The Today Show’s Brooke Boney didn’t hold back when she told her co-hosts why she refuses to celebrate the January 26th holiday.
Coming from an Indigenous background, Boney made her opinions very clear on why she believes the Australia Day date should be moved, but she emphasised that Australia was without a doubt “the best country in the world”.
“I can’t separate the 26th of January from the fact that my brothers are more likely to go to jail than school, or that my little sisters and my mum are more likely to be beaten and raped than anyone else’s sisters or mum,” Boney told her colleagues.
“And that started from that day. For me it’s a difficult day and I don’t want to celebrate it. Any other day of the year I will tie an Australian flag around my neck and run through the streets with anyone else.”
Presenter Tony Jones challenged Boney’s comments, saying “Why should any other day be different to the January 26?”
Quick to defend herself, Boney said that January 26 (or “invasion day” as some call it) is “the day that it changed for us. That’s sort of the beginning of what some people would say is the end. That’s the turning point.”
The “turning point” for indigenous Australians, has now led to indigenous communities living in “horrific third world conditions” according to presenter Georgie Gardner.
To which Jones replied, “I don’t doubt that whatsoever. But I’m sorry, we do see white Australians in similar situations – we do see kids going to school with lunch – without a school uniform.”
But Boney stood by her initial points.
“I don’t want anyone to feel sorry to me. What I’m talking to are the statistics,” Boney said. “That’s what I said to you about my brother’s being more likely to go to jail – our lives being harder. For it to be a ”us and them” thing, I think that’s why we are talking about it changing.”
Social media users were quick to add their own opinions.
“These are terrible acts and I wish things were different but they are not connected to January 26,” one wrote.
Another added, “Brooke just made more sense than anyone else I’ve heard talk about this issue. Maybe I could be persuaded to change my view.”
Boney replaced veteran journalist Richard Wilkins as entertainment reporter for the Today Show.
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