Tucker Carlson slams Welcome to Country
The video of the former Fox News host has resurfaced this week on social media as a national debate rages over the necessity of the ceremonies.
The debate comes after a group of protesters – led by known neo-Nazis – booed the Welcome to Country at the traditional Dawn Service in Melbourne's CBD.
An Acknowledgement of Country is a statement of respect for the traditional owners of the land where an event or gathering is taking place, and a Welcome to Country is a formal ceremony led by a Traditional Owner, often an Elder, to officially welcome visitors to their land.
In the video, Carlson, who visited Australia last June on a speaking tour as a guest of billionaire Clive Palmer, slammed 'land acknowledgment' ceremonies, questioning if they help Indigenous Australians.
'When I was in Australia, the thing that shocked me the most was, your, I think it's called your land acknowledgment,' he said.
'I found it one of the most grotesque things I've ever seen. One of the most profound humiliation rituals I've ever witnessed in my life.'
Tucker Carlson said they were the 'most profound humiliation rituals'. Picture: X
Carlson pointed out flights operated by Qantas – which broadcasts the Acknowledgement of Country to passengers on every plane that lands in Australia – as one of the incidents when the acknowledgment is heard.
'I thought to myself, who is this helping? Is it helping the Indigenous community? If so, tell me how,' Carlson said.
'When you say this doesn't belong to me, is there someone in the Indigenous community getting a job or a government grant? No. No one is benefiting except the people who seek to steal your country. And they're are going to steal your country, and they're telling you so.'
The controversial right-wing media figure went so far as to compare the acknowledgment to an armed home invasion.
'When you are forced to say something is not yours, that means someone else is about to take it from you,' Carlson said.
'If you're sitting at home one night and an armed group of people show up at your house with guns and say 'henceforth, we would like you to say, out loud every single day, this is not our house'.
'You say 'but I paid for this house. I've got a mortgage on this house, it's my house'. No, they stick a gun in your face, every day you repeat 'this is not my house'.
Carlson compared the acknowledgment to an armed home invasion. Picture: X
'They're asking you to do that so they can steal your house and when they do steal your house, you won't put up a fight because you've been trained to believe it is not your house. That's exactly what a land acknowledgment is.'
Dr Jessa Rogers, Wiradjuri woman and Associate Professor of Indigenous Education at the University of Melbourne said Carlson's comments were misleading and came as 'no surprise given the things he stands for in America'.
'Tucker Carlson's dismissal of land acknowledgments reveals a familiar settler anxiety, one rooted in denial and the legacy of dispossession,' Dr Rogers told news.com.au.
'Comparing a peaceful statement to armed invasion is not only misleading but deeply ironic, given how our lands were actually taken. Carlson's comments uphold the violence of colonisation.'
Addressing Qantas' involvement in the Acknowledgement of Country, Dr Rogers said: 'Many people travelling in Australia appreciate knowing whose land they're on and who has cared for it for thousands of generations'.
'I know several of my Native/Indigenous American colleagues love it, and only wish the American airlines would do the same thing.'
Qantas first introduced the Acknowledgement to Country in November 2021. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty\
Qantas first introduced the Acknowledgement to Country in November 2021 shortly after international flights resumed from being grounded amid the global pandemic.
According to the national carrier, the words intend 'to honour the cultural significance of an Aboriginal mob or language group as the Indigenous inhabitants occupying the area of the modern city's airport'.
'Acknowledgment to Country is one of the things you'll hear our crew doing once we restart as well, which is a new addition and something we're really excited about,' Qantas chief customer officer Stephanie Tully said.
Ralph Babet, a senator for the United Australia Party (UAP), said the video of Carlson should not have been released in full.
'This is a private United Australia Party and Trumpet of Patriots video,' he said. 'Tucker live streamed to one of our members events. This shouldn't have been released in full like this.'
Dutton calls for Welcome to Country ceremonies to be regulated
It comes as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has proposed Welcome to Country ceremonies should be relegated to only 'major events'.
Mr Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the issue during Sunday night's leaders debate, where both condemned the incident at Melbourne's ANZAC Day Dawn Service.
When asked if he will 'acknowledge the traditional owners at your official events', Mr Dutton said there was a sense in the community that they're 'overdone' and 'divide the country' just as the failed Voice referendum did in 2023.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton proposed Welcome to Country ceremonies should be relegated to only 'major events' during the debate. Picture: Lukas Coch/POOL/ NewsWire
Mr Dutton gave two examples where he felt the ritual was no longer needed.
'For the opening of parliament, fair enough, it is respectful to do, but for the start of every meeting at work, or the start of a football game, I think other Australians think it is overdone and cheapens the significance of what it was meant to do,' he said.
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce later echoed Mr Dutton's comments, clashing with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek on Sunrise on Monday morning.
Though Mr Joyce agreed with Ms Plibersek labelling the Dawn Service protesters 'scumbags', he claimed the 'overdone' ceremonies were leading to 'aggravation' among Australians.
