Cr Byrne argued that any move to scrap Australia Day functions would only serve to provoke the federal government into stripping the council of its powers to hold citizenship ceremonies, as it had done with Melbourne’s Yarra and Darebin councils. “Were we to cancel citizenship ceremonies, that would result in the more than 1000 citizens who would otherwise be sworn in at Inner West Council citizenship ceremonies this year not being able to do so in their own local community,” he said. Protesters march through Redfern on Australia Day to protest celebrating on that date. Credit:James Brickwood Greens and Labor, who both hold five seats on the 15-seat council, effectively killed off each other’s competing proposals, despite both parties finding common ground in the view that community sentiment was shifting away from a traditional celebration of Australia Day. Their intransigence handed the two Liberal councillors Julie Passas and Vittoria Raciti the power to condemn both proposals to defeat, which they did.

Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne's proposal to evolve Australia Day events was rejected. Credit:Edwina Pickles The debate, although fiery at times, was without incident. As a precaution, the council hired security guards to monitor the event, after a far-right nationalist group posted a threatening video online, promising to “declare war” on the council if it voted to scrap Australia Day events. Greens councillor Tom Kiat, who authored the Greens' motion, rejected outright the mayor’s suggestion that the council’s current event could be more commemorative and respectful, rather than celebratory. Greens councillor Tom Kiat's proposal was also rejected. “I don’t think we can have a genuine process of consultation saying ‘help us make our January 26 Australia Day event more inclusive’ when the First Nations community is overwhelmingly saying 'January 26 is an inappropriate date for our national day',” Cr Kiat said.

Labor councillor Anna York, in a position echoed by her colleague Cr Mark Drury, held firmly to the view that it was not council’s role to change the date, but rather a decision that must be made at a national level. “I would like to see the date changed, or at least the meaning and celebration of the 26th [of] January further evolved to better recognise the violent and bloody history of colonisation,” Cr York told the chamber. Loading “But until that happens, I don't believe the Inner West Council can pretend that we can cancel a date.” Endorsing the mayor’s proposal, Cr York said the council needed to “think carefully about how we recognise this date appropriate and potentially make changes".

She suggested the council, in consultation with the community, consider moving the celebratory aspects of its Australia Day event, such as a festival, children’s concert and citizen of the year awards, to another day, while keeping the citizenship ceremonies on January 26. This position was adamantly rejected by the Greens. Greens Cr Rose Porteous said the issue fell within the council’s remit because ratepayer funds were used to cover the costs of the Australia Day events. She said it made “no sense” to hold Australia Day, even in a commemorative form, on January 26, as that date “only marks the start of murder, rape and dispossession of Aboriginal people in this country.” Loading As the Greens and Labor councillors retreated to their respective corners, the two progressively-inclined independents John Stamolis and Pauline Lockie indicated they were willing to compromise if public consultation was part of the deal.

“There’s been no consultation with our community as should be done by our council for a debate of such significance, magnitude and consequence,” Cr Stamolis said. “No effort has been made to see whether council could achieve a common position with broad support.” But as the Greens motion appeared destined for defeat, Cr Kiat attempted to temper his proposal, amending the motion so that it required council to consult the community on the question of whether it should cease holding its Australia Day event on January 26. The change drew the support of Cr Stamolis and Cr Lockie, but fell shy of the majority eight votes needed to carry it over the line. However, the council did reach unanimous agreement on two separate Indigenous affairs proposals by the mayor. It voted to establish a Frontier War Memorial to commemorate the history of invasion and colonisation in Sydney, and committed $5000 toward a pilot Aboriginal language program at a pre-school children in the inner west.