Australia Day needs new date, say Greens

The declaration of a republic would make the perfect date for Australia Day, say the Greens.

Australia Day should be moved to the date a republic is declared, says Greens leader Christine Milne.

Senator Milne has reiterated a longstanding Green policy to change the date from January 26.

She says Australians want to celebrate the good things about their country without offending Aboriginal people, who have dubbed the day Invasion Day.

"We would like to see that change," Senator Milne told reporters in Hobart.

"There would an opportunity to do that if Australia was to become a republic.

"That would provide an opportunity to change the date and reframe the day."

Former Greens leader Bob Brown will be among the speakers when the Tasmanian Aboriginal community rallies in Hobart on Sunday calling for a new date for the national celebration.

"Australia is the only nation in the world that celebrates its national day on the date which colonisation occurred," Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre spokeswoman Ruth Langford said.

"We hope that Australians will join with us in recognising that January 26 is an inappropriate day to celebrate nationhood and join us to commemorate this as a reflective day of mourning."

Tasmanian premier Lara Giddings will join Violent Femmes bassman Brian Ritchie, an Australian citizen and Tasmanian resident, in a celebrity ferret race at the Henley-on-Mersey festival in the state's northwest.

The ferrets join wheelbarrows, li-los and ducks at races around Tasmania on Australia Day.

Breakfasts, barbecues and the Sandy Bay Regatta, which began in 1849, will also take place on the island.

More than 330 new citizens from 52 countries will make the pledge as Tasmania celebrates 65 years of Australia Day citizenship.

Fire authorities are warning of warm conditions and a high fire danger on Monday's public holiday, with bushfires still in Tasmanians' minds following last summer's disaster.

"Recent hot weather has dried many of the fine fuels around the bush," the Tasmania Fire Service's Jeremy Smith said.

"We expect very high fire dangers to eventuate in some areas of the state."


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Source: AAP


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