Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy has accused One Nation senators of deliberately disrespecting First Nations Australians, after they turned their backs during the Acknowledgement of Country in Parliament on Tuesday.
Four One Nation senators, led by Pauline Hanson — who was found guilty last year of breaching section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act over a racist social media post about Senator Mehreen Faruqi — turned away as the Senate opened with an Acknowledgement of Country.
Senator McCarthy, a Yanyuwa woman from the Gulf country in the Northern Territory, criticised the move as both "childish" and "very hurtful", saying it was a calculated act.
"These senators aren't required to be in the Senate for the acknowledgement of country," she said.
"In fact, they haven't been, in the past, but they do now: whether it is for attention or for clickbait; whether it is to court offense; whether it is to stoke division, these senators have made a deliberate decision to disrespect First Nations Australians."
Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of recognition, not a Welcome to Country — the latter delivered by Traditional Owners to formally welcome guests on Country.
But One Nation conflated the two in a social media post following their protest, stating: "One Nation is saying what we're all thinking: Welcome to Country has worn out its welcome. We are all sick of being welcomed to our own country."
Despite repeated claims by conservatives that the practice is divisive, there is no evidence to support this. The result of the last federal election was widely interpreted as a rejection of culture war politics, with Labor winning a clear majority and former opposition leader Peter Dutton — who said earlier this year that Welcome to Country ceremonies were "overdone" — losing his seat.
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Senator McCarthy said One Nation had failed to heed the electorate's message.
"You'd think that they'd have heard the clear message from the Australian people in May," she said.
"The politics of culture wars were rejected. The politics of disrespect and nastiness were rejected."
She urged a more respectful tone in parliamentary debate.
"I urge all senators to remember who you work beside, who you walk with, and even when we disagree, we have a chamber here where we can discuss in a manner that is far more respectful than we've seen in these previous days," Senator McCarthy said.
In response, Senator Hanson was granted leave to speak, though around half of Labor senators exited the chamber before she began. She argued Welcome to Country is not part of traditional Aboriginal culture, and said she had been told by First Nations people that they also "hated" the practice.
"We don't want this division in our nation. So it's the steps that I've taken to speak up on behalf of those Australian people that don't want this division. I don't want to do have to do this," Senator Hanson said.
Greens Leader Larissa Waters condemned the protest and Hanson's comments, calling them hypocritical.
"It's a bit rich to get a lecture on First Nations culture from the likes of Senator Hanson, and it's also a bit rich to get a lecture about not wanting division from the likes of One Nation," she said.
"It is not welcome to countries and acknowledgement of countries that is dividing the nation. It's racism."
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley took a more conciliatory approach than her predecessor this week, acknowledging the significance of the Welcome to Country performed by Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan.
"As Australians, we share a story unlike any other, with an ancient culture, the oldest living in the world, rooted in land, language and story," she said.
"Thank you again Aunty Violet for your welcome for the opening of this new parliament. May it set the tone as we recommit ourselves to the taking of practical action to improve lives and expand opportunities for Indigenous Australians in every part of our great country."
New Liberal MP Jacinta Nampijinpa Price supported Senator Hanson's stance in the Senate, using leave to claim the Welcome to Country has become politicised.
"Senator Hanson is correct to say that Welcome to Country is not traditional culture," she said.
"It isn't, and what we do need to recognise, and it's important for all of us as leaders of this nation to recognise, is the reinvention of culture, which diminishes traditional culture."
Senator Price argued that if you speak up against it, or mention it, "you are painted as a racist, or somebody who is a coconut or somebody who is a traitor".
"Imagine if we treated every single racial group in this manner in this country," she said.
"It's horrendous, and it begins with the virtue signalling, the politicisation of a group of people in this country because of our racial heritage, and I'm sick to death of it as a woman, as a mother, as soon to be a grandmother, and as an Australian of proud heritage, whether it's my convict ancestors or it's my Walpiri ancestors, I'm proud of it all."
