Federal Government to force local councils to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies

The federal government has moved to force councils to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26th. It comes as a handful of municipalities voted to move events, saying it's out of respect for Indigenous people. Some have backed the move, while others believe the government isn't keeping up with the shift in public sentiment.

Australian citizenship recipients and their guests attend a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day in Brisbane, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017. Source: AAP

Labor leader Bill Shorten has accused the federal government of playing politics with Australia Day.

It comes as the Morrison government has revised the citizenship code, forcing every council to hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.

The new code will not be enforced until 2020.