Scott Morrison has vowed to “protect” Australia Day by making all councils hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26.
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, the prime minister revealed he hopes the move will create further respect for the day.
According to the news outlet, the government has changed the citizenship code which will now force all 537 councils to hold the ceremonies – dramatically entrenching January 26 as Australia Day despite huge protests in recent years.
“We believe all councils who are granted the privilege of conducting citizenship ceremonies should be required to conduct a ceremony on Australia Day,” he added.
Morrison said he’s concerned that some councils are craftily dodging the ceremonies with excuses such as poor weather, therefore avoiding upset by calling them off last minute.
He said he hopes this move will “put an end to local councils trying to skirt the rules or playing politics with Australia Day”.
It comes after two Melbourne councils had their right to hold citizenship ceremonies revoked after voting to shun Australia Day ceremonies in favour of’ ‘Invasion Day’ events. Under previous government guidelines, councils could issue citizenships on both the day before and day after January 26 – but that will no longer be the case.
Meanwhile, Morrison’s changes will reportedly also see councils forced to hold a second ceremony on Australian Citizenship Day on September 17 – with a strict dress code.
According to the news outlet, more remote councils without enough new citizens will be exempt from the rules.
The new and revised code will be sent to councils this week but won’t be introduced until 2020, the report added.
Last year more than 70 per cent of councils held citizenship ceremonies on January 26, despite them not being compulsory at the time.
The public holiday is a topic of regular debate as many people question whether it is right to celebrate the day, with some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people instead referring to the day as Invasion Day, marking the invasion by British settlers of lands already owned.
Morrison has made no secret of his determination to keep Australia Day on January 26 in the past and in September he hit out at a council’s decision to move the day, saying: “Indulgent self-loathing does not make Australia stronger. Being honest about the past does – our achievements and our failings.
“We should not rewrite our history. Our modern Australian nation began on January 26, 1788. That is the day to reflect on what we’ve accomplished, what we’ve become and what we still have to achieve. We can do this sensitively, respectfully, proudly and, most importantly, together. That’s my plan.”