Two Hobart city councillors got up and left the first council meeting of the year over “uncalled for and divisive” comments about Australia Day.
Alderman Marti Zucco and Louise Elliot walked out of the meeting on Tuesday night as Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds spoke about her long-time support for changing the date of the January 26 holiday.
Reynolds said that support was shared by the council of the day in 2017, as evidenced by the motion it passed eight years ago.
“The council at the time did so in recognition of how inappropriate it is for what is meant to be a day of national pride and unity to be held on the day that the British Army started colonising the Australian east coast,” Reynolds said as she opened the meeting.
This, including an earlier reference to Australia Day as ‘Invasion Day’, prompted veteran Alderman Zucco to leave.
“Lord Mayor when you’re finished please let me know and I’ll come back in,” Zucco said as he left the chamber, with Elliot following closely behind.
Reynolds chuckled before going on to say January 26 is a “difficult and divisive day for the Aboriginal community and others in the community who are concerned about this period of Australian history”.
After the meeting, Zucco said he left during the “rant” because he believed the commentary would “drag the council down the path of further division within our community”.
“The Lord Mayor was totally out of line, irrespective of council policy and of personal opinion about changing the date,” he said.
“But to declare Australia Day as Invasion Day is uncalled for. One of my best mates for over 58 years is of Tasmanian Aboriginal descent. So don’t play that racist card on me. We are all Australians.”
More on this story: Majority of Tasmanians back January 26 as Australia Day, EMRS survey reveals
