Greens: Turnbull Government Shouldn’t Interfere With Fremantle’s Australia Day Decision

Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert and Lynn MacLaren MLC said today that the interefering with Fremantle’s decision to mover Australia Day is a significant overreach by the Turnbull Government and should not be occurring.

“The Turnbull Government threatening to ban citizen ceremonies in Fremantle because they do not agree with the City of Fremantle kick-starting an important conversation about cultural inclusivity is inappropriate, bullying and sets a dangerous precedent,” Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

Senator Siewert urged the Turnbull Government to unwind its threat and leave Fremantle to continue with decisions that it believes represents its community.

Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren commended the Fremantle Council for not caving in to threats by the Turnbull Government. Ms MacLaren also commented that Fremantle has weathered strong reactions to their decision and the fact remains that both Aboriginal and non-Indigenous, “Australians have been asking for this for a long time – it’s a conversation that needed to be had,” said Ms MacLaren.