INDIGO Shire mayor Jenny O’Connor wants the date of Australia Day changed, saying January 26 “has a lot of sadness attached to it for our first peoples”.
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Though the past Greens federal and Victorian election candidate says she has no plans to raise it formally at her council.
“I personally support changing the date, but I also understand if we’re going to do that the community has to be on board and in Indigo Shire I don’t think there’s a united view yet,” she said.
“I would like to see Australia Day celebrations on a day that includes everybody and in particular our first peoples.
“This date has a negative feeling for them and I understand that.
“While there have been many benefits of European settlement it has a lot of sadness attached to it for our first peoples.”
Cr O’Connor’s comments follow Greens federal leader Richard Di Natale saying his party was “redoubling” its effort to change the date of Australia Day
“By throwing our support behind the community groups and local councillors doing the hard yards on the ground, we want to kick start a national conversation about the legacy of January 26th and what a more inclusive Australia Day looks like as part of the process of reconciliation and towards a just settlement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Senator Di Natale said.
However, Cr O’Connor said she was not a Greens member, having not renewed her membership in October and noted changing the date of Australia Day should ultimately be a decision for federal MPs.
“Right now I’m not a member of any political party, I’m the mayor in my own right,” Cr O’Connor said.
“I haven’t renewed my membership because I’ve made it clear that while I’m mayor I don’t want to be seen as party political.”
Cr O’Connor said she had no preferred date in mind as an alternative for Australia Day.
“It would be good to get a date that everybody can feel united on, but I understand any change like this is significant,” she said.
Cr O’Connor will this month mark her second Australia Day as mayor of Indigo by attending functions at Beechworth, Wahgunyah and Kiewa-Tangambalanga.
Albury Greens councillor Amanda Cohn did not reply to The Border Mail on Monday.
On Australia Day last year she supported switching the date in a Facebook post.
“It's time to #changethedate to one we can enjoy together,” Cr Cohn wrote.
“Did you know Australia Day has only been a public holiday on the 26th of January since 1994???”