Kyle Sandilands has delivered a harsh message to Australians who refuse to celebrate Australia Day on January 26.
The KIIS FM breakfast presenter, 52, who is known for his right-leaning political views, weighed in on the upcoming national holiday during a fiery rant on Monday morning’s show.
Sandilands lost his cool early in the broadcast after he received a memo from KIIS’ content director about sensitivity when it comes to the national holiday.
He began by taking a stab at the ‘woke industry of the media’ for discouraging employees from celebrating the public holiday, before pointing out what he believes is a double standard.
‘I can’t believe I have to thank everyone for letting us use the land, but we’re not allowed to celebrate it on a national holiday,’ Sandilands raged.
Kyle Sandilands, 52, (pictured) delivered a harsh message to Australians who refuse to celebrate Australia Day on January 26 during Monday’s KIIS FM breakfast show
Sandilands then issued a message to critics of the holiday, saying: ‘Let me tell you, those who aren’t happy with Australia Day, don’t have a holiday! Go to work.’
It came days after Sandilands slammed Australia Day ‘whingers’ during a radio interview with opposition leader Peter Dutton.
‘Australia Day is exactly one week from today, January 26, and I know some folks don’t like that date, but that’s the date. It’s there, it’s been there for as long as I can recall. It’s one week away, all the anti-Australia Day types have been out,’ Sandilands said.
‘I can’t believe I have to thank everyone for letting us use the land, but we’re not allowed to celebrate it on a national holiday,’ Sandilands raged. (Pictured: Woman holding a ‘Change The Date’ sign at an Invasion Day protest on January 26, 2023)
Sandilands then issued a message to critics of the holiday, saying: ‘Let me tell you, those who aren’t happy with Australia Day , don’t have a holiday! Go to work’
‘People want us to feel guilty. I don’t feel guilty. I don’t feel guilty at all about the day.’
Elsewhere in that interview, the shock jock claimed that even if Australia changed the date, ‘people will still have a problem because there’s some people out there that always whinge about everything’.
Australia Day, observed each year on January 26, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove.
But for many First Nations people, it is regarded as ‘Invasion Day’ or the ‘Day of Mourning’, with many campaigning for the holiday to be abolished completely or the date changed.
Australia Day, observed each year on January 26, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales , Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. (Pictured: Reveller celebrating Australia Day)
While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hasn’t explicitly mentioned any plans to change the date, a rising number of councils and state governments are choosing to cancel traditional Australia Day activities, including citizenship ceremonies.
In recent years Invasion Day protests have overshadowed any festivities with thousands attending rallies in major cities demanding the date be changed.
Large protests are expected this year after the referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution was voted down in October.
