s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
From: APH Website contact form <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx>
On Behalf Of
s.
@darebin.vic.gov.au
Sent: Thursday, 20 October 2022 12:33 PM
To: Giles, Andrew (MP) <xxxxxx.xxxxx.xx@xxx.xxx.xx>
Subject: APH Website contact form - new enquiry xxxxxx.xxxxx.xx@xxx.xxx.xx
Parliamentarian
Hon Andrew Giles MP
Name
Ms. Lina Messina
Telephone (work) - 0384708888
Telephone (mobile)
Email
s.
@darebin.vic.gov.au
47F(1)
Address
274 Gower St Street
Preston
VIC
3072
Affairs
Australia
Question
19 October 2022
In reply please quote reference:
Ref: A6434618
& Multicultural
The Hon Andrew Giles MP
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Minister Giles
Re: Reinstatement of the right to conduct citizenship ceremonies
On behalf of Darebin Council may I firstly congratulate you on your
appointment as Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural
Affairs.
I am writing to you to seek your support to reinstate the right for
Darebin City Council to perform citizenship ceremonies for newly
arrived communities.
As you may be aware, Darebin City Council’s right to conduct
citizenship ceremonies was removed in August 2017 following our
Council’s decision not to hold citizenship ceremonies on 26 January.
This was to acknowledge that this day marks the beginning of the
by the Office of the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship
British invasion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands and
oppression of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and is
therefore not an appropriate date for an inclusive national celebration.
Released
The 2017 decision also reaffirmed our commitment to holding
citizenship ceremonies in a positive and timely way on dates as
required and would not include 26 January. This has seen the
development of an annual inclusive event co-designed with Traditional
Owners and the Darebin Aboriginal Advisory Committee. While our
Council continues to welcome newly arrived communities through such
activities, five years since this decision we are still restricted from
performing formal citizenship ceremonies.
On 27 June 2022, Council resolved to formally request a review of this
decision. As a Government committed to enshrining a voice for First
Nations people in the Constitution, we seek your support to enable
Council to fulfil our obligations as a Local Government Authority in
conferring citizenship on their residents on days other than the 26
January.
If citizenship ceremonies are returned to Darebin, Council will seek
involvement from Traditional Owners and the Darebin Aboriginal
Advisory Committee in the formation and delivery of any future
citizenship ceremonies to continue our partnership with Traditional
Owners and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities that make
Darebin home.
I have also written to the Prime Minister and Minister for Indigenous
Australians seeking their support and look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Cr Lina Messina
Mayor
Affairs
xxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
s. 47F(1)
& Multicultural
by the Office of the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship
Released
