Change ‘divisive’ Australia Day, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff says

Tasmania’s Jeremy Rockliff backs shifting Australia Day to a less ‘divisive’ date, and an Indigenous voice to federal parliament.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff in Hobart. Picture: Chris Kidd

Tasmania’s Liberal Premier has backed shifting Australia Day to a less “divisive” date, as well as an Indigenous voice to federal parliament, in comments hailed as a “turning point”.

After attending a Reconciliation Week event, Jeremy Rockliff on Wednesday said he was concerned January 26 had become “increasingly divisive”, backing a shift to the last weekend in January.

“Australia Day is a national conversation and one that I am increasingly concerned is becoming increasingly divisive,” Mr Rockliff told state parliament.

He favoured “bringing people together … to unite and celebrate Australia Day, on a day that we can all unite”.

Mr Rockliff, a Liberal moderate, supported a shift to a new long weekend focused on the last weekend in January.

“We recognise the national day is a day that needs to be facilitated and discussed at a commonwealth level (but) I want to make my views clear,” he said.

After hearing an address by Uluru Statement from the Heart signatory Thomas Mayor in Hobart, he said he also backed enshrining an Indigenous voice to federal parliament in the Constitution.

He was also “deeply committed to delivering an Aboriginal-led treaty and truth telling pathway”.

His comments were welcomed as a “turning point” by Aboriginal groups, amid calls for the state to go it alone and shift state Australia Day celebrations while awaiting a national change.

“It was incredibly heartening to hear that Premier Rockliff has recognised Australia Day as a divisive day for lutruwita/Tasmania,” said Rebecca Digney, manager of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania.

“For a very long time, palawa/pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) people have taken to the streets each Australia Day to tell the broader public what the day represents to us.

 “Over the years, those street marches have grown in size and support, and now today we have witnessed the second Tasmanian Premier comment on the inappropriateness of celebrating on January 26.”
Along with some Labor MPs, Ms Digney urged state-level action, in-line with unilateral decisions by several local governments in Tasmania.

“We’ve seen how other small communities have led the way in standing with Aboriginal people,” she said. “It started with Flinders Island Council, and the Launceston City Council followed suit, we’ve also seen support from Hobart City Council.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if the state government took action to stand with us, too? There is absolutely no reason lutruwita/Tasmania cannot lead the nation in changing the date.”