Today Show host Karl Stefanovic backflips on his ‘change the date’ stance

Karl Stefanovic appears to have changed his mind on the Australia Day debate.

The Today show host said in 2017 it was important to ‘change the date’ from January 26 after speaking to people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

But on Wednesday, the 47-year-old shared a photo to Instagram of himself, his wife Jasmine and their daughter Harper celebrating Australia Day in the Sutherland Shire.

Karl told his Today co-host Allison Langdon on Thursday he’d had a ‘terrific’ time with his family on Australia Day.

‘You looked like you had a pretty good time yesterday,’ Allison said.

Karl responded: ‘I had a pretty good time actually. It was terrific.

‘Had a bit of time on the little pontoon boat, dingy all tied up down at the Shire near Sydney, and we had a great afternoon.’

Comments: Karl said in 2017 it was important to ‘change the date’ from January 26 after speaking to people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Back in 2017, Karl called for Australia Day to be moved from January 26 to New Year’s Day out of respect for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

He addressed the controversial topic with an impassioned speech, arguing a date change was necessary if the country wants to move forward and heal from its past.

‘If we are to truly follow through with the apology and move forward together, hand in hand, arm in arm, then I believe it must change. So let’s do it together, certainly lets debate it together,’ he said.

‘On a much lighter note, the 26th is a rubbish day for a party anyway – whoever had a party on the 26th of anything? So, my suggestion is move Australia Day to January 1. That way, we get to combine New Year’s with another party.’

Celebration: On Wednesday, the 47-year-old shared a photo to Instagram of himself, his wife Jasmine and their daughter Harper celebrating Australia Day in the Sutherland Shire

Karl said he initially didn’t think changing the date was the right decision, but that he ‘changed [his] mind’ after speaking to First Nations Australians’

Australia Day is often referred to as Invasion Day by many Indigenous people, who say it is not a day of celebration but of mourning.

The date when the First Fleet arrived to colonise Australia in 1788 – January 26 – has in recent years caused widespread controversy amid calls to ‘change the date’.

Divided: Australia Day is often referred to as Invasion Day by Indigenous people, who say it is not a day of celebration but of mourning. Karl is seen with his Today co-host Allison Langdon