Andrew Bogut says changing the date of Australia Day wouldn't be 'inclusive'

Andrew Bogut has claimed that changing the date of Australia Day wouldn’t be ‘inclusive’ for everyone.

January 26 marks the day the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the arrival of European colonisation in the country.

It signals a day of trauma for First Nations People with calls to change the date going back decades.

There were increasing protests on Thursday (January 26) across the country with thousands marching as part of Invasion Day demonstrations.

Several sporting organisations and workplaces refused to acknowledge the day as ‘Australia Day’ and instead recognised it as a source of trauma for many.

However, Bogut says that calls to change the date have gone too far, claiming that it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

The 38-year-old appeared on Sky News to slam the idea that some Australians are being stopped from celebrating the day how they would like.

He said: “I’m of the opinion if you change the date it’s going to mean nothing anyway.

“If you change the date it’s just going to move the goalposts.”

The former basketballer maintained that people needed to be respectful of each other’s positions.

He said that it’s ‘bonkers’ that people would want to stop others from celebrating.

Happy Australia Day!

🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

Its great to live in a country that allows people to celebrate this day if they choose.

For those that don’t celebrate, thats also fine! Enjoy the day off work. 😝#inclusion #inclusive

— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) January 25, 2023

He continued: “If people want to celebrate it, I don’t have a problem with it. If people don’t want to celebrate it, I’ve got no problem with it.

“But trying to cancel other people’s right to celebrate it, it’s not very inclusive.

“I’ve got friends that are naturalised Australians who aren’t from Australia who see that day as a very special, emotional day for them.

“If you don’t want to celebrate, stop trying to cancel other people’s joy.”

On the other end of the spectrum, AFL star Bailey Smith called for the date of Australia Day to be formally changed.

He took to social media to encourage his 355,000 followers to ‘be mindful of how you are spending tomorrow and show empathy towards our First Nations people.’

Shared a post from advocacy organisation Talk Black which showcased a series of scheduled ‘Invasion Day’ protests across the country.

He later added: “Change the f***ing date.”