Australia Day debate: Premier Mark McGowan reveals why he believes the time is not right to change the date

Premier Mark McGowan says the “consensus isn’t there yet” for changing the date of Australia Day, but thinks “that it should be a respectful conversation”. Mr McGowan’s comments at the City of Wanneroo’s citizenship ceremony this morning — the biggest in the country — came after an editorial in The West Australian last week arguing in favour of exploring a new date. The editorial prompted West Coast Eagles star Nic Naitanui to reveal his support for the idea, with WA Labor MPs Josh Wilson and Sue Lines also coming out in support for a “more inclusive date”. “Look, the Commonwealth Government has said it’s not going to happen, so that’s a Commonwealth Government decision,” Mr McGowan said today. “Obviously any conversations around this need to be sensitively handled, because some people across the community feel very strongly about the issue. “I just think that the consensus isn’t there yet for this issue, but I do think that it should be a respectful conversation.” More than 1000 people from 65 countries made the pledge at the Wanneroo Showgrounds to become Australian citizens today. It was the largest council-led citizenship ceremony in Australia for the seventh year in a row. Mr McGowan said it was exciting to share with them the experience of becoming fully-fledged Aussies. “It’s a very big decision to move to another country and then take up citizenship. And I’d like to congratulate everyone across Western Australia who has done that,” he said. “It’s exciting for you and it’s exciting for your descendants, because Western Australia is the best State in the greatest country in the world, and we are a very fortunate group of people.” In his speech to the crowd, Mr McGowan acknowledged the bushfire tragedy in the Eastern States, saying it was a “remarkable time to become and Australian”. “We have just been through and are currently going through one of the most traumatic non-war-time periods of Australian history,” he said. “We know that bushfires are a fact of life in Australia, but they have become in recent months, very, very difficult and tragic for many communities across our country. “What they have also shown is the very best qualities of what it is to be an Australian. “Courage and bravery in the face of adversity. Resilience of spirit. A sense of humour even in the darkest of times. We see compassion and empathy from all Australians, towards those people who have been impacted. Those who have lost their homes, their communities, or even worse, their loved ones.” Among the freshly minted Aussie citizens today was Scott Polly, 35, who moved to Australia from Napier in New Zealand eight years ago, and made the pledge with his fiancé Kat Helmis and one-year-old daughter Zephyr watching on. “Australia is home now, all my family is Australian, I’m the only one that’s not” he said. “We are going to spend the rest of our lives (here), we have a business here, we have a house together, I’d like to have a right to vote and to be a part of the system really, so then you can have a say.” Mr Polly said he was “proud to become an Australian”. Asked about the discussion around changing the date of Australia Day, Mr Polly said he thought the date should remain. “I probably don’t have a deep-seeded history in why I should have an opinion, but my personal one, from the short time I’ve been here, (is that) I don’t have a problem with it being on the 26th. “It’s the day I become an Australian so I’m not going to hide the fact that I’m proud of that, but it’s a very divisive subject I suppose.” Mother-of-two Vivi Juma, 29, said life had been “perfect” since moving to Perth from Sudan eight years ago. “I got married to my husband … we had two kids, we bought a house, life is good,” she said. “(Life is) 100 times better. “I love this country, I love Australia, I love the lifestyle, everything. We are happy to live here.” Lilian Siviour, 40, moved to Australia from Tanzania 12 years ago to study, before meeting her Australian husband. Ms Siviour said she “loved Australia” and becoming an Australian citizen meant a lot to her. “My husband is an Aussie, so for me to become an Australian is a big thing for me,” she said. “I love the people, I love the climate and the culture.” Asked about the debate around changing the date for celebrating Australia Day, Ms Siviour said she thought the date should stay. As well as Mr McGowan, several other dignitaries were in attendance at the Wanneroo ceremony, including Opposition Leader Liza Harvey, Attorney-General Christian Porter, and former WA Governor Kerry Sanderson.