Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Australia Day letter to a voter finally revealed after FOI request

The Australia Day letter that Victorian Prime Minister Dan Andrews didn’t want voters to read has finally been released after a sudden U-turn in his bid to block its publication.

The draft email outlines the state government’s position on the two sides of the bitter Australia Day feud, with the letter both celebrating and condemning it.

Victoria’s Liberal opposition filed a freedom of information application to access the government’s response to a voter’s email about changing the date of the holiday.

The Prime Minister and Cabinet Department blocked its release, saying it would be “contrary to the public interest” and said it could cause “confusion and unnecessary debate”.

But the Prime Minister’s Department has now dropped a legal bid to prevent its publication after it was overruled by The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.

The draft email outlines the state government’s position on the two sides of the bitter Australia Day feud (pictured), with the letter both celebrating and condemning

Written for Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams on behalf of Prime Minister Andrews, the draft tells the unnamed voter that Australia Day is set by the federal government and cannot be changed by the state.

“For some people, Australia Day is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity and multiculturalism in Victoria and the things we have in common that bring us together,” it read.

“However, I recognize that January 26 can be a difficult day for some people, particularly our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, and with good reason.

“It can be a day of mourning, loss and trauma because of colonization, removal of children and dispossession of traditional lands.

“To other Aboriginal people, the day represents the strength and survival of First People cultures and traditions. I note that you raised some of these points in your email.’

The email adds that Australia Day can be a ‘day of mourning, loss and trauma’ (photo, Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe at an Invasion Day rally in Melbourne on Australia Day 2023)

Written to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams on behalf of Prime Minister Dan Andrews, the draft email (pictured) tells the unnamed voter that Australia Day is set by the federal government and cannot be changed by the state

It adds: ‘In Victoria, we aim to strike the right balance on Australia Day by recognizing the country’s past while looking forward to shaping a better, more inclusive future for all Victorians.’

The final version of the email that was actually sent remains a mystery, as it is missing from the state’s records management system.

David Davis, Victoria’s shadow special minister, denounced the “chronic secrecy” surrounding Prime Minister Andrews’ government, which had tried to block the release of the email.

“The chronic secrecy of Daniel Andrews and Labor is typified by their opposition to the release of these draft Australia Day letters,” he said. The Australian.

‘What are they hiding? The letters take on a black armband on one side, effectively belittling Australia Day, despite its overwhelming popularity with the Victorian community.”

He acknowledged that the letter also praised the importance of the date to Victoria’s migrant community as an opportunity to celebrate their citizenship.

But he added: “Nowhere in the rhetoric in the letters of the Andrews Labor government does it acknowledge or even admit the vital significance of Victoria’s British heritage or its significance to our constitutional and political history.”