No change to Australia Day date: Rudd

Australian of the Year Mick Dodson is unfazed by the prime minister's refusal to
discuss changing the date of Australia Day, and has renewed calls for the Rudd
government to compensate the stolen generations.
Labor has previously ruled out compensating indigenous Australians taken from their
families, but Prof Dodson says he's hopeful that will soon change.
The Aboriginal leader and academic said politicians often said things couldn't be
done only to be proven wrong.
"We had a former politician (John Howard) tell us there'd never be an apology (but)
we got that didn't we," Prof Dodson said.
"The prime minister has shown excellent leadership since he's become prime minister.
"I'm hopeful that things can turn around."
Prof Dodson said the government should establish a compensation fund as suggested in
the Bringing Them Home report.
The Yawuru man also implored Kevin Rudd not to completely shut the door on the
question of moving Australia Day.
Prof Dodson wants a "national conversation" about changing the date because January
26 "isolates" indigenous people.
He says many Aborigines see the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 "as the day on
which our world came crashing down".
However, at a citizenship ceremony in Canberra on Monday, Mr Rudd stared down Prof
Dodson, who was sitting just metres away from the lectern, and said "no".
"To our indigenous leaders, and those who call for a change to our national day, let
me say a simple, respectful but straightforward no," the prime minister said.
"We are a free country and it is natural and right from time to time that there will
be conversations about such important symbols for our nation.
"It is equally right as a free country that those of us charged with political
leadership provide a straightforward response."
Prof Dodson, a tireless campaigner for indigenous rights, said he wasn't worried by
the prime minister's tough stance.
"I'm not fazed at all by the prime minister's comments," he told reporters.
"I'm actually glad he's joined in the conversation.
"He has his point of view (and) everybody in this country is entitled to express
their point of view."
But he stressed "let's not close the door to having a conversation about this".
Prof Dodson suggested he was willing to clash with the federal government on other
issues in his role as Australian of the Year.
"I'm going to talk to Australians about a lot of things this year."
He will also have to take on the opposition, with Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull
declaring "I don't support changing the day".
"I think Australia Day, and I'm sure most Australians agree, is very appropriate
today," Mr Turnbull said.
Prof Dodson said Australia Day could instead be celebrated on February 13, to
coincide with the anniversary of the apology to the stolen generations.
He also suggested commemorating Australia's federation on January 1, 1901 may be
another alternative.
"Let's remember that it was years and years before Australia became a nation state,"
Prof Dodson said.
"It (January 26, 1788) was the landing of the First Fleet in the colony of NSW, it
wasn't even Australia then."
While Mr Rudd might not have welcomed Prof Dodson's call, National Australia Day
Council chairman Adam Gilchrist certainly did.
"What we look for in our leaders is inspiration and people to challenge us, and
you're certainly doing that," he told Prof Dodson at the citizenship ceremony.