The wacky suggestions sent to Indigenous Affairs Minister to change Australia Day

INDIGENOUS Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has been repeatedly asked move the Australia Day public holiday to a date that would let the country bludge off work for longer, documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal

Australian have written to Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion asking for Australia Day to become a three day public holiday.

INDIGENOUS Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has been repeatedly asked to move the Australia Day public holiday to a date that would let the country bludge off work for longer, documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal.

A stack of emails, letters and handwritten notes sent to Mr Scullion in his capacity as Indigenous Affairs Minister reveal a range of proposals, including expanding the public holiday from one day to three.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion. Picture: Keri Megelus

One proposal asks for the holiday to be expanded to a “three day occasion similar to Easter”, with new public holidays declared on January 24 and 25 named “Discovery and Invasion Day” and “Sorry and Reconciliation Day”.

The brains behind that idea — whose name is redacted — urged Mr Scullion to discuss with his colleagues adding two public holidays to the calendar no matter what time of year.

• AUSTRALIA DAY: We have bigger issues than arguing over a date

Another proposal urges Mr Scullion’s to move the public holiday from January 26 to the third Monday in February, a day which the letter writer says “does not coincide with the anniversary of any particular event” of significance to Australian history, but which would fall during the school term, ensuring a three-day weekend during summer while avoiding “the inconvenience of the occasional midweek public holiday”.

The Australia Day ute run in Dariwn. Picture: Keri Megelus

A third proposal suggests moving Australia Day to December 31, and using January 1 to commemorate Federation, effectively creating a long weekend, a move that the letter writer says would amount to “a declaration of who we want to be”.

The documents reveal a level of frustration among some Australians with what one anonymous writer described as “B.S. being flung around by … radicals” critical of Australia Day.

The bulk of the letters to Mr Scullion support changes to how Australia Day is celebrated, with some suggestions including abolishing the public holiday in favour of another day.

The suggestions include June 3, which a letter writer suggests could become “Marbo Day” (sic) commemorating anniversariy of the Mabo High Court decision.

Australian have written to Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion asking for Australia Day to become a three day public holiday.

Another suggestion involves moving Australia Day — for no apparent reason — to the last day in January.

Mr Scullion’s office did respond to questions on Tuesday but his coalition colleague, Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended his criticism of new citizens attending Australia Day citizenship ceremonies in thongs and board shorts.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner has repeatedly said Australia Day should be a celebration of unity and should “meaningfully acknowledge the entire story of our nation”.