THE push to change Australia Day is a "nonsense" and people should stamp their feet in favour of it remaining on January 26, Greater Hume's mayor has told onlookers.
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Tony Quinn was speaking at his council's official Australia Day function at Wymah where he was joined on stage by Farrer MP Sussan Ley and Albury MP Justin Clancy.
"I hope and pray that 2024 will be the year that we all stand up for the values of this great country," Cr Quinn said.
"The first bit of nonsense about changing the day (sic) of Australia Day, let's stop that nonsense and stand up, talk to your neighbours, talk to your fellow street people.
"Australia has got some enormous problems, like everywhere else in the world, and we should be helping deal with them, not deal with trivia that people, who have got nothing much to do, like to create."
Cr Quinn then referred to NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers, saying "they and I want to keep Australia Day as the 26th of January and you should all put your feet together and stamp and say this is what we want to happen".
Ms Ley followed Cr Quinn in giving a speech to the audience of more than 300.
"Mayor Tony Quinn can I acknowledge your address and say I completely agree with you, we should not change the date of Australia Day," Ms Ley said.
The Nigerian-born MP recalled her own immigrant experience of arriving on a plane in Brisbane as a teenager and being told by the pilot - "little girl you have come to the best country on Earth and in my heart from that day on I knew it".
Mr Clancy did not reference Cr Quinn's comments in his speech, instead contrasting the need to not be caught up in "jingoism and national chauvinism" with an anxiety that for some people celebrating Australia is "anathema".
"That is certainly a ... modern day cultural cringe and that is a concern for me," Mr Clancy said.
"If we are not able to acknowledge our nation, then what is the glue that holds our community together?"
Two of those that help the community of Henty, Allison Scott and Tahlie Weston, 18, were honoured as Greater Hume's citizen and young citizen of the year.
Mrs Scott is a life member of the Henty Community Club, assisted at the town's field days for 21 years and been president of the Hume Netball League and Henty's netball club.
"I do it because I know I'm helping out people and for the friendships," Mrs Scott said.
"But it's not just for me, it's for everybody, my husband has been a big part of it, plus my three children."
Miss Weston umpires, coaches and plays netball, won an all-rounder award for her academic, sport and community service last year through Billabong High School and is a sports trainer and qualified in first aid.
"It means a lot to me, because I really like helping make a difference and I've now become a volunteer firefighter," Miss Weston said.
She plans to complete a TAFE beauty services course this year before taking up a law-psychology degree at Wollongong University next year.
Other awards winners were Australian polocrosse player Lucy Grills (sports person of the year), Henty netball, tennis and cricket player Jada Murphy (sports volunteer of the year) and Holbrook's Festival by the Sub and Henty Streetscape (community event of the year).
