor Kim Le Cerf.

Mr Hawke told Leader the government would “not allow a small number of Greens controlled councils to continue a campaign to undermine Australia Day using Australian citizenship ceremonies”.

“Research shows Australia Day remains the most popular day to acquire citizenship (and) it is our view that Australia Day should be celebrated on 26 January and accordingly that is a most appropriate date for citizenship ceremonies to be held,” he said.

It is not the first time the Federal Government has clashed with a local council over Australia Day.

Mr Hawke issued a warning to Hobart Council in April over a similar plan to shift its citizenship ceremony from January 26.

And last year Fremantle Council, Perth, was forced to reverse a decision to move its citizenship ceremony after the Federal Government issued a similar threat.

@edjgardiner