Another Australia Day has passed. For those who don’t know, Australia Day was on Sunday 26 January (AEST).
On New Year’s Day, I wrote this tweet:
And this year, Australia Day didn’t disappoint. People were outraged when 2021’s Australian of the Year, Grace Tame met Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese wearing a ‘F*** Murdoch’ t-shirt. That’s a reference to the CEO of Newscorp and Fox News, Rupert Murdoch.
Tame defended her clothing choice, saying she wore the shirt to “speak truth to power”.
She told the ABC:
One thing that I think unites us is that we want to make progress and a huge roadblock to making progress is the fact… the world for far too long, has been ruled by disproportunately, morbidly wealthy, corporate oligarchs
(‘Grace Tame, former Australian of the Year, meets Anthony Albanese in anti – Murdoch shirt’, ABC, Evelyn Manfield/ Monte Bovill, 25 January 2025)
Grace Tame is a sex abuse survivor and advocate. In 2022, she slammed then – Prime Minister, Scott Morrison for his and the LIberal National Party’s response to sexual assault allegations and a toxic workplace.
After an outcry from members of the public, Albanese addressed the incident:
People were just there , one by one, rolling through, being welcomed. And [Tame’s shirt], was clearly designed to get attention because I do think that it takes away from what the day should be about, which is the amazing people who were nominated as Australians of the Year.
(‘Albanese criticises Grace Tame for her “F— Murdoch” t – shirt”, Michelle Griffin/ Millie Muroi, Sydney Morning Herald, updated 27 January 2025).
Tame hit back at Albanese, arguing that the Murdoch media is more offensive. She made claims that Murdoch media dodges taxes, responsible for destabilising democracies and destroying the earth.
Other controversies
Again, debates raged about whether councils should carry out Citizenship Ceremonies on 26 January. Opposition leader, Peter Dutton swore that he’d force councils to conduct the ceremonies on that day if he won this year’s Federal Election. Dutton. also blasted Albanese for tip – toeing around the issue.
Dutton, himself, went to a citizenship ceremony in Brisbane, Queensland.
Companies, such as Woolworths reversed recent decision not to sell Australia Day merchandise.
The Israel- Palestine conflict has become intertwined withvthe debate. Pro – Palestinian protesters view the plight of Palestinians the same as the battle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander has had against British colonisers.
Opinions of readers of Melbourne’s The Age were mixed:
Think about the worst trauma that your family has suffered, in the near or distant past, then imagine how it would feel if you were expected to celebrate that event on that day every year. When a change of date would make such a difference, why are we being so mean – spirited and thoughless in causing repeated grief to our First Nations people
(Grace Brisbane – Webb, Skye, The Age, 27 January 2025)
Are our state (sic) and federal (sic) Labor governments so tone deaf that they cannot read the room and hear the mood of most Australians? No to the Voice, changing the date of Australia Day, to anti – semitism (sic), to the disruptive behaviour of destructive protesters, and a very big no to the relentless leftist, woke, progressive insanity of Labor’s pursuit of idealism over commonsense. For anyone in doubt, just check the views of the silent majority reflected in recent polls in every state (sic).
(Peter Baulch, Safety Beach, The Age 27 January 2025).
Honestly, I’m getting tired of this endless debate. I hope we can get to a point where we can be united. Where we can celebrate where we are and be excited for the future. Can we reach a resolution by next year?