'People are starting to feel awkward at them and awkward goes to anger at times. That is something we don't want,' he said.
'I certainly don't want to be welcomed back to my own hometown. I think veterans have a genuine concern, if they've signed on the dotted line to (serve) for this nation, they don't believe they need to be welcomed to it.
'We've got to be a lot more discerning about how we do this because there is an aggravation that's building up in the community.
'The best thing to do to avoid that is to be a lot more discerning about when you do Welcome to Countries.'
Originally published as 'Humiliation rituals': Tucker Carlson slams Australian 'land acknowledgment' ceremonies
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Trump's various comments on the three-hour meeting with Putin mostly aligned with the public positions of Moscow, which says a full settlement will be complex because positions are "diametrically opposed". Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. He made no mention in public of meeting Zelenskiy. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said a three-way summit had not been discussed. In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. He said he and Trump had discussed "positive signals" on the US taking part, and that Ukraine needed a lasting peace, not "just another pause" between Russian invasions. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed what he described as Trump's openness to providing security guarantees to Ukraine under a peace deal. He said security guarantees were "essential to any just and lasting peace". Putin, who has opposed involving foreign ground forces, said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine's security must be "ensured". For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said an end to the war was closer than ever, thanks to Trump, but said he would impose more sanctions on Russia if the war continues. Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence, while fighting raged on the front. US President Donald Trump says Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not", after a summit where Vladimir Putin reportedly demanded more Ukrainian land. After the two leaders met in Alaska on Friday, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war," he said on X. Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. Trump's various comments on the three-hour meeting with Putin mostly aligned with the public positions of Moscow, which says a full settlement will be complex because positions are "diametrically opposed". Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. He made no mention in public of meeting Zelenskiy. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said a three-way summit had not been discussed. In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. He said he and Trump had discussed "positive signals" on the US taking part, and that Ukraine needed a lasting peace, not "just another pause" between Russian invasions. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed what he described as Trump's openness to providing security guarantees to Ukraine under a peace deal. He said security guarantees were "essential to any just and lasting peace". Putin, who has opposed involving foreign ground forces, said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine's security must be "ensured". For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said an end to the war was closer than ever, thanks to Trump, but said he would impose more sanctions on Russia if the war continues. Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence, while fighting raged on the front.
Sky News AU
18 hours ago
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An outline of Russian President Vladimir Putin's conditions for a ceasefire has emerged with US President Donald Trump claiming a deal to end the full scale war is ''pretty close'', but Ukraine has to agree to it, as the two world leaders engaged in discussions at their Alaska summit. Russia would relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine and Kyiv would cede swathes of its eastern land which Moscow has been unable to capture, under peace proposals discussed by Putin and Trump at their Alaska summit, sources briefed on Moscow's thinking said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to travel to Washington on Monday to discuss with Trump a possible settlement of the full-scale war, which Putin launched in February 2022. Although the summit failed to secure the ceasefire he said he had wanted, Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." The two sources, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said their knowledge of Putin's proposals was mostly based on discussions between leaders in Europe, the U.S. and Ukraine, and noted it was not complete. Trump briefed Zelensky and European leaders on his summit discussions early on Saturday. It was not immediately clear if the proposals by Putin were an opening gambit to serve as a starting point for negotiations or more like a final offer that was not subject to discussion. Putin's offer ruled out a ceasefire until a comprehensive deal is reached, blocking a key demand of Zelensky, whose country is hit daily by Russian drones and ballistic missiles. Under the proposed Russian deal, Kyiv would fully withdraw from the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions in return for a Russian pledge to freeze the front lines in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the sources said. Ukraine has already rejected any retreat from Ukrainian land such as the Donetsk region, where its troops are dug in and which Kyiv says serves as a crucial defensive structure to prevent Russian attacks deeper into its territory. Russia would be prepared to return comparatively small tracts of Ukrainian land it has occupied in the northern Sumy and northeastern Kharkiv regions, the sources said. Russia holds pockets of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions that total around 440 square km, according to Ukraine's Deep State battlefield mapping project. Ukraine controls around 6,600 square km of Donbas, which comprises the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and is claimed by Russia. Although the Americans have not spelled this out, the sources said they knew Russia's leader was also seeking - at the very least - formal recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014. It was not clear if that meant recognition by the U.S. government or, for instance, all Western powers and Ukraine. Kyiv and its European allies reject formal recognition of Moscow's rule in the peninsula. They said Putin would also expect the lifting of at least some of the array of sanctions on Russia. However, they could not say if this applied to U.S. as well as European sanctions. Trump said on Friday he did not immediately need to consider retaliatory tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil - which is subject to a range of Western sanctions - but might have to "in two or three weeks." Ukraine would also be barred from joining the NATO military alliance, though Putin seemed to be open to Ukraine receiving some kind of security guarantees, the sources said. With Trump now placing Zelensky in the hot seat to agree to a peace deal and ''get it done'', the Ukrainian President has also outlined his conditions for peace before an end to the war.
