How Woolworths, Peter Dutton, and January 26 combined for 2024’s first culture war

In the relative quiet of January 2023, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was able to seize the reins of the debate around that year’s coming vote on a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous advisory body in a way Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was never really able to recover from. Looking for a similar culture war topic in 2024, Dutton has attempted to shock the fading debate around Australia Day back to life.

Here’s a rundown of how that’s played out so far this year.

January 7, 2024: Sparked by the growing number of Western Australian councils opting to cease holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26, Perth city Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas criticises Albanese for an apparent “cop out” on Australia Day.