Australia Day date change debate heads to Senate

The debate over whether Australia Day should be moved from January 26 is set to play out in the Senate.

Members of the public hold flags at an Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony

Members of the public hold flags at an Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony Source: AAP/Mick Tsikas

The national debate over whether to change the date of Australia Day is set to play out in federal parliament.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert has given notice of a motion she will move in the Senate this week calling for the date to be changed to acknowledge January 26 as a day of mourning for indigenous Australians.

Meanwhile Nationals senator John "Wacka" Williams will move a separate motion calling on the Senate to confirm Australia Day will continue to be celebrated on January 26.

The debate over whether to change the date overshadowed this year's Australia Day celebrations with tens of thousands marching in protests across the nation's capital cities calling for change.


Share
Published 8 February 2017 7:36am
Updated 8 February 2017 7:52am
Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world