5th Dec 2017, 3:47 PM – Senate Motions - Eureka Stockade - Historical observance

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Senator Cory Bernardi, which means it was successful.

Motions like these don't have legal force but can be influential as they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that 3 December 2017 marked 163 years since the Eureka Stockade rebellion of 1854;

(b) recognises the Eureka Stockade as the birthplace of the Australian spirit of mateship signified by the term 'diggers', a term which was later adopted by Anzac soldiers in World War I;

(c) further notes that the Eureka Stockade signified a victory of self-reliant individuals over big government, corruption, arbitrary licensing and excessive taxation;

(d) rejects the attempt by some unions to rewrite history and usurp the Southern Cross or Eureka flag and rebellion as representative of militant unionism; and

(e) calls upon the Government to promote the historical observance of the Eureka Stockade and ensure an accurate representation of its true historical context.