Australians have ‘nothing to be ashamed of’

You’d be forgiven for thinking Australia Day is on the nose.

While there’s been vocal calls for the national day to be moved or re-named due to its ‘invasion’ connotations for indigenous people, a study has found Australians have never been more proud of the country.

A poll from the Institute of Public Affairs revealed 92 per cent of Australians were ‘proud’ of the nation.

‘We’ve never done a poll before where 90 per cent of people agree on something,’ IPA deputy executive James Paterson told Neil Mitchell.

Mr Patterson said the negativity surrounding Australia Day was media driven and not representative of the majority.

‘It’s really a case of elite opinion being totally out of step with the mainstream view,’ he explained on 3AW Mornings.

‘Australians really are proud of their identity and think there is nothing to be ashamed of about our past and think Australia Day is a great day to celebrate with friends and family.’

Click PLAY below to hear James Paterson on 3AW Mornings.