Latest news with #AcknowledgementOfCountry
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Councillor told to resign after heated backlash to 'First Nations snub' - but he says there's more to the story
A South Australian council has turned on one of its own after a councillor was accused of walking out of Acknowledgement of Country speeches and a smoking ceremony. Barossa Council last Tuesday voted in favour of a motion that councillor Bruce Preece resign without delay following four separate complaints about his politically incorrect behaviour. The council brought in law firm Kelledy Jones to investigate the complaints at a cost to ratepayers of $47,000, the ABC reported. The Kelledy Jones report found Mr Preece had walked out of Acknowledgement of Country speeches on five occasions and also during a smoking ceremony on Australia Day last year. Another complaint involved him using the homophobic slur 'poofter' in a conversation about AFL player Jeremy Finlayson's suspension. Barossa Council also ordered Mr Preece to publicly apologise and attend behavioural training, as per the report's recommendations. Mr Preece said the investigation had been unfair and that he would appeal the matter to the state ombudsman. 'I believe one of the great pillars of Australian society and the way our country is run is that we have the rule of law, we have the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and that those accused of wrongdoing are given procedural fairness in the ensuing investigations,' he said. The report found Mr Preece walking out during five Acknowledgment of Country services in 2023 was deliberate and calculated. A complainant said his actions were 'disruptive and contemptuous as well as disrespectful and discriminatory, on the basis that the Acknowledgement of Country is a public demonstration of respect to the First Nations of Australia and is a longstanding element of council's meeting procedure'. The report also said he allegedly turned his back on a smoking ceremony at a 2024 Australia Day event being performed by Uncle Quentin Agius. 'For an extended period of time Cr Preece stood 'with his back facing the stage,' the complaint alleged. The councillor was also alleged to have been heard by some attendees saying 'they shouldn't be allowed to have that smoke, they shouldn't be allowed to do that ... it's so wrong', 'it smells disgusting' and 'people can't breathe because of all that smoke'. Another complaint alleged Mr Preece had blindsided the council by announcing to the local paper in December 2023 that he would be bringing in a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgements of Country at council events and meetings. In response to the allegations, Mr Preece's lawyer said he had walked out of the Acknowledgements of Country to either get his reading glasses from his car or go to the bathroom, having recently had a battle with bowel cancer. He said his client had turned his back on the smoking ceremony to assist an elderly woman who was coughing, and that, regarding the newspaper article, he was not required to 'foreshadow' raising a motion with other councillors. Regarding the the homophobic slur, Mr Preece's lawyer said he was pursuing a 'stick and stones' type argument, but accepted the pursuit of the debate 'may not have been appropriate to the context and apologies for any offence caused'. He made the comment ahead of a Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority meeting regarding Port Adelaide AFL player Jeremy Finlayson being suspended for saying the word 'poofter' on the field. According to the complaint, Mr Preece was 'outraged' the word had caused the suspension and claimed he had been a victim of the same slur on the footy field, adding he was 'sick' of society telling him what was ok to say.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Councillor reprimanded after walking out, turnng back on Indigenous ceremonies
A South Australian councillor has been called on to resign by his colleagues after he was accused of walking out during the Acknowledgement of Country and turning his back on a smoking ceremony at a Welcome to Country. Barossa councillor Bruce Preece was also alleged to have used the homophobic slur 'poofter' in 2024, in a conversation defending suspended Port Adelaide forward Jeremy Finlayson's use of the word. Councillor Preece says he's been denied procedural fairness and plans to appeal against any findings made against him. Another complaint alleged that he had blindsided colleagues by appearing on the front page of the local newspaper in December 2023 in a story announcing he would be bringing forward a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgement of Country at council meetings and events. Barossa Council received a behavioural complaint from two councillors and one unnamed individual against Cr Preece in April last year regarding the four allegations. The council spent $47,000 investigating the matter, according to public documents, with a report by law firm Kelledy Jones concluding that he had breached numerous Behavioural Standards for Council Members and recommending he be reprimanded, attend relevant training and issue a public apology. The council voted in favour of the motions at its meeting on May 20, calling on Cr Preece to resign 'forthwith'. Cr Preece told the meeting that he had been denied procedural fairness in the investigation, and would appeal to the state ombudsman. 