‘Lost sight of what’s important’: Australians should hold national day in ‘such high esteem’

Victorian Deputy Opposition Leader David Southwick says some Australians have “lost sight of what’s important” as they don’t hold Australia Day in “such high esteem”.

Vandals have defaced two statues in Melbourne on the eve of Australia Day – hacking down a statue of Captain Cook in St Kilda and spray painting a Queen Victoria statue near the Botanical Gardens.

“There are so many new Australians who come here and are just amazed we don’t hold in such high esteem our national day,” Mr Southwick told Sky News host Steve Price.

“We’ve lost sight of what’s important.

“People can find different ways to acknowledge it – it is our national day, but the government can’t keep making excuses, because, at the end of the day, that’s our day – if they want to change it, then they should go about doing it.

“We’ve got to be able to be proud to celebrate our national day and understand what a wonderful contribution so many have made right across the board ... that is what has made our great country so great – we should be celebrating that.”

Видео ‘Lost sight of what’s important’: Australians should hold national day in ‘such high esteem’ канала Sky News Australia