Outrage as Melbourne CBD’s Australia Day parade cancelled for 2021

Melbourne’s Australia Day Parade has been cancelled for 2021 — as speculation mounts about whether the holiday’s full-blown celebrations will ever completely return.

Melbourne’s CBD will not host an Australia Day parade in 2021 AAP Image/James Ross

The state government has cancelled Melbourne’s Australia Day Parade.

Days after Whittlesea Council axed Australia Day, the Saturday Herald Sun can reveal our national day will no longer have it’s Melbourne centrepiece event that saw thousands flock to the CBD in January.

It is understood a flag-raising ceremony could also be moved from Melbourne Town Hall to Government House.

The moves have sparked outrage and claims of political correctness gone mad.

The Andrews Government has claimed it is cancelling the event because of COVID-19, but the march will be held a full month after 30,000 are set to attend the Boxing Day Test.

Black Lives Matter protests were also allowed to go ahead earlier this year in the midst of Victoria’s coronavirus pandemic.

Sources have said the state government is looking to gauge the reaction to the cancellation and yesterday refused to say if the parade would be back in 2022.

Participants at the Australia Day parade in 2020 AAP Image/James Ross

“The Australia Day parade will not be part of the program of events for Australia Day 2021 given the current public health restrictions,” a government spokesman said.

“The Victorian Government is planning activities to appropriately mark the day and connect our communities during our COVIDSafe Summer.”

Wurundjeri elder and Indigenous educator Ian Hunter said the move smacked of “political correctness gone mad”.

“We’re all Australians. I classify myself as an Australian citizen with Indigenous heritage,” he said.

“There are some people that jump up and down about Australia Day, but traditional people don’t.

“Traditional people in regional communities don’t care,” he said.

Polling has found more than 70 per cent of Australians support Australia Day being celebrated on January 26.

But moves to change the date of Australia Day have intensified in recent years with debate raging over the appropriateness of celebrating the date the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove.

Both Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews have dismissed suggestions the date should be moved.

But the Premier has faced internal pressure over the issue.

Several Victorian councils including Moreland, Yarra and Darebin have stopped referring to January 26 as Australia Day prompting federal government intervention to strip councils of their ability to host citizenship ceremonies.

Whittlesea Council became the latest to scrap the day this week noting the distress the date causes for the Aboriginal community.

The council came to the decision after completing a review of all its festivals and events to ensure they were inclusive, safe and best value.

The parade was slated to take place one month after the Boxing Day Test — which has been deemed COVID-safe

It resolved to continue with a citizenship ceremony on January 26, but it will stop holding an Australia Day event, including fireworks.

Last year thousands of people lined Melbourne streets for the annual Australia Day parade.

Bella d’Abrera from the Institute of Public Affairs said the move was a “sneaky way of cancelling Australia Day under the cover of COVID”.

“After Daniel Andrews Government caused the second wave due to its failures with hotel quarantine and contact tracing, the least it could do is to give Victorians an opportunity to celebrate what freedoms we have left,” Dr d’Arbera said.

“26 January marks the foundation of modern Australia, and the freedoms that go with it. Modern Australia is defined by freedoms which are enjoyed by all Australians. This is something that should be celebrated, not denigrated.

“Cancelling Australia Day due to the pandemic sends a message that a weak government is willing to cave to a pandemic that Victorians have already overcome.

“Victorians are resilient people that want to celebrate what makes Australia great.”

Opposition tourism spokeswoman Cindy McLeish slammed the move.

“This is just another example of Daniel Andrews raining on everyone’s parade,” she said.

“Australia Day is an important holiday and the Andrew Labor Government should be supporting events, not cutting them.

“The tourism and hospitality sectors have been abandoned by Daniel Andrews and Labor.

“If Daniel Andrews had kept his promise we’d be in COVID-normal right now and able to safely gather and celebrate important holidays like Australia Day.”

A City of Melbourne spokesperson said it would host a citizenship ceremony on the morning of Australia Day.