Shorten breaks Australia Day silence

Bill Shorten says that while he is on the record as supporting January 26, he can respect people with different views.

More than half of Australians don’t understand the significance of January 26. Picture: Rob Leeson.

Most Australians don’t mind which date Australia Day is celebrated, but fewer than half could name the First Fleet when asked why January 26 is the current date, according to a recent poll.

The poll of 1417 people conducted by the left-leaning Australia Institute found 56 per cent of Australians do not mind when Australia Day is held.

When asked to choose which date Australia Day should be marked, fewer than a quarter chose the current date from a range of options.

Half agreed that Australia Day should not be celebrated on a day that is offensive to indigenous Australians, while 36 per cent disagreed.

However, only 37 per cent agreed that the current date of Australia Day was offensive to indigenous Australians, while 46 per cent disagreed.

Australia Day is currently held on January 26 to mark the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships on January 26, 1788.

Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Minister Alan Tudge said the lack of knowledge about the historic reasons for January 26 showed a need for better education.

“I think that shows that we should be doing everything possible to teach more Australians about the importance of our heritage: our indigenous heritage, our British heritage and indeed the multiculturalism which has been part of Australia particularly in the last few decades,” he told ABC radio.

Mr Tudge rejected calls for the date of Australia Day to change.

“Previous polls show that Australians are very happy celebrating on the 26th of January because it is a great, unifying moment for this country where we celebrate our history,” he said.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale, who recently stepped up the campaign to change the date, said the Australia Institute poll showed why it was necessary.

“What it does demonstrate is there’s a great opportunity here to move the nation forward, to choose the day that allows us to celebrate all of the great things that it means to be Australian,” Senator Di Natale told ABC radio.

Australia Institute deputy director Ebony Bennett said no clear answer had emerged from the poll about an alternative date.

“Some people chose when Australia was named Australia. Some people chose events that haven’t happened yet, like signing a treaty with the Aboriginal people of Australia, or when Australia becomes a republic, so I think that’s still a live debate, but it shows that people are willing to engage in that debate,” Ms Bennett told ABC radio.

“I think we are looking at still quite a divisive debate that’s not in any way settled.”

Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi said he’d like to see the questions asked before commenting on the poll, but questioned the priorities of those calling for a date change.

“Can I say, there are so many more important issues that this country needs to be talking about,” Senator Bernardi told ABC radio.

“The cost of living for people is extraordinary, we’ve got a jobs crisis for many people, they’re worried about how they’re going to put food on the table, electricity prices that are out of control, we’ve got a government that sort of seems to be spiralling from one crisis to another.

“There doesn’t seem to be a consistent vision for where we’re going to be in the future, and we open up 2018 with a debate led by the Greens, very divisive, about flying the flag at half-mast on Australia Day.

“I have a different view. If Australia Day is on the 26th of January, we should be celebrating and we should be going out there and saying, you know, we’re not a perfect country but we’re so much better than so many others, and we’re doing a really good job here.

“Let’s celebrate our culture, let’s celebrate the uniting values, let’s have a beer, have a barbie, play some music, just go out and enjoy it and embrace your fellow Australians.”

Senator Bernardi has controversially launched his own Spotify playlist to counter ABC youth radio station Triple J’s decision to move its annual Hottest 100 Australian music countdown from Australia Day, prompting a scathing response form some of the artists featured.