Hotels Should Promote, Not Divide, on Australia Day: Pub Owner

His comments come after Australian Venues Co backflipped on a decision to ban Australia Day across its 200 venues.

A girl wrapped in an Australian flag towel smiles into the camera as thousands flock to Bondi Beach to beat the scorching heat during Australia Day in Sydney, on Jan. 26, 2019. Cole Bennetts/Getty Images

The classic Australian country song by the late Slim Dusty was famous for its line about a “pub with no beer”—but what about a pub with no cheer?

That’s the question on the mind of country Queensland pub owner Michael Offerdahl, who spoke out in the wake of a controversial incident involving one of Australia’s largest hotel and pub chains.

Australian Venues Co had announced it would cancel Australia Day celebrations across its 200 venues—it owns mid- to-small sized pubs in major cities and regional areas, with the biggest concentration of venues in Queensland and Victoria.

However, following extensive media coverage and community blowback, the Melbourne-based company backflipped on the decision.

Management later issued an apology saying its decision caused “sadness” and “hurt.”

Australia Day is a public holiday held annually on Jan. 26 to commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet from Great Britain in 1788, which marked the beginning of European colonisation of the continent.

In recent years, it has faced pressure from progressive groups to either be cancelled or for the official date of celebration to be changed.

In response, Offerdahl, the managing director of the Toobeah Hotel Motel, said pubs had an important role in small Australian towns as a gathering point for locals.

“A publican’s job is to be the barometer of the people,” he told The Epoch Times.

“Historically and in regional areas, the hotel is still the main source of representation for the people to this day.

“We are a public forum with enough alcohol thrown in to make the conversation truthful and honest.”

Offerdahl said Australia’s national day of celebration should be upheld and protected.

“Corporate governance is the issue in this case as it forces many venues to follow the whims of those who seek to take what’s great about Australia, and destroy it at the expense of each Australian,” he said.

“Why this hotel chain sort to publicise the fact internally or externally that they do not support the majority of Australia, is endemic to the entire corporate governance strategy.”

The country publican said instead of working against Australia Day, governments across the nation should be embracing it.

“Australians should be free and encouraged to honour their country on the 26th of January,” he said.

“Rather than politicians using Australia Day as a way to either divide the country, they along with government should promote Australia Day in conjunction with hotels.

Company’s Backflip

Australian Venue Co made the announcement at the weekend, but the public did not take lightly to the news, circulating lists of the names of their businesses on social media in order for patrons to boycott those locations.

Some also said they would be cancelling event bookings they had planned with the venues.

On Dec. 2, the company took to social media with its apology.

“We sincerely regret that—our purpose is to reinforce community in our venues, not divide it,” the statement said.

“It is not for us to tell anyone whether or how to celebrate Australia Day.”