Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has partly attributed the heckling of Indigenous presenters at Anzac Day dawn services to the “over-use” of Welcome to Country ceremonies, while condemning the “un-Australian” behaviour. The incidents, which occurred in Perth and other cities, saw Indigenous speakers booed during services.
Taylor's Comments on Welcome to Country
Speaking on ABC Insiders on Sunday, Taylor called the booing “absolutely unacceptable” but offered an explanation. “I can understand the frustration Australians feel about overuse of Welcomes to Country,” he said. “I feel that at times, often actually, I think it is overused and as a result they are devalued. I would like to see them used less and therefore not devalued as I think they have been over time.” He emphasised that Welcome to Country should not be restricted but used less frequently, allowing individual communities to decide. “The general principle should be, let’s do this less and make it more special when it happens,” he added.
Zempilas Supports Taylor's View
WA Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas echoed Taylor’s sentiment, suggesting Welcome to Country should be reserved for “significant” occasions. “I agree with the sentiment from some in our community that the Welcome to Country appears to happen more and more at events that you wouldn’t necessarily think are of that stature,” he said. Pressed for an example, Zempilas cited a ribbon-cutting at a new train station as an event where it might not be necessary. However, he stressed that Anzac Day was not the appropriate time to argue the point. “You can argue whether you like something or not, but during the Welcome to Country at the dawn service that the performer has been invited to by the RSL, that’s not the time to argue that toss,” he said.
Minister Accuses Leaders of Courting Racist Views
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Don Punch criticised the Liberal leaders, accusing them of courting “racist views”. “What a Welcome to Country is, it’s saying G’day, saying welcome to the land, it’s respecting First Nations culture,” Punch said. “I totally reject that view, and I think it’s very disingenuous of Angus Taylor and Basil Zempilas to climb onto what is emerging as a populist view. I would urge them to just acknowledge that we have some people who have some very strong views, some racist views, but to get over it, because Welcome to Country are an important part of our heritage and our Australian communities.”
Premier and RSL React to Disruptions
Premier Roger Cook, who attended the Kings Park dawn service alongside Zempilas, called the booing of Indigenous veteran Di Ryder’s speech “disgusting and disrespectful”. Services in Sydney and Melbourne also faced disruptions, as did Busselton. WA Police issued 15 move-on orders related to dawn service disruptions. RSLWA President Duncan Anderson labelled the perpetrators “cretins” for disrespecting the spirit of the day, stating that “Anzac Day, particularly the dawn service, is a politics free-zone”. National RSL President Peter Tinley expressed the organisation’s shock, saying, “The RSL is 110 years old and this is a blight on all veterans. There are 364 other days you can protest on. Ironically we fought for the right to have the freedom of speech, and that is a mutual contract to act within the character of what it is to be an ANZAC.”
