‘Moral high horse’: Outrage as major pub owner bans Australia Day celebrations

We are losing our Australian identity.

Outrage has been sparked after a major Australian pub owner banned Australia Day celebrations in its venues.

Australian Venue Co, owner of more than 200 pubs and bars including many iconic venues in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia, has directed managers not to allow flag-wavers to celebrate in its establishments on January 26.

Australian Venue Co owns 60 venues in Victoria, 90 in Queensland, about 20 in South Australia and 10 in Sydney.

“Australia Day is a day that causes sadness for some members of our community, so we have decided not to specifically celebrate a day that causes hurt for some of our patrons and our team,” an Australian Venue Co spokeswoman told the Herald Sun.

Queensland senator Matt Canavan said the private company was acting as “moral guardians”.

Appearing on the Today show, MR Canavan acknowledged there are differing views on January 26.

“Get off their moral high horse. They’re a pub, for God’s sake They deal in alcohol … I mean, let people have a good time at a pub,” the senator said.

Sky News host Paul Murray joined Mr Canavan in having a crack at Australian Venue Co’s decision.

“While they’re saving people ‘hurt’ by not marking Australia Day, you will still be able to lose your life savings in a poker machine on January 26,” he said.

“It’s up to you. You’ve got lots of ways you can respond to this and all of them should be respectful … But most importantly you can decide where your money goes.”

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett called the decision “divisive” and “extraordinary”.

‘They are totally out of touch with the community,’ he said.

“If no one wants to participate in Australia Day celebrations at one of their venues that would be fine.”

ALL THE VENUES AFFECTED

Victoria

Anglers Tavern

Apollo Bay Hotel

Auburn Hotel

Ball Court Hotel

Beer DeLuxe Fed Square

Birallee Tavern

BrewDog Pentridge

College Lawn Hotel

Criterion Hotel

Eureka Hotel

Fairfield Park Boathouse

Fargo and Co

Flinders Hotel

Garden State Hotel

Golden Gate Hotel

Harlow

Holliava

Hopscotch

Hotham Hotel

Imperial Hotel Bourke St

Imperial South Yarra

Melbourne Public

Middle Park Hotel

Morris House

Perseverance

Prahran Hotel

Prince Alfred Hotel

Prince of Wales Hotel

Public House

Richmond Club Hotel

River’s Edge Events

Skinny Dog Hotel

State of Grace

Studley Park Boathouse

Swan Hotel

Terminus Hotel Abbotsford

The Bridge Hotel

The Crafty Squire

The Duke of Wellington

The Esplanade Hotel

The Exchange Hotel

The Gardiner Hotel

The Hawthorn Hotel

The Local

The Park

The Posty

The Provincial

The Smith

The Station Hotel

The Terminus Yarrawonga

The Victoria Hotel

The Wharf Hotel

Trinket

Village Belle Hotel

West Beach Pavilion

Yarra Botanica

Yarra Valley Grand Hotel

Queensland

Airlie Beach Hotel

Barron River Hotel

Beenleigh Tavern

Berserker Tavern

Birkdale Gardens Tavern

Bonny View Hotel

Boomerang Hotel

Bribie Island Hotel

Brighton Hotel

Browns Plains Hotel

Burleigh Town Hotel

Cannon Hill Tavern

Capella Hotel

Carindale Hotel

Chancellors Tavern

Cleveland Sands Hotel

Cleveland Tavern

Club Hotel Waterford

Commercial Hotel

Commonwealth Hotel

Coomera Lodge Hotel

Crown Hotel

Currimundi Hotel

Diamonds Kallangur

Diamonds Tavern Varsity Lakes

Dunwoody’s Hotel

Empire Alternacade & Events

Enigma

Everton Park Hotel

Ferry Road Tavern

Finn McCool’s Brisbane

Finnigan’s Chin Keperra

Fitzy’s Loganholme

Fitzy’s Waterford

Friday’s

Grafton Hotel Edmonton

Grand Hotel Motel

Hey Chica

Hope Island Tavern

Hotel Allen

Hotel HQ Underwood

Inala Hotel

Jindalee Hotel

Jubilee Tavern

Kings Beach Tavern

Koala Tavern

Kooyong Hotel

Lefty’s Music Hall

Leichhardt Hotel

Lulu Rooftop Bar

Mango Hill Tavern

Mansfield Tavern Brisbane

Mihi Tavern

Morayfield Tavern

Mount Sheridan Tavern

Newnham Hotel

Old Bundy Tavern

Palm Cove Tavern

Port Office Hotel

Portadown Hotel

Redcliffe Tavern

Reef Gateway Hotel

Regatta Hotel

Retro’s Brisbane

Riverland Brisbane

Royal Hotel Nundah

Royal Mail Hotel

Runaway Bay Tavern

Salisbury Hotel

Sands Tavern

Springlake Hotel

Sundowner Hotel Motel

Surfair Beach Hotel

Taigum Tavern

The Anthill

The Boundary Hotel

The Club Hotel Gladstone

The Commonwealth Hotel Roma

The Kenmore

The Local Tavern

The Lord Alfred Hotel

The Mansfield Townsville

The Metropolitan Hotel

The Ox

The Strand Hotel

The White Bull Tavern

The Wickham

Tom’s Tavern

Trinity Beach Tavern

Wallaby Hotel

Waterloo Hotel

Woodpecker Bar & Grill

NSW

Albion Hotel

Beer Deluxe Albury

Beer Deluxe T2

BrewDog South Eveleigh

Bungalow8

Cargo

Henley’s Kitchen & Bar

Kingsleys Woolloomooloo

Little Pearl Bar

North Byron Hotel

Salt Bar

The Bended Elbow

The Rook

The Winery

Untied

South Australia

Avenues Café & Bar

Brighton Metro Hotel

Hampstead Hotel

Mick O’Shea’s Hotel

Naracoorte Hotel

Parkside Hotel

Payneham Tavern

Robe Hotel

The Colonist

The Duck

The Grand Junction Tavern

The Hope Inn

The Mile End Hotel

The Unley

The West End Tavern

Victoria Hotel

Waterloo Station Hotel

Western Tavern