Australian taxpayers are set to fund a £1.48 million research project that will create podcasts and educational materials examining the contentious debate over changing the date of Australia Day and addressing the failed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
A Four-Year Project Aims to 'Inform Public Discourse'
The four-year initiative, led by the Australian National University (ANU), was awarded the substantial grant by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The project's title is 'Change The Date? Australia Day, Reconciliation and the Politics of Division'.
According to its outline, the project aims to 'inform public discourse' and promote truth-telling. It argues that polarising debates driven by a 'politics of division' threaten national unity, highlighting a lack of cultural inclusivity for Indigenous Australians.
The grant decision was published on the federal government's Grant Connect website last week.
Podcasts, School Resources and Policy Advice
Beyond producing podcasts, the project's stated outputs include developing educational resources for schools and offering policy recommendations. It plans to analyse quantitative data to capture a wide range of Australian views and will conduct qualitative case studies on Australia Day, the Voice to Parliament, and reconciliation events.
The goal is to identify common values that can unite Australians. When asked by News Corp if the school materials would push for changing the Australia Day date, an ARC spokesman did not confirm, stating only that all funding applications undergo a 'rigorous and competitive process' for public benefit.
Political Backlash Over 'Partisan' Use of Research Funds
The grant has sparked immediate political controversy. Coalition acting education spokesman Jonno Duniam labelled it 'a deeply political grant based on a highly contestable premise'.
'Why are we paying £1.5m in taxpayers' money to develop the core components of the activist's toolkit – podcasts, educational resources for classrooms, and policy recommendations?' Mr Duniam asked. He argued research funding should advance the national research agenda, not develop 'partisan playbooks'.
This controversy follows last week's revelation that the ARC lifted a suspension on an £870,000 grant for pro-Palestine academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has called for the 'end of Israel'.
The Enduring Division Over January 26
Australia Day, held on January 26, marks the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Harbour in 1788. However, for many Indigenous Australians and their supporters, the date is not one of celebration but a 'Day of Mourning' or 'Invasion Day'.
Major cities see annual rallies where thousands protest, calling for the holiday to be moved or scrapped entirely. The new research project will delve directly into this enduring national rift, using public funds to explore narratives around division and unity.
