Mayor slams 'cheap' excuse to cancel Australia Day celebrations
A Western Sydney mayor claims Australia Day celebrations haven’t been cancelled due to Covid-19 and instead has offered up a different explanation.
Cumberland City Council Mayor Steve Christou told The Sydney Morning Herald it’s “cheap and lazy” for councils to blame coronavirus for the cancellation of Australia Day festivities.
On Sunday, NSW reported three new locally transmitted cases, with two linked to Berala which is part of Cr Christou’s local government area.
The Sydney Harbour day program, which included boat races, is one of many cancelled due to Covid-19 this year.
Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and The Hills have also cancelled events due to the virus.
But Cr Christou told the SMH councils aren’t being pressured to cancel due to the virus and instead blamed political correctness.
“It‘s very sad that the bed-wetters and cancel-culture philosophers are dictating our agendas before a health directive has been issued,” he told the paper.
Cr Christou’s thoughts weren’t supported by Cumberland City Labor councillor George Campbell, who told the paper the mayor was going off “on his own tangent”.
Cr Campbell added council did not share Cr Christou’s views.
Past Australia Days have been met with protests by people saying it disrespects Indigenous Australians.
People packed streets in Sydney last January calling for Australia Day to be moved from January 26.
January 26, 1788, marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet.
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