Apologetic about-face as pub group AVC backs down over its Australia Day boycott

Under pressure to meet ‘ethical investment’ standards from its foreign owners, one of Australia’s biggest pub groups has backed down over its Australia Day boycott.

Patrons of The Winery, an AVC venue in Sydney’s inner-city Surry Hills, include Zoe Tapp, Anthony Lee, and, Indigo Guidry. Picture: Jane Dempster

The pubs chain that banned Australia Day celebrations at its 200 venues has made a sensational about-face and apologised for ­offending its customers, with a spokesperson saying the company regretted causing “concern and confusion”.

The about-face comes amid revelations that Australian Ven­ues Co may be soon be palmed off by its Hong Kong owners over fears that the hospitality giant’s poker machines do not fit into its parent company’s ethical investment strategy.

AVC, Australia’s second largest pub group, late on Sunday announced that it had directed staff “not to specifically celebrate a day that causes hurt for some of our patrons and our team”.

“Australia Day is a day that causes sadness for some members of our community,” a spokesperson said.

After public outrage on Monday, AVC was quick to walk back its remarks. “We can see that our comments on the weekend have caused both concern and confusion. We sincerely regret that – our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it,” a spokesperson said.

“It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day. We acknowledge that and we apologise for our comments. It certainly wasn’t our intention to offend anyone. Whether you choose to celebrate Australia Day or not, everyone is welcome in our pubs, always.”

Australian Venue Co operates Hotel Esplanade, a St Kilda institution, which was caught up in the hospitality group’s abstention from Australia Day commemorations.

AVC was acquired by a Hong Kong private equity firm for $1.4bn last year, off US firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. However, The Australian’s DataRoom on Sunday reported that PAG was now exploring an initial public offering for the company on the ASX next year.

AVC is based in Melbourne and owns 60 venues in Victoria, 90 in Queensland, 20 in South Australia and 10 in Sydney.

Opposition immigration spokesperson Dan Tehan took aim at Australian Venue Co’s obligations to private equity fund PAG. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Coalition on Monday blamed Anthony Albanese for devaluing Australia Day in the nat­ional consciousness after he offered local council’s discretion on the date of their citizenship ­ceremonies.

Opposition immigration spokesperson Dan Tehan said it had paved the way for rising rates of corporate abstention from Australia Day. “Ever since Anthony Albanese started undermining Australia Day by giving local councils the option not to hold citizenship ceremonies, our nat­ional day has been sadly diminished,” he said.

“The decision by Australian Venue Company to join Anthony Albanese in trying to undermine Australia Day will be treated with disdain by pubgoers. Australia Day should be a day that unites us, not that divides us. This is not what you call ethical investing.”

Patron of The Winery, an AVC venue in inner-city Sydney’s Surry Hills, Anthony Lee, said he would celebrate Australia Day, suggesting the AVC decision had been ideologically imposed on customers.

“Let’s say that this restaurant actually held my view and they locked out people that didn’t (agree) – I’d be equally as offended. It’s wrong,” Mr Lee, 63, said.

“There is so much to celebrate: the freedom, the institutions, the liberal democracy, the court and justice system, its an exemplar to the world and so is our multi­culturalism.”

Former executive of the rival Endeavour Group Bruce Mathieson Sr said the decision lacked “respect” for national identity. “We are blessed to live in (this) country, we should look after it and everything we can celebrate about it, we should celebrate,” Mr Mathieson said. “It’s just respect.”

“I just don’t think Australians are patriotic enough anyway. We should celebrate Australia anytime we possibly can, in every way we can.”

Mr Mathieson has since left Endeavour, an offshoot of the Woolworths Group, which was panned last year for pulling Australia Day paraphernalia from shelves.

AVC patron Sue Elphinstone praised the move, however, saying it was “appalling” to be “celebrating invasion and colonialism”.

Sue Elphinstone outside The Winery in Surry Hills in Sydney. Picture: Jane Dempster

“It’s so outrageous and so offensive that we’re celebrating it on that day of invasion,” she said.

“I do like to celebrate First Nations art and culture on that day but that is itself a bit of a protest.”

To keep investors on-side, PAG has made a concerted effort to shy away from gambling revenue. So far, the firm has opted not to acquire pubs that generate more than 15 per cent of revenue from gaming.

However, many AVC venues provide access to poker machines.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine argued that the AVC’s reliance on poker mach­ines left its other moral stances an act of hypocrisy.

“Where’s their morals to tell us what is right and wrong,” Mr Mundine asked. “They run gambling dens within their pubs and clubs. What is their right to … be the voice of morality and ethics, they’ve got none.

“They’re dancing on thin ice.”