Sydney: Australia’s opposition leader Peter Dutton has said Indigenous ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremonies have become ‘overdone’ and should not be performed at sporting events or military commemorations.
The ceremonies, which acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, have become a standard practice at public events across the country. However, Dutton indicated the tradition should be reserved for significant occasions, such as the start of a new parliamentary term.
His comments come days after an Aboriginal elder, Uncle Mark Brown, was booed while delivering a Welcome to Country at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance during an Anzac Day service. Local reports indicated that members of a neo-Nazi group were among the hecklers. Victoria Police confirmed that a 26-year-old man was removed from the site and is expected to face charges for offensive behaviour.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the disruption, calling it a ‘cowardly’ act. Dutton also said the ceremony should be respected, despite his previous remarks describing it as ‘virtue signalling.’ Dutton stated repeated ceremonies were creating division within the community and risked cheapening the tradition.
Albanese, who has defended the use of Welcome to Country ceremonies, said it should be left to individual organisations to decide when to incorporate them, describing the practice as ‘a matter of respect.’
Dutton clarified that he believed Anzac Day services should remain focused on honouring military veterans, many of whom, he claimed, prefer ceremonies without additional acknowledgements. More than 5,000 Indigenous Australians served in both World Wars, according to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Dutton’s comments come just days before Australia’s federal election on 3 May. If elected, the Liberal-National leader has pledged to change the way Indigenous history is acknowledged at official events. He has also said he would remove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from federal government press conferences.
Last year, Dutton led opposition to the Voice to Parliament referendum, which aimed to formally recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution and establish a permanent advisory body.
MOST READ | Dozens killed as US strikes hit Yemen’s capital and migrant centre
