An Indigenous Senator has united the country with a powerful Australia Day plea that that everyone should belongs here, regardless of race or background.
Indigenous Australians shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price sparked calls to become the next Prime Minister with an insightful perspective on the divisive Australia Day debate.
‘Our country is strongest when we stand together,’ she wrote in an opinion piece for the NT News on the weekend.
‘As my Indigenous heritage taught me, we all belong to this place equally. Regardless of race or heritage, your conception on this land means you belong to it.
‘Everyone gets the opportunity to pitch in to this place we call home, and gets the loyalty of mateship in faithful return.
‘Our free, democratic and prosperous society is precious. We must be proud of it, celebrate it and, importantly, never take it for granted.’
Ms Nampijinpa Price also called for Aussies to ‘focus on that which unites rather than divides us’.
‘There are many things that bring us together and define who we are as Australians, but I think our land has a fair bit to do with it,’ she continued.
‘Our country is strongest when we stand together,’ Indigenous Australians shadow minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured) said
‘Shaped by its harsh environment and our will to survive in it, we’ve done more than just survive – we’ve become successful, resilient and courageous people.
‘Everyone gets the opportunity to pitch in to this place we call home, and gets the loyalty of mateship in faithful return.’
Senator Nampijinpa Price delved into the Australia Day debate further in a separate piece for The Australian
‘Whether born here or voluntarily having bought in for better or worse, we should be proud of our inclusion in the magnificent tapestry that is our landscape and identity,’ she wrote.
‘We don’t back down from hard yakka; we’re loyal to our mates and we help each other out. We keep a level playing field, and value each person equally in the eyes of the law. We hold each other to the same standard and afford preferential treatment to no one.’
Senator Nampijinpa Price warned that those core values are not guaranteed to endure unless they’re actively protected.
‘Remember those who united under one flag and fought for the nation we are so privileged to live in today; reflect on the contributions both historical and current of Australians to the world; and practise gratitude – for all those things and more, like our magnificent natural backyard, our way of life and liberal democratic values.
‘Because restoring our national pride and rebuilding our unity depends on each of us. What we do, say and think as individuals matters to the cause. Not just for you or just for me, but for the good of our neighbours and of our friends, for the good of Australia and the world, to its ends.
‘A country that doesn’t see standing under one flag as a threat to the core of who we are; a country that advocates for and celebrates all its citizens regardless of their racial heritage.’
She also advocated against changing the Australia Day date.
‘Changing the date may engender temporary feelings of victory for a small group of people, but again, it fosters a national mindset of tribalism – one group against another,’ she said.
‘But further, changing the date simply will not improve the lives of our most marginalised. Not once have I heard a plausible explanation about how it would improve the 20 per cent of the three per cent of Indigenous Australians who experience the in this country.’
Senator Nampijinpa Price called for people to ‘focus on that which unites rather than divides us’. A smoking ceremony is pictured
Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (centre) is pictured with young Indigenous supporters holding an Australian flag
Many Aussies applauded Senator Price on her strong stance.
‘This woman needs to be our next Prime Minister. Always has Australia’s back,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘She’s a legend. No one owns the land, we are a part of it regardless of race and culture,’ a second added.
A third wrote: ‘Well said. We are all Australian and we all make the best of what life is offering us. You either look after and treat with pride and respect what’s supplied or you don’t, the choice is yours’
Another said: ‘I’m in agreement with everything Jacinta says she is more intelligent than any politician we are paying to run this country.’
The senator’s comments came after attendances at Sunday’s Invasion Day rallies dropped in comparison to recent years.
In previous years, such rallies in Sydney attracted up to 15,000 attendees.
But this year, the NSW Police estimated the number fell by almost 50 per cent to around 8,000.
Numbers were also way down in Brisbane where the protest barely moved beyond the Queens Gardens – a far cry from the tens of thousands of protesters who previously attended
Only Australia’s protest capital – Melbourne – lived up to expectations, with the 30,000 attendees forecast by the organisers seeming to have been achieved.
But despite the steep fall in protester numbers in some cities and towns, that doesn’t seem to have been replaced by patriotic fervour.
Despite polls showing a resurgence of enthusiasm for celebrating Australia Day on January 26, there was little overt patriotism on display at Sydney’s Bondi Beach even compared to just a few years prior.
While sun-seekers flocked to the sand to enjoy an ideal beach day of blue skies with temperatures hovering around the mid 20s on Sunday, there were few Aussie flags or other national insignia and colours to be seen.
The only visible nod to the national day were a couple of men wearing Aussie flag caps or T-shirts and the occasional temporary tattoo.
This contrasts to photos from 2022 showing a different scene altogether, with many women donning Australian bikinis and hats, while others even draped themselves in the national flag.
