Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has no plans to reinstate Melbourne’s Australia Day parade and is making other moves to downgrade the date’s importance.
Victorian public servants will be given the option to work on January 26 and take a different day off while a popular Australia Day Ambassadors program is losing most of its state government support.
While the parade, which was scrapped by former premier Dan Andrews four years ago during the Covid pandemic, remains off the table the Allan Labor government will mark the national day in other ways.
These include the annual 21-gun salute at the Shrine of Remembrance, a RAAF flyover and the Flag Raising Ceremony and Open Day at Government House.
First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Co-Chair Ngarra Murray told the Herald Sun it was right to scrap the parade permanently.
‘The Aboriginal community has a range of views on January 26, but whichever way you look at it, it’s a day of mourning for a lot of our people,’ he said.
‘So, it’s not a date to celebrate.’
Thousands of government employees working for Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet will get the option of taking another day off if they feel uncomfortable about the date.
Victorian premier Jacinta Allan has no plans to reinstate Melbourne ‘s Australia Day parade and is making other moves to downgrade the date’s importance (stock image)
‘We also recognise that January 26 means different things to different people,’ a spokesperson said.
‘On this day, we encourage conversation and reflection on the different meanings of the day for all Victorians.’
Industry groups have expressed concern that this will set a precedent for the private sector.
The state government is also withdrawing most of its support from the long-running Victorian Australian Day Ambassadors Program.
The program, where outstanding community members are appointed as Australia Day Ambassadors, will no longer be primarily managed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Ambassadors were sent emails in November informing them it would be up to local councils and communities to organise events featuring them.
Comedian Lawrence Mooney, who has been an Australia Day ambassador for more than two decades, said he was not surprised by the decision as Dan Andrews had previously shunned all events.
He said the move was a shame because ambassador events particularly in more remote regions always demonstrated ‘huge community spirit, great joy and happiness’.
A government spokesman said the change was to create local ambassadors that ‘reflect and resonate’ with their communities.
They said a trial of the decentralised program had received good feedback.
If councils or towns could not find a local ambassador they could still contact the Department of Premier and Cabinet for help.
Previous ambassadors included Christine Nixon, David Mann, Dr Sally Cockburn, George Donikian, Greg Evans, Lisa Edwards, Brendan Nottle, Nathaniel Diong, Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico and Sue Stanley.
The National Australia Day Council has approved Victorian government’s changes to the Ambassador Program.
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