Melbourne ratepayers to fund woke Mayor's Australia Day date change push

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp / ABC

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Melbourne City Council has continued its controversial push to change the date of Australia Day with councillors voting to 'advocate' the federal government make the change.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp addressed council on a report she commissioned in July this year with six councillors joining her to vote in favour of the motion while two voted against and one abstained.

The progressive ratepayer-funded push follows a survey of only 1600 residents which revealed just over half support changing the date.

Capp batted away criticism of the agenda, with some locals more concerned about the poor state of basic council services in the city.

Last night Melbourne City Council voted to CANCEL Australia Day.

But they can’t even get the basics right.

TIME TO SACK THE LOT OF THEM. https://t.co/vusS5bMjgM

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) September 7, 2022

"We can deliver on roads, rates and rubbish but we can also advocate in this case to commonwealth government," she said.

"We have listened to what our traditional owners say, to what our constituents say. We have had a significant sample size in the survey that we've done and we have the results."

But Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has already ruled out changing the date, saying his government is focussed on enshrining an 'Indigenous Voice' to parliament.

Councillor Roshena Campbell says the citizens of Melbourne were asked if they wanted to change the date of Australia Day, not if they wanted to use their rates to pay for the change.

“I’m pretty sure right now when people are really feeling the pinch in their wallet, there’s no one who wants to waste ratepayer dollars on something like this,” she said in an interview with Sky News host Chris Kenny.

“Particularly when, as you have pointed out, Anthony Albanese said it’s off the table."

Citizenship ceremonies will still be held on January 26 in the municipality but council said it will also support efforts to acknowledge 'First Nations perspectives of the day'.