Australia Day citizenship ceremonies a federal decision, Dutton says

Peter Dutton is calling on Anthony Albanese to “stand up to mayors” of local councils not holding citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day, and force them to do so.

A growing number of councils have opted to drop ceremonies on January 26 since the Albanese government loosened rules around when they can be held around the national day.

To do so, Labor overturned a former Coalition government’s directive stripping councils of their right to hold citizenship ceremonies at all if they would not hold one on Australia Day.

The Opposition Leader said on Tuesday holding citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day should be federally mandated.

“The decision should be a federal act and the direction should be given by the federal government,” Mr Dutton told reporters.

“And the Prime Minister, as we have seen in a number of decisions he has made over the term of this parliament, has made decisions he thinks will be popular with left inner-city Green voters because in his seat he is most at risk from the Greens, and that’s what seems to dominate the Prime Minister’s every thought.”

Asked if he would legislate January 26 Australia Day, Mr Dutton said: “I’m happy to look at the suggestion and we have to make sure we continue to be proud of who we are as a country.”

Currently, councils can hold Australia Day ceremonies three days before or after January 26.

Announcing the changes in December 2022, the Albanese government said the decision removed red tape.

The government said councils were moving away from January 26 ceremonies because it cost more to hold them on a public holiday.

But some councils have been vocal about their opposition to marking Australia Day on January 26.

The date marks the date the First Fleet established a settlement at Sydney Cove, marking the beginning of Britain’s colonisation of Australia, and is broadly seen by Indigenous Australians as a day of mourning.

Mr Dutton said there were “millions of Australians who have made the migrant journey to our country, they have enriched this country, and for many of them, Australia Day is sacrosanct because they were sworn in, they became citizens on that day”.

“And we have an incredible Indigenous history, which we should celebrate,” he said.

“We have an incredible migrant story, and we should celebrate that as well.”