"It's insensitive": Australia Day debate breaks out on I'm A Celebrity
Former Great Outdoors host Tom Williams and recently retired AFL player Dale Thomas have weighed in on the heavily controversial Australia Day to argue whether either find the holiday “insensitive” or not.
Thursday night’s episode of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here showed that while Myf Warhurst and MAFS’ Ryan Gallagher agree the date of the national holiday should be changed from January 26 out of respect – Tom and Dale took it one step further.
As reported by Yahoo Lifestyle, Tom said he preferred for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call a referendum in order to decide if the change should go ahead but Dale said he found it unnecessary.
“It could be a good thing for Scott Morrison to turn around and say, ‘I’ve heard you all, let’s have a referendum,” Tom, a carpenter by trade, proposed.
“Or even, go one further and just say ‘We’re doing it,’” Dale responded.
Tom quickly agreed with his fellow contestant’s proposal, however said there would likely be an intense backlash that would be similar to the one Australia saw when it was announced Uluru would be closed to climbers.
“Yeah, you’re right, mate 100 per cent... it’ll end up like Uluru, a whole bunch of white people racing up there going ‘It’s my right!’ It’s like... ‘No, it’s not mate,’” he says.
Dale said he wants Non-Indigenous Australians to understand the difficult and traumatic relationship between the date January 26 and Indigenous people.
For many, Australia Day is referred to as Invasion or Survival Day.
“For too long we haven’t understood this day for what it was, it was insensitive of us to put it here. We still want a day to celebrate our country and everything that’s great with it, so let’s move it,” he said.
I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! airs 7.30 pm Sunday to Thursday on 10.