By Luke Voogt
Geelong Greens councillor Sarah Mansfield has promised to attend Australia Day events despite a report she could boycott them.
“Although I personally have mixed feelings about 26 January, I will attend events on the day in my role as a councillor,“ she confirmed to the Indy on Thursday.
“Unfortunately, 26 January is a painful day for many Australians. I believe it is important to recognise this and it is good to see that a conversation about this is gaining momentum.“
Geelong’s federal politicians defended the date as the Greens launched a campaign for change, citing offence among Aboriginal Australians.
Labor’s Richard Marles and Liberal Sarah Henderson both wanted Australia Day kept on 26 January.
“The First Fleet landing was an incredibly significant moment and it is the beginning of the immigrant nation that Australia has become,” Mr Marles said.
Celebrating indigenous people was an intergral part of Australia Day but Mr Marles was “mindful“ of their concerns, he said.
“(The First Fleet) also changed the future of indigenous Australians and there’s a lot of pain associated with that.”
Ms Henderson was “disgusted” that changing the date was “the biggest issue on their agenda” for the Greens.
The Greens had “not said one thing” about the recently-released results of a Federal Government inquiry report finding that Aboriginal women suffered terrible rates of violence, she said.
“Because the family violence in some of these communities is so serious women go to (domestic violence) centres where they get locked in for their own safety.”
Ms Henderson believed “very strongly” that 26 January should remain Australians Day but acknowledged that it offended some indigenous people.
