Major Australia Day event canceled due to sensitivities around national day celebration

Anthony Albanese’s UK high commission has canceled the annual Australia Day fundraiser, citing “sensitivities” over the controversial holiday.

Stephen Smith, Australia’s most senior diplomat to the United Kingdom, brought to a close the popular Australia Day gala dinner held annually for the past 20 years in the marble-lined exhibition hall of the Australian High Commission in Strand on the Saturday closest to January 26.

The gala event, organized by the non-profit Australia Day Foundation, has previously attracted some of Australia’s biggest exports, including singers Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, Tim Minchin and artist Barry Humphries and broadcaster Clive James .

A spokesperson for the Australian High Commission said The Sydney Morning Herald It was “well known that Australia Day touches on sensitivities for some Australians”.

“The High Commissioner is pleased to acknowledge that this was part of the decision-making process regarding the various alternative dates suggested by the foundation,” the spokesperson added.

Sky News presenter Rita Panahi criticized the decision, stating it was “pathetic but sadly predictable anti-Australian nonsense coming from an Albanian appointment”.

Smith told organizers that it would not be appropriate to hold the 2024 event around January 26, the date which marks the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney in 1788.

The Australian High Commission reportedly wanted to charge the charity £29,000 ($55,000), impose a 11pm curfew and proposed the event be held in March.

Phil Aitken, a founding member of the foundation, told the newspaper that the lack of support for the event after 20 years was “very sad”.

“I was very disappointed to be told it was inappropriate to have a function around Australia Day that could be interpreted as insensitive in Australia,” he said.

Advertising titan Bill Muirhead, who was also a founding member of the foundation, criticized the decision as “un-Australian”.

“Last time I checked, January 26 was still Australia Day,” Muirhead told the newspaper.

The event has made profits in recent years which have been used to fund scholarships for Australians to study in the UK.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham called on the federal government to overturn Smith’s decision.

“It is not up to the high commissioner to unilaterally change the date of Australia Day,” Mr Birmingham told the newspaper.

‘Not only does Stephen Smith look like a spoilsport embarrassed by Australian history, he is also trashing an important event promoting investment, travel and trade with Australia.

“Penny Wong and Don Farrell should overturn this ridiculous decision that burns down the goodwill and reputation of an event built over many years by proud expats happy to give their time to promote our nation.”

Smith was believed to be the Prime Minister’s third choice for the ambassadorship, as the government struggled to fill the position for almost a year.

Earlier this year, he stoked controversy when he said it was “inevitable” that Australia would become a republic and remove King Charles as head of state.

Smith served as defense secretary and foreign secretary during the Rudd and Gillard governments before retiring from frontline politics in 2013.