A Wurundjeri elder has praised two Melbourne councils for their stance on January 26 and says the Federal Government is out of touch with the community.

This month, both the Yarra City Council and the Darebin Council in Melbourne voted to stop referring to January 26 as Australia Day and to not hold a citizen ship ceremony on that day.

Wurundjeri man Colin Hunter says January 26 isn’t an inclusive day and an alternative day should be agreed on by the whole country.

 

 

The move brought condemnation from the Federal Government who revoked the right of both councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on any day.

As another Council, now in Adelaide, explores whether they will follow Yarra and Darebin, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce described the move as “garbage” and accused the councils of social engineering and said they should stick to “rubbish and roads”

Mr Hunter says the Federal Government is out of touch.

 

(IMAGE: https://pixabay.com/en/australia-indigenous-oceania-1157503/)