City of Port Phillip holds mourning day ceremony on Australia Day

City of Port Phillip Councillor Dick Gross has defended the decision to hold a mourning ceremony on Australia Day ahead of the council’s activities.

Neil Mitchell questioned if it clashed to host both on the same day.

The mourning ceremony will take place at 6am.

“It is a mixed message but I believe Australians can deal with the fact that there are two messages,” he said.

“In this model what we are trying to do is contradictory messages we want to say OK let’s celebrate this fantastic nation but let’s also acknowledge that we need moments of solemnity and reflection.”

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Later in the show, Yorta Yorta woman Felicia Morgan woman spoke to Neil to share her feelings about the day.

She contacted Neil Mitchell after hearing his interview with activist and former Greens MP Lidia Thorpe on Tuesday.

Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (W.A.R) is calling on Australia Day protesters to turn up with cash and credit cards to “pay the rent” for Australia at the ‘Melbourne Invasion Day 2020’ rally on Sunday.

“It’s not about us receiving cash, it’s about us having rights to the land,” she said.

Asked about Australia Day and how she feels about it, she said it was about how Australia was colonised.

“For us to move forward and reconcile we have to re-write the wrong,” she said.

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