Australia Day: Let’s unite ‘on day we become a republic’, says Matt Thistlethwaite

The government has flagged changing Australia Day from January 26 to a day that ‘all Australians could unite around’ if the nation goes on to embrace removing the King as its head of state.

Anthony Albanese unveils a new portrait of King Charles in Canberra on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The government has flagged changing Australia Day from January 26 to a day that “all Australians could unite around” if the nation goes on to embrace removing the King as its head of state.

Spokesman for the republic Matt Thistlethwaite said he recognised that “for many Australians, particularly First Nations Australians, it is a difficult day and it’s not a day that they do feel pride and wish to celebrate”.

“In my view, perhaps in the ­future, we could look to an alternative,” he told Sky News.

“And in my view, that alternative could be if Australians in the future vote to become a republic and we recognise our true independence and maturity as a ­nation.

“That would … be a day that all Australians could unite around and something that would be a day we can all celebrate.”

Mr Thistlethwaite clarified that Australia Day was the “national day” and that the government did not currently have “any plans to change” it.

Anthony Albanese said he “respected” the decision of people not to celebrate Australia Day.

“Today is a difficult day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that is acknowledged,” he said after a citizenship ceremony on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.

But the Prime Minister said he had “no proposal” to change the date at this point and his government would pursue one “major change” this term – the Indigenous voice to parliament.

The citizenship ceremony attended by Mr Albanese was opened by Aunty Violet Sheridan, who used her welcome to country to urge Australians to support the voice.

“We need to take a look at ­ourselves and make change for the future,” she said.

Opposition citizenship spokesman Dan Tehan told The Australian that Mr Albanese needed to be “upfront with the Australian ­people” about whether a date change was on the cards and said that the government was allowing Australia Day to be undermined.

“Was he being honest with them when he said he had no plans to change the date of Australia Day?” he said.

“What we’ve seen over the last couple of months is the new government allowing Australia Day to be undermined.

“This is all about tearing something down. It’s not about building something up. And that is a great shame.”

It follows the Finance Department sending out a memo on the eve of Australia Day to staff of all MPs giving them the option to swap public holidays in agreement with their offices, in line with similar moves from corporate Australia this year.

NSW Liberal senator Hollie Hughes said the vast majority of Australians supported maintaining Australia Day and only “a very small group” was pushing Invasion Day rallies.

“Maybe we do need to put a referendum at the same time, or a plebiscite, when it comes to Australia Day and just quash this issue for once in all,” she told Sky News.

Among those who became Australian citizens in Canberra on Thursday was Iranian environmental scientist Mahdiyeh ­Razeghi, who wore a headband with the name of Mahsa Amini emblazoned across it – the woman who was killed by morality police in September 2022.

“I will be putting my family in Iran at risk for sure with this, but you have to do what is right,” she told The Australian.

Ms Razeghi said she had told Mr Albanese that Australia needed to do more against the Iranian regime with further sanctions, and by kicking out the Iranian ambassador and classing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation, as other countries had done.