Libs pledge to set new citizenship ceremony rules for Australia Day

Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan has pledged a future Coalition government will force councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day after more than a quarter of Victorian councils scrapped them.

Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan has promised a future Coalition government would force councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.

The Saturday Herald Sun ­revealed that following a loosening of rules by the Albanese government in December 2022, more than 80 councils across Australia had decided to scrap citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

More than a quarter of councils in Victoria will not mark Australia Day with a citizenship ceremony.

Mr Tehan said: “If the Coalition wins the next election we will do everything we can to unite Australians on Australia Day; this will include by ensuring new citizens have the choice right around our nation of having their citizenship ceremony on our national day.”

More than a quarter of councils in Victoria will not mark Australia Day with a citizenship ceremony. Picture: David Caird

Despite criticism from some groups, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said the government had no plan to change the date of Australia Day.

“I look forward to welcoming new citizens at ceremonies in the coming weeks, including on Australia Day,” he said.

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said her council’s decision to scrap its January 26 citizenship ceremony had widespread support and that Australia Day was a “painful” day for many people.

Ms Moore said the City of Sydney would hold ceremonies on January 29 instead, in line with the new government code, just as it did this year.

She said ceremonies formerly held on January 26 in the City of Sydney had low turnouts of only 10-15 people, while their new January 29 date was ­expected to see 160 people ­become Australian citizens.

Dan Tehan says ‘we will do everything we can to unite Australians on Australia Day’. Picture: Martin Ollman

Ms Moore also put her support behind changing the date of Australia Day, saying “the date of a national celebration should not be on Invasion Day”.

“The City of Sydney strongly supports changing the date of Australia’s national day to one that can be fully embraced and celebrated by all Australians,” she said.

“Advocating for a change of date won’t resolve the devastating and far-reaching impacts of colonisation, but it does provide a platform for an ongoing and honest conversation.”

Lord Mayor Sally Capp delivers the pledge allegiance to new Australians. Picture: David Caird

Peter Gangemi, Mayor of The Hills Shire in northwest Sydney, whose council was erroneously listed by the Department of Home Affairs as having no ceremony on Australia Day, said there was “no better way to mark the occasion than with a citizenship ceremony”.

He said Australia was “the greatest nation on Earth and we have so much to celebrate as a community on the 26th of January”.

Bass Coast Shire Council was also erroneously listed as having scrapped its citizenship ceremony.

Frank Carbone, the Mayor of Fairfield in Sydney’s western suburbs, said Australia was not perfect but was “the best country in the world”.