Australia Day change ‘coming’

The Australia Day Council’s former vice-chair says it is time to change the date of Australia Day.

Former Australia Day Council co-chair Shelley Reys. Picture: John Feder

The Australia Day Council’s former vice-chair says it is time to change the date of Australia Day.

Shelley Reys, a Djiribul woman of far north Queensland who is a KPMG partner and board member, says she considers anyone who supports dumping January 26 as Australia Day to be among the proudest Australians.

Ms Reys makes the case for an alternative to January 26 in an essay in The Australian on Friday as the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria – an elected body negotiating a treaty with the Andrews government – begins its second annual social media campaign about the hurt caused by the annual celebration.

However, From the Heart – a campaign for an Indigenous voice – is firmly focused on the coming referendum. The organisation opted not to comment on the Australia Day debate on Thursday

Ms Reys said that as vice-chair of the National Australia Day Council in 2006, she encouraged states, territories and local governments to consider First Nations’ perspectives by making their celebrations more inclusive. She was hoping to see more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in planning, the introduction of traditional welcomes, smoking ceremonies and a conversation about a possible change of date and what that might look like.

“Today, I’m pleased to say that First Nations people and their perspectives are a greater part of every Australia Day. And I’m equally pleased to say that the conversation on changing the date is no longer a fanciful, outlier topic but has become a movement unto itself,” Ms Reys writes in The Australian.

“First Nations voices are no longer working alone, as a vast number of people – those involved in ‘the people’s movement’ for reconciliation – join the call for a date that is a better fit for who we are and what we hope to become.

“Now it’s time to take the next step. It’s time to move beyond the conversation and take a brave stance. We need to change the date,” she added.

Ms Reys said it was not true that “if you support a change of date, you’re not a proud Australian – everyone who has taken the time to form a view on this topic is engaged in being Australian”.

“The date is intrinsic to who we are, what we’ve become and the kind of future we want to carve for ourselves, as Australians. I consider anyone who supports a change of date to be amongst the proudest.”

Some of the nation’s biggest companies have quietly begun offering their staff the opportunity to work on the Australia Day public holiday and take another day off instead. Advocates see this as proof of the growing support for changing the date.

Telstra and Woodside Energy allow staff to swap January 26 for another day that is significant for them. Similar policies have been instituted at consulting giants ­Deloitte, KPMG and EY.