Heat, high costs put councils off Peter Dutton’s January 26 pledge

Local councillors opposing Peter Dutton’s plan to make them hold Australia Day events are demanding compensation if they are forced to celebrate the national day.

Peter Dutton in Melbourne on Monday. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

Local councillors opposing Peter Dutton’s plan to make them hold Australia Day events claim extreme heat and high costs are putting them off January 26, and are even demanding compensation if they are forced to celebrate the national day.

In Melbourne on Monday, the Opposition Leader vowed to make the changes in his first 100 days in office, as he blasted the ­Albanese government’s approach to the celebrations and accused Anthony Albanese of flagging to councils that the date “didn’t matter” and was “something to be ashamed of”.

The Australian Local Government Association, representing 537 councils nationwide, said it was important to be pragmatic and welcome the flexibility to hold these ceremonies.

“As the closest level of government to our communities, and most trusted, it’s important we reflect and respond to the needs of our local areas,” ALGA president mayor Matt Burnett said.

Mr Burnett said there was a range of reasons why some councils did not hold events on January 26, including extreme heat, staff numbers and costs.

Last year, 81 local councils moved their annual citizenship ceremonies because of feedback from Indigenous communities.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith said council would comply if parliament mandated ceremonies to be held on Australia Day, but flagged the government should be able to compen­sate council for additional costs.

Dr Lomax-Smith said the long-established practice was to hold citizenship ceremonies as close to Australia Day as possible, which ultimately minimised any financial impacts.

“The practice of holding the ceremony on a normal working day allows our civic leaders, new citizens and community to attend all Australia Day events,” she said.

“Of course, if it is mandated by the commonwealth parliament that a ceremony is held on Australia Day then we will comply. However, we may ask the government of the day to compensate council for the additional cost incurred because of their policy.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said it was “right” for Australians to celebrate on the country’s national day. “Australia is the best country in the world to live in, which is why so many ­people want to call it home,” he said.  “I think it’s right that Australians continue to celebrate the freedom and opportunities they enjoy on our country’s national day.

“Welcoming new citizens on Australia Day is a tradition we’ve long held in Brisbane and it’s something our council intends to continue.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate also agreed, saying the Glitter Strip had always held citizenship ceremonies on January 26 and would continue to do so, regardless of federal politics.

The City of Melbourne will host nine citizenship ceremonies in 2025.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the council “continues to hold citizenship ceremonies on 26 January”.

“In September 2022, council endorsed its position on 26 January, which includes advocating to the federal government to change the date of Australia Day.”

The Mayor of Mansfield Shire in Melbourne’s outer north, Steve Rabie, praised Mr Dutton. “Good on Peter Dutton for bloody having the balls to stand up and celebrate Australians,” he said.

Under the previous Coalition government, councils that re­scheduled their ceremonies away from January 26 were stripped of the right to host such events.

“I believe we live in the greatest country in the world,” Mr Dutton said. “I’m incredibly proud of Australians and who we are.

“I’m proud of our Indigenous heritage. I’m very proud of our ­migrant story, and I’m very proud of the fact that we are a country that should stand up and protect and defend its values,

He said the Coalition would act quickly to reintroduce the ­requirement.

“Would we reinstate the requirement for councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day? You bet it’ll be done in the first 100 days, and it will be a sign of pride and nationalism in our country,” he said.

“So the Prime Minister sent a signal to those councils that Australia Day didn’t matter, but that’s exactly what it did,” Mr Dutton said.

He also accused Australia’s high commissioner to Britain, ­Stephen Smith, of being “ashamed” of his country after he signalled he would not attend an annual Australia Day gala dinner, a year after he cited sensitivities around celebrating the day.

“Why government appointments like Stephen Smith would be ashamed of our country is beyond my comprehension,” Mr Dutton said.