Karl defends Australia Day Insta post

The Today show presenter told his co-host, Allison Langdon, on this morning’s show that he had a “terrific” time celebrating the public holiday on Wednesday in the Sutherland Shire.

“You looked like you had a pretty good time yesterday,” Langdon said, referring to an Instagram post of Stefanovic, his wife Jasmine and their daughter Harper, captioned: “Australia Day in the Shire. Love this country.”

“I had a pretty good time actually … It was terrific,” the 47-year-old responded.

“Had a bit of time on the little pontoon boat, dingy all tied up down at the Shire near Sydney, and we had a great afternoon. Mum drove home which was fantastic. Took eight hours. Normally a half an hour drive.”

But Stefanovic was later forced to defend the post and his celebration, after he was reminded of his impassioned 2017 plea on Today to move Australia Day to a different date, out of respect for Indigenous people.

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At the time, he said he had “changed his mind” about celebrating on January 26 after speaking with “several” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“I empathise as hard as some want to ignore it. January 26 marks a day this land changed forever for one of the oldest and most beautiful cultures in the world. To this day, mortality rates for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders are alarming,” Stefanovic said.

“It wasn’t until March 1962 that the Menzies government finally gave the right to vote for all Aboriginal people.”

He suggested January 1 – when the Commonwealth of Australia came into being in 1901 – as an alternative for the public holiday.

“If we are to truly follow through with the apology and move forward together hand-in-hand, arm in arm, then I believe it must change,” he said.

“Let’s do it together. Certainly, let’s debate it together. On a lighter note, the 26th is a rubbish day for a party anyway. Whoever had a party on the 26th of anything?”

Five years later – and despite his Instagram post – Stefanovic told The Daily Telegraph that he still supports changing the date.

“But at the end of the day I also live in this wonderful country and I’m going to celebrate what Australia is to me,” he said.

While “down the track” Stefanovic said he hopes a date can be decided “where everyone is able to commemorate and celebrate together”, until then “that doesn’t mean that people can’t celebrate Australia Day”.

“I think Australia is a great country. Now, of course the date has sensitivities around it and for Indigenous people that’s awful. Hopefully we can get to a point where we can all come together. In the meantime, I’m still going to celebrate Australia Day because it is a great country,” he added.

Stefanovic said he was “by no means going against what I said years ago, but at the same time I’m not going to stop celebrating Australia Day”.

“No one loves Australia more than I do and I work with Brooke Boney (a Gamilaroi woman) and I understand completely, well as much as I can as a white guy, the sensitivities around Australia Day,” he said.

“So sure if can then let’s do it. At the end of the day the most important thing I want out of all of this is for Indigenous people to feel comfortable and OK with celebrating it as well, once it’s acknowledged for them the sensitivities around it, I hope and pray that we can all come together and have a peaceful day because I think Australia Day is that – it’s time. So however we can do it, let’s do it.”

Originally published as Karl Stefanovic defends Australia Day Instagram post after past call to change the date