Australia Day ambassador Peter Yates says moving citizenship ceremonies is a ‘mistake’

A Surf Coast Australia Day ambassador believes local councils are “encouraging controversy” by not hosting citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

Peter Yates has been appointed Australia Day ambassador for the Surf Coast. Picture: David Smith.

An Australia Day ambassador for the Surf Coast believes the Shire, and other councils like it, are “encouraging controversy” by not hosting citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

Businessman and philanthropist Peter Yates AM, who lives in Anglesea and once ran Kerry Packer’s media empire, was announced as an Australia Day ambassador on Friday.

The Australia Day ambassador program sends high-achieving Australians – nominated by community members and ticked off by a national council – to Australia Day celebrations across the country.

Mr Yates will give a speech at Anglesea’s Australia Day event, run by the Lions Club.

Arriving in Australia aged seven in 1967 as a £10 Pom, Mr Yates and his three brothers have made the most of their adopted homeland.

One brother, Mark is a respected doctor in Ballarat, while Tom was Consul-General in Libya when Gaddafi was ousted and Oliver ran against Josh Frydenberg as an independent in the 2019 election.

A banker-turned-executive himself, Mr Yates has worn many hats including executive director at Macquarie Bank and deputy chairman of Myer Family Investments.

Mr Yates has also been involved with non-profit organisations including the Australian Science Media Centre and the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

“Other countries don’t accept immigrants or afford them the same opportunity as Australia does,” he said.

“That’s why I’m delighted and honoured to be an ambassador for Australia Day.”

Surf Coast Shire previously announced it will no longer host citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, a move Mr Yates believes is a “mistake”.

“I think a citizenship ceremony, when done on your nation’s day, is always going to have slightly more meaning,” he said.

Mr Yates said he wasn’t sure what “mandate” local councils had moving citizenship ceremonies, noting the Federal government grants citizenship status.

“They (local councils) only have the right to give citizenships out if they choose to because it’s given to them,” he said.

“I’m passionate about diversity and I think they’re making a mistake; they are playing one card against the other.

“Rather than encouraging diversity, they’re actually encouraging controversy.”

Mr Yates said he understood the concern regarding the date and its history, but the debate took away from Australia’s ability to celebrate as a unified nation.

“I think the concern around the date is legitimate,” he said.

“The issue we have, and it’s fair enough, is there is a not insignificant group in our community who say, ‘well, actually, why do we have the day when Australia was first settled by the British as our national day?’”

“My perspective at the moment is that there’s only one day when we’re allowed to celebrate Australia … it’s important that we celebrate being Australian and we celebrate what our country’s achieved.

“Do I think that we should move forward? Yes, I do. I think we need to have a new day and a new way.”

The Shire council resolved in 2021 to no longer celebrate January 26 as Australia Day.

The Shire now hosts a truth-telling event in collaboration with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners.

Originally published as Australia Day ambassador Peter Yates says moving citizenship ceremonies is a ‘mistake’