ARTICLE BY ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA – courtesy of THE DAILY MAIL
11.01.2026
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has reignited the Australia Day debate by urging businesses and their workers to ‘stand up for our country’ and celebrate the national public holiday.
The patriotic billionaire has declared that Hancock Prospecting corporate offices will be closed on January 26, giving staff a long weekend.
However, the company’s mining and agriculture operations – which run on a 24-7 schedule – will continue as normal.
The Australia Day public holiday which marks the day the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788, has come under scrutiny in recent years.
Many Australians – particularly younger generation and Indigenous people – regard it as ‘Invasion Day’ or a ‘Day of Mourning’.
The debate has divided employers and employees, unions and industry groups.
A growing number of major companies such as Telstra, Commonwealth Bank and AustralianSuper allow employees to choose whether they take off the public holiday or opt for another date to celebrate.
Mrs Rinehart has distanced Hancock Prospecting from employers that promote workplace flexibility by urging businesses and workers to be patriotic and ‘save Australia.’
Hancock Prospecting is the naming rights sponsor of Perth’s Australia Day fireworks display.
‘Australia Day is a day to refresh national pride, to celebrate all the great things about our beautiful country, including our hardworking pioneers who had it tough and struggled day after day to help build our country,’ Mrs Rinehart told The Australian.
‘It is a day I would like to encourage more people to give their time to stand up for our country, to save Australia.
‘Australia Day is a day to warmly thank all those who have defended our country, and those who are in our defence forces today, and the police and emergency and other services who help to save our lives. We have many in our country to be proud of and to thank for their service.’
Woolworths and Coles will also close their corporate offices on Australia Day.
Other companies – including AGL, Insignia Financial, AustralianSuper and Virgin Australia – will allow workers to swap the day off to a different date.
Ahead of the last federal election, then-Opposition Leader Peter Dutton promised to protect January 26 as a national public holiday if elected.
Even non-profit organisations have become embroiled in the debate.
Wesley Mission CEO Stu Cameron recently wrote to staff, asking them to consider taking May 27 as their public holiday instead of January 26.
May 27 was chosen to coincide with the start of National Reconciliation Week.
‘You can choose May 27 as your public holiday with January 26 as your normal workday, or January 26, which is the default option,’ he wrote.
‘Whichever day you choose will be treated as your public holiday. The other day will be a normal workday.’
Mr Cameron emphasised that the change was entirely optional.
The radical move ruffled feathers and angered some staff, according to 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham.