'I believe one of the great pillars of Australian society and the way our country is run is that we have the rule of law, we have the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty and that those accused of wrongdoing are given procedural fairness in the ensuing investigations,' he said. Cr Preece declined to comment further when reached on Friday. According to Kelledy Jones' report, Cr Preece walked out during council's Acknowledgement of Country on five occasions in 2023 in a 'deliberate and calculated' manner. Cr Preece's actions were 'disruptive and contemptuous as well as disrespectful and discriminatory, on the basis that the Acknowledgement of Country is a public demonstration of respect to the First Nations of Australia and is a longstanding element of council's meeting procedure', the complaint read. At council's Australia Day event in 2024 at Tanunda Show Hall, Cr Preece was accused of getting up from his seat and walking away from the crowd after a smoking ceremony by Uncle Quenten Agius to wait in line at a coffee van, chatting with another person and standing with his back to the speaker 'for an extended period of time'. The complaint 'submits that Cr Preece's positioning and body language conveyed contempt and it appeared to be a calculated and deliberately public display of disrespect and repudiation directed towards our guest speaker'. He was alleged to have been heard by a number of attendees saying words to the effect of 'they shouldn't be allowed to have that smoke, they shouldn't be allowed to do that, it's so wrong', 'it's disgusting, it smells disgusting' and 'people can't breathe, they can't breathe because of all that smoke'. Cr Preece, who was elected to council in November 2022, spoke to The Barossa Leader newspaper in December 2023 ahead of bringing a motion to discontinue the Acknowledgement of Country. The complaint alleged that 'the manner in which Cr Preece brought this matter forward resulted in elected members becoming aware of the motion via the local newspaper in the first instance, which fails to meet his obligations under the Behavioural Standards in establishing and maintaining relationships of respect, trust, collaboration and co-operation with fellow elected members'. In April 2024, ahead of a meeting of the Gawler River Floodplain Management Authority (GRFMA) at Adelaide Hills Council's Kersbrook Sporting Complex, in his capacity as a GRFMA board member, Cr Preece was allegedly 'engaged in friendly football banter' with two individuals when he raised the recent 'Jeremy Finlayson homophobic slur' incident. 'Very vocally, in an audible voice heard by those beyond the conversation, Cr Preece spoke certain, similar, words to those purportedly used by Mr Finlayson, that the complainant submits were offensive and inappropriate,' the complaint read. 'The complainant asserts that Cr Preece seemed 'outraged' that you couldn't call someone a 'poofter' and reminded him that his use of that word was not appropriate.' The complainant alleged that despite being told to stop, Cr Preece then 'doubled down on his comments raised his voice louder and said he was sick of our society telling him what he could and couldn't say and if he wanted to call someone a poofter he should be able to, after all he was referred to that on the football field many times'. In his response to the investigation, Cr Preece's lawyer said his client was 'making a sticks and stones type argument' but 'accepts that his pursuit of the argument may not have been appropriate to the context and apologises for any offence caused'. Regarding the allegation of walking out during the Acknowledgement of Country, Cr Preece's representative submitted that he has had 'a battle with bowel cancer his need to go to the bathroom can be immediate' and on other occasions he had left the chamber to get his spare reading glasses from his car. He denied deliberately turning his back during the Australia Day smoking ceremony, saying he had noticed there was an elderly citizen who was coughing due to the smoke and went over to see if she needed assistance. And in response to the complaint about the newspaper article, Cr Preece maintained he was within his rights to raise a notice of motion without 'foreshadowing' to other members. Kelledy Jones found that Cr Preece's explanation for leaving the chamber during the Acknowledgement of Country was 'disingenuous', and that his explanation of the Australia Day incident did 'not address what was said to be his rude and offensive comments made at the time'. The law firm also found that Cr Preece 'made the homophobic comments as alleged, and when challenged regarding the same, asserted his right to do so, blanketed as 'free speech''. 'It is highly inappropriate and offensive for a member of the council to act in such manner, particularly when they are an 'ambassador' for their council, causing embarrassment and offending others present, which actions persisted, even when they were raised with him,' it said. Emotional councillors vented their fury at Cr Preece during last Tuesday's meeting. 'I have never, ever called upon someone to resign, but such is the seriousness of it,' Cr John Angas said. Cr Dave de Vries added, 'I'm actually surprised how emotional I'm getting about this … it's just so distressing. The enormity of what's happening is just starting to hit home.' Cr Jess Greatwich, council's representative to the local Rainbow Network, said she was 'apoplectic with fury when I read this complaint — I had to go and walk around the block and make myself a cup of tea'. 'I'm still furious and I am so sad,' she said. Cr Cathy Troup suggested 'Indigenous and