FEDERAL MP Zali Steggall has sided with Australia’s most radical councils calling for January 26 to be a time for mourning.
The northern Sydney-based independent has called on Australians to observe a minute’s silence.
“We mark a minute’s silence when it comes to Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day, and I think it’s fitting that we do so on Australia Day as well,” Ms Steggall said.
- Independent MP sides with radical Left to mourn 'Invasion Day'.
- Calls for Australians to observe a minute's silence on January 26.
- Says national anthem changes don't go far enough to deliver national unity.
“The reality is, to become the nation that we are today, a price has been paid. We have lost a lot of the cultural heritage and Indigenous Australians have paid a high price,” she told Sky News.
Ms Steggall has written to mayors within her Warringah electorate calling for them to “acknowledge the loss and sorrow felt – and the price paid”.
Her position has been embraced by senior Labor figure and shadow minister for indigenous affairs Linda Burney who said Ms Steggall’s call was “welcome”.
“The 26th of January represents Survival Day for first nations people. Part of that day should be spent in quiet reflection,” Ms Burney wrote on social media.
Ms Steggall’s views are shared by some of the nation’s most Left-wing councillors who are refusing to hold Australia day celebrations within their communities.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned these fanatical councillors not to mess with Australia Day celebrations under the guise of COVID-19 restrictions.
With increasing numbers of councils abandoning January 26 events, the prime minister has cautioned them not to politicise the national day.
SOLIDARITY
The warning comes as local governments, including Fremantle in Perth, Moreland, Yarra and Darebin in Melbourne as well as NSW councils in Balmain, Newtown and Byron Bay, scrap celebrations. Instead, these councils have committed to commemorate “Invasion Day” in solidarity with activist Australians.
Councils in Sydney including North Sydney, Parramatta, Liverpool and Canterbury Bankstown will hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26 but have stopped all large gatherings under COVID-19 restrictions.
PM Morrison’s blunt warning was issued after Melbourne’s inner-city councils of Yarra and Darebin were stripped of citizenship ceremonies following their refusal to refer to January 26 as Australia Day.
Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Ms Steggall was playing “negative politics” with an event that should unite all Australians.
“It’s disappointing to see an ill-considered proposal from the Member for Warringah that plays negative politics with our history and which can only perpetuate divisions between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians,” Mr Hawke said.
“The truth is Australia Day unifies us all, because of our shared history – the good and the bad.
“Regardless of the failings in our history, Australia has become one of the most free, egalitarian, safe and diverse societies today, and our shared commitment to continuing this journey together is what matters most.”
FAILED
Ms Steggall said recent attempts to build unity with Australia’s national anthem didn’t go far enough.
She said changes to the anthem’s second line from “for we are young and free” to “for we are one and free” failed to recognise “over-60,000-years” of history.
Ms Steggall has confirmed she’s lobbied Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt about further changes, including introducing a third verse to recognise indigenous heritage.PC
I suspect Zali has lost her way and won’t recover or win her seat at the next election!
Zali is simply grandstanding again with her virtue signaling divisive ideas. I took a look at her web site and one could witness the chest beating and for someone who has been in receipt of an AC and OAM she should be embarrassed and ashamed of herself with her public polarising views and hypocrisy.
Ok she is an MP, and MPs need to be respected, however respect is earned and I am afraid this is but another one of her whacky ideas that is telling the Electorate’s voters to “Cancel Zali”, vote her out, for someone who can unite a community and clearly demonstrate by their actions, they are not hypocrites.
[…] MPs need to be respected […]
Not quite; we need MPs who are worthy of respect. Unfortunately, Zali is more in the mould of a middle-aged housewife than someone who is fit to represent the public as a member of parliament. The only reason she was elected is because she used to ski, but, sadly, such ability has absolutely no relevance in the real world, so she has nothing useful to contribute in the realm of politics.
Zali and her comrades need to reflect on the fact that if the British had been intent on ‘invasion’ i.e. conquering the native people of Australia, there wouldn’t have been any left by the mid-1800s!
“The northern Sydney-based independent has called on Australians to observe a minute’s silence.”
We could halve that minute if we observe 30 seconds of silence for each neuron that Zali possesses.
I suppose as she sits in isolation on the cross-bench, not seriously contributing or helping to form policy by being part of either the Government or the Opposition, many start to question how she is earning her big M.P. Salary!
So every now and then, Ms Steggall feels she must chime in with either a ludicrous or impractical ‘green’ or ‘woke’ pronouncement to try to establish some relevance.