A fired-up Jacqui Lambie has slammed indigenous singer Dan Sultan over his calls for the date of Australia Day to be changed.
The Tasmanian senator’s passionate defence of the current date came after Sultan had described it as ‘racist’ and a ‘day of mourning’ for indigenous people.
During the heated exchange Ms Lambie said the date of Australia Day should not be moved from January 26, and called for unity instead.
A fired-up Jacqui Lambie (pictured) has slammed indigenous singer Dan Sultan over his calls for the date of Australia Day to be changed
The Tasmanian senator’s passionate defence of the current date came after Sultan (pictured) had described it as ‘racist’ and a ‘day of mourning’ for indigenous people
‘Everyone needs to put their difference aside,’ she said on the ABC’s Q&A.
‘You know what? Someone else will pick another day, and then someone, they’ll be a minority group come up and say “We don’t like that day.” When’s this going to stop?
‘When are we going to stop fighting and arguing and [have] unity?’ she asked.
‘When we start talking about it, when we come together,’ replied the musician.
During the heated exchange Ms Lambie (pictured left next to Attorney General George Brandis, Dan Sultan is on the right) said the date of Australia Day should not be moved from January 26, and called for unity instead
‘We have been talking about it, mate, we’ve been talking about it for years, it’s like reconciliation, and I don’t agree with you,’ the senator responded.
While she was speaking Sultan said: ‘January 26 is the wrong date,’ and ‘It’s not a matter of opinion, it’s fact.’
‘That is the Australia Day, that’s the way it goes, just because it doesn’t suit a minority the rest of us should not have to pay the price,’ Ms Lambie continued.
‘It’s history, it’s not an opinion,’ countered the Aboriginal artist.
Host Tony Jones then interjected and ended the exchange, saying: ‘Sorry, we’ve had this experience before of people talking over each other so we’ll try not to let that happen.’
‘That is the Australia Day, that’s the way it goes, just because it doesn’t suit a minority the rest of us should not have to pay the price,’ Ms Lambie (pictured in the Senate) said
Sultan (pictured at the ARIA Awards) had earlier called the date of Australia Day wrong and ‘racist’
The last time Ms Lambie appeared on the Q&A panel she was involved in a fiery debate about sharia law with Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
The clash between Sultan and Ms Lambie came after the singer had replied to a question asking whether there should be a national day at all.
Sultan said he believed it is important to have an Australia Day, but January 26 ‘started the ongoing genocide of our people’.
He said the current day excluded indigenous Australians and anyone with ‘sympathy or empathy towards our story’.
The last time Ms Lambie (pictured in the Senate) appeared on the Q&A panel she was involved in a fiery debate about sharia law with Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied
The singer-songwriter also called the date ‘racist’ saying it has always been that way, and referred to it as a ‘day of mourning’.
Later in the program Sultan praised the senator and said he had a lot of respect for her.
‘Although I don’t always agree with you, with her, I think she’s great, the way she goes about it,’ he said.
‘I think most of the time she’s got a very good heart and I think she wears it on her sleeve.’
Ms Lambie showed a softer tone later in the panel also, saying she would support an additional plaque be added to the Captain Cook statue in Sydney’s Hyde Park.
Later in the program Sultan (pictured at the Aria Awards) praised the senator and said he had a lot of respect for her