City of Moreland opposes federal push to make citizenship ceremonies part of Australia Day

An inner-city, Greens-dominated council has told the Morrison Government to stop trying to force councils to celebrate Australia Day.

An Australia Day citizenship ceremony held before an A-League match in Melbourne in 2017.

An inner city council has rejected a move to force councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day because it feared that any MPs present would refer to the national day in speeches.

In 2017, the City of Moreland banned Australia Day celebrations, although it reserved the right to continue holding citizenship ceremonies on that day.

But the council is unhappy with a Morrison Government plan to force councils to hold ceremonies on the national day.

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Nepalese migrant Abhi Naskar and Jenish Adhikari become Australian citizenship at Coburg Town Hall in the City of Moreland.

In a submission to the government’s review of the citizenship ceremonies code, Moreland said it was implied that councils must celebrate Australia Day.

“It is likely that any parliamentarians in attendance will refer to Australia Day in their speeches, which could lead to perceptions that council’s citizenship ceremony is an Australia Day event,” the submission said.

“This will cause confusion about this council’s adopted position in relation to January 26. Councils should be able to decide whether they conduct an Australia Day celebration, considering the varying resource levels between councils.”

An anti-Moreland Council protest outside Coburg Town Hall on Australia Day in 2018.

In supporting citizenship ceremonies on January 26 as part of Australia Day celebrations, the government’s draft code said: “Australia Day provides an opportunity for all Australians to reflect and celebrate their Australian citizenship as part of a special day of national celebration and pride.”

The paper also encouraged councils to hold ceremonies on days like Harmony Day and Refugee Week, but warned that they must remain apolitical and that special event ceremonies not be used to promote a political or ideological agenda.

Moreland also opposed a proposal that if federal MPs were attending a ceremony, they should read the Minister for Immigration’s message, not the local mayor.

A new citizen at a City of Melbourne ceremony.

Moreland independent councillor and former mayor Oscar Yildiz said he didn’t agree with the Greens-dominated council trying to sideline Australia Day as this was a federal issue.

“This is just an example of councils like Moreland, Darebin and Yarra making political statements which have no relevance to residents,” he said.

Victorian Local Governance Association chief executive officer Kathryn Arndt said a survey of councils showed overwhelming support for them to decide when to hold citizenship ceremonies.

“The feedback that councils have received from their communities indicate that some people would rather not have their citizenship ceremony on Australia Day as they feel intimidated by so many people, and that they would rather be part of a smaller, more intimate ceremony involving mostly family and friends,” she said.

Ms Arndt called on the federal government to directly fund citizenship ceremonies “noting the financial impost these ceremonies have on local communities”.

The VLGA, the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Australian Local Government Association are preparing submissions to the government by a February 28 deadline.

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@JMasanauskas