Australia Day: Politicians set for celebrations as public sentiment on national day shifts

Anthony Albanese says he will “absolutely” be celebrating Australia Day, saying it’s a “wonderful thing” just days after a new poll revealed support for the public holiday had risen.

The Prime Minister made the comments on the eve of the Australia Day long weekend, saying he firmly believed in celebrating “the best country on Earth”.

“The citizenship ceremony, seeing the joy on people pledging their allegiance to our country, is something that lifts me up every year,” he told the National Press Club on Friday.

The national day has become one of the most divisive on the calendar, owing to heated debate around whether January 26, commemorating the landing of the first fleet, is an appropriate day to celebrate. Many First Nations Australians instead considering it a day of mourning.

But a recent poll from Resolve showed that public support for the national day had grown from 47 to 61 per cent over the past two years.

The results come as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made a promise to enshrine January 26 as Australia’s national holiday in law if he were to be elected prime minister in 2025.

“It’ll be done in the first 100 days and it will be a sign of pride and nationalism in our country. I want us as a population to be united,” he told reporters.

Mr Albanese said the public holiday was a chance for Aussies to appreciate what we have built as a nation.

“There’s nowhere better to be on Australia Day than at citizenship ceremonies,” he said.

“The Australia Day Awards tomorrow night are an inspiration every year. And the citizenship ceremony, seeing the joy on people pledging their allegiance to our country, is something that lifts me up every year.

“And the other thing that happens at Australia Day is there is a focus on the fullness and richness of our history, including the fact that we all share this continent with the oldest continuous culture on Earth and what a privilege it is.”

Mr Dutton told The Nightly he believed Australia was worth celebrating, especially on Australia Day.

“As Australians, we have every reason to be patriotic and proud,” he said.

“To be an Australian is to have won the lottery of life — and on Australia Day, we should be proud.”

Mr Dutton urged Aussies everywhere not to be afraid of celebrating on Sunday.

“I hope all Australians spend a moment of quiet reflection on Australia Day and think about the great nation we have become and that our best days are ahead of us. Let’s celebrate the greatest country on earth,” he said.

Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley said Australia Day was “an opportunity to proudly celebrate our country for being the best country in the world,” Ms Ley said.

“It is also a day to reflect on the fact that Australia’s incredible story has been written by countless Australians from our Indigenous community and first settlers to our newest migrants who have overcome big challenges to create the country we all inherit today.

“Australia Day is our national day, it is a day of pride for all us and it belongs to all of us.

“I came here as a migrant in the 1970s and instantly knew this was the greatest place on earth. Every day since, I’ve been reminded of how lucky I am to be an Australian.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said it was “time to have a sense of pride about our nation”.

“It’s a time to engage in our local communities and to celebrate them as well. And that’s what I’ll be doing this weekend.

“I think you’ll see poll numbers wax and wane from year to year. At the end of the day, ours is a country which is worth celebrating. This is the day on which we do it.”

But as Australia Day neared, police in separate states were investigating attacks on statues of former prime ministers, with two decapitated and one of James Cook coated in blood-coloured paint.

Prime Ministers Avenue in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens is home to 20 bronze busts of former prime ministers and was severely vandalised in an early morning attack on Thursday.

The busts of former Labor prime ministers Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd are both understood to have been decapitated, with reports suggesting their bronze heads were stolen after the incident.

The remains of the busts have been seen covered with tarpaulins as police investigate.

In another incident on Friday, this time in the inner east suburb of Randwick, police are investigating the vandalism of a statue of James Cook.

The statue, on Belmore Road, was coated in red paint when police arrived on Friday morning following reports of damage.

Multiple items were located at the scene, with police seizing the unknown items as part of their investigation.

“A crime scene has been established, which will be forensically examined by specialist police,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.

Earlier on Friday, NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley admitted tensions stoked by an anti-Semitic crime wave could be heightened when the nation marked Australia Day, which has been the focus of large-scale protests in recent years.

“Of course it could (exacerbate tensions),” she told ABC radio on Friday.

“But let me tell you this, the NSW Police will be out in force.”

Investigators were also following every line of inquiry to find those responsible for the anti-Semitic attacks, Ms Catley added.