A significant majority of Australians now support retaining the current date for Australia Day, according to a new survey from a prominent conservative think tank. The findings indicate a clear hardening of public opinion on the long-running national debate.
Survey Reveals Strong and Growing Support
The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) poll found that 76 per cent of respondents back the national holiday on January 26 and do not wish to see it moved. This figure represents a notable increase in support, marking a seven per cent rise from the 69 per cent recorded the previous year. Compared to 2024, when support stood at 63 per cent, the growth is even more pronounced.
Concurrently, opposition to the January 26 date has seen a steady decline. The poll shows that only ten per cent of people in 2026 want the date changed, down from 14 per cent in 2025 and 17 per cent in 2024.
Political and Public Reaction
Nationals leader David Littleproud welcomed the poll results, telling Channel Nine's Today programme that Australians have reached a point of national pride. "We've got a lot to be proud of, and I think people are just sick and tired of us being told how bad we are," he stated. "We should have our chest out and our chin up about what we've created here in this country."
Littleproud argued that the public is weary of a focus on negative history, suggesting that "young Australians are seeing how lucky they are to live in a country as great as this." He acknowledged ongoing national problems but framed them as issues for parliament to resolve.
Continued Push for Change from Indigenous Groups
Despite the poll's findings, the campaign to change the date continues to gain momentum. A petition launched by the Indigenous-owned fashion label Clothing The Gap proposes a practical alternative to resolve the dispute.
The petition, which has garnered over 14,000 signatures, calls for the creation of an 'Australian Long Weekend' by shifting the public holiday to the second-last Monday in January each year. This would ensure the holiday always falls between January 18 and 24, deliberately avoiding January 26.
"For First Nations people, this day marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession and ongoing trauma, and has been resisted and protested for generations," the group said. They describe their proposal as a "small but meaningful shift" that offers a unifying alternative, supporting truth-telling and acknowledging history prior to colonisation while creating a consistent summer long weekend for all Australians.
The stark contrast between the poll results and the sustained advocacy for change underscores the deep and complex nature of the Australia Day debate, which shows no sign of abating.
