Indigenous day ‘apartheid’: Greens will intervene to hold citizenship ceremonies

The Greens say that if Scott Morrison won’t let councils hold citizenship ceremonies, their MPs will intervene.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected an indigenous voice in parliament, claiming it would be “seen as a third chamber”. Picture: AAP

Greens MPs have hit back at Scott Morrison’s vow to strip councils which cancel January 26 citizenship ceremonies from their power to hold them, saying they will hold the ceremonies themselves.

The party has also slammed as being like “something out of an apartheid regime” Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s proposal of having a separate day to Australia Day, to celebrate indigenous culture and heritage,

On Monday Mr Morrison accused the Byron Shire Council in northern NSW of “indulgent self-loathing”, when it shifted its Australia Day event forward a day, arguing January 26 marks “the day the cultural decimation and denigration of the First Australians began”.

He stripped the council of their power to hold citizenship ceremonies, following the example of the Turnbull government which resorted to similar measures with Melbourne’s Greens-dominated Darebin and Yarra councils and the Fremantle Council in WA after they shifted their ceremonies last year.

This afternoon the Greens intervened, volunteering their services given all Australian federal MPs have the power to conduct citizenship ceremonies within their own electorate.

Greens indigenous affairs spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said she commended the Byron Council for taking a step “toward truth, justice and healing”.

“Having a “separate day for indigenous people” is something out of an apartheid regime,” Senator Siewert said.

“Councils should not be put off by the bullying coming from Canberra — changing the day we celebrate Australia is one of the first of many steps towards truth, justice and healing.

“Not only is Mr Morrison’s top down approach that no one asked for deeply insulting to First Nations peoples — it’s out of touch with the broader community who also want justice for First Nations people.

Greens Immigration spokesman Nick McKim said councils all over Australia were discussing whether or not it was appropriate to celebrate Australia Day on January 26.

“They should not be stopped by this government’s bullyboy tactics,” Senator McKim said.

“Removing citizenship ceremonies from certain parts of the country is undemocratic and unfair.

“Scott Morrison should end the divisive culture war nonsense and start trying to unite people.”

‘Australia Day ain’t changing’

Mr Morrison earlier said he was not necessarily proposing a new public holiday.

“All I said was this: and I’m happy to have this debate. I think it’s a good discussion to have. I think Australians should have a chat. I simply said that I think it would be good,” Mr Morrison said.

“I was making the point that Australia Day is Australia Day, and that will be the top national holiday of the year.

“Nothing else is sent out to replace or provide an alternative to it. That is the national day where all Australians come together, First Australians to our most recent.

“I then simply said this: that I’m happy to have a chat about how we can have greater recognition and honouring of our indigenous peoples, and we should talk about that.

“Now I haven’t said it’s a public holiday or not a public holiday. I haven’t been so specific. I just think we should have a chat about it, and I think we should, and I haven’t got a problem with that.”

Mr Morrison said he wasn’t afraid of having a discussion or having people disagree with him.

“We can’t turn our back on our history, but equally we don’t have to be down in the mouth about it all the time either,” he said.

“I think we’ve got a lot to celebrate, and I want to celebrate the achievements of indigenous peoples in Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and in the ACT they have a day on the anniversary of the referendum of ’67.

“We have NAIDOC week and a lot of people have said to me we’ve got a lot of these, so let’s just look at it, and are we doing something which sufficiently acknowledges the great contribution and success of our indigenous peoples?

“Some may say yes, some may say no, but I tell you one thing’s for certain: Australia Day ain’t changing.”

Government leader in the Senate Mathias Cormann said people were “getting way ahead of themselves” in expressing concern about potentially having another public holiday.

“The most important point is that Australia Day should continue to be celebrated on the 26th of January, and it should be a day that brings all Australians together, that unites us in celebrating everything that is great about our country, and yes, also reflecting on some of the challenges that we’ve faced throughout our history,” Senator Cormann told Sky News.

“But, what the Prime Minister indicated is that he felt, and I agree with him, that it was appropriate for us to have a national conversation on whether, through a dedicated national day or by some other means, we could appropriately commemorate and mark the significant contribution to our country by indigenous Australians.

“Now this is early days, there’s a lot of conversations to be had, obviously consultations with indigenous Australians, state governments, other stakeholders and indeed business, and let’s see where that takes us.”

Asked whether there was the danger that an extra day to celebrate indigenous culture which was not a public holiday would be seen as a lesser priority than Australia Day, Senator Cormann said he would not comment on hypotheticals.

“You’re now inviting me to provide commentary in relation to something that hasn’t been settled,” he said.

“I resist that, because I don’t think it would be helpful to provide hypothetical comment in relation to a hypothetical position which hasn’t been determined.”

Uluru would be ‘third chamber’

Mr Morrison earlier slammed the Uluru Statement from the Heart as a “third chamber” of parliament, making it clear he does not support calls from indigenous leaders for a constitutionally enshrined representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

The 2017 Uluru Statement was the culmination of a national indigenous public consultation process and proposed a national representative body with the power to advise parliament on laws affecting indigenous Australians.

In October 2017 the Turnbull government rejected the proposal, arguing the body would “inevitably become seen as a third chamber of Parliament” and would not be supported by the majority of australians.

The Joint Select Committee on Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples, co-chaired by NSW Liberal MP Julian Leeser and indigenous WA Labor senator Patrick Dodson has since rejected the argument that the body would represent a third chamber.

In a July report, the committee quoted University of Western Sydney professor Eric Sidoti, who gave evidence at one of several public hearings, as saying any indigenous voice to parliament “would be advisory only and … would have no power to exercise a veto”.

Mr Morrison said the body would effectively be a third chamber.

“It really is, and people can dress it up any way they like, but I think two chambers is enough,” the Prime Minister told ABC radio.

“I think the implications of how this works frankly lead to these same conclusions, and I share the view that I don’t think that that’s a workable proposal, but I also am passionate about the view, as I have been about reconciliation and about working together to ensure we can bring Australians together around these issues, but that doesn’t mean we have to agree on every proposal, but every proposal will be treated with respect and we will find a way forward,” he said.

Kudelka cartoons on Scott Morrison.