Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob calls on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to make a decision on Australia Day

Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob — whose city hosted the biggest Australia Day citizenship ceremony of 2024 — has called on the Prime Minister to make a decision about Australia Day. The Albanese Government has allowed local councils to keep their ceremonies on the 26th or move it to three days before and after the public holiday, as opposition — especially among First Nations and younger Australians — to the date swells. At least a dozen WA councils have taken the opportunity to move their ceremonies including Fremantle, Cambridge, Victoria Park and Rockingham. But Mr Jacob, a former minister in the Barnett Government, said on Friday that the City of Joondalup council had a “clear unified position” to keep its citizenship ceremony on the 26th for as long as it remained the national holiday set by the Federal Government. “We have a national day. As it stands, it’s today (the 26th). And it’s important that on our national day, we celebrate with a citizenship ceremony,” the mayor said. “One of the most important strands of Australia is our multiculturalism and the people who’ve come from all over the world to become Australians. Many of them want to become Australians on our national day.” Mr Jacobs said he wanted the Prime Minister to resolve the issue, rather than leaving it up to individual local governments. “There is so much about our country to be proud of... I want our national day to be a day that we can celebrate together,” he said. “But it is the responsibility of the Federal government of the day to provide leadership and to provide a way that we can do that.” The mayor said the division around Australia Day would continue and “that’s not necessarily a healthy thing”. “Some of the argument on both sides of this debate seems less about resolving it and more about arguing,” he said. Premier Roger Cook, who spoke at Joondalup’s ceremony, said when Australia Day should be was “an issue for the national government”. “I think what we’re doing today is just taking the opportunity to welcome people as citizens of Australia and we’re delighted and proud to do so today,” he said.