IN his Australia Day address in Taree last week, Federal Member for Lyne David Gillespie made a call for togetherness and unity, rather than division, on a day that now divides opinion within communities.

“Australia Day – the 26th of January – is a time for all Australians to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate,” said Mr Gillespie.

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“It’s a day for us to reflect on the past, respect each other’s stories and celebrate our future together, because we are all part of the story of Australia.

“We are a modern, multicultural, democratic nation with an ancient and rich history. It’s important to acknowledge the layers of that history and their meaning, accumulated over thousands of years,” he said.

After another tough year for Australians across the country, Mr Gillespie spoke of the need for gratitude and pride when celebrating Australia Day.

“We’re a country more blessed than most, a country that hasn’t just been lucky, but has made its own luck, through hard work and decency…the sort of decency we’ve seen in recent months, in the extraordinary commitment of our health workers, who continue to go above and beyond to keep us safe during the pandemic and our volunteers who support the needy.

“As a nation, we can be immensely proud of our health workforce.

“On behalf of all of us I want to say a huge thanks to you for continuing to look after us.”

Mr Gillespie also said it was important “that all Australians can mark the day in a way that is right for them”.

“We can also be very proud today of most of our nation’s history,” he said.

“Yes, there are parts that are less than perfect, and we should talk about that openly and honestly, but none of it means we should hang our heads, or try to change our history.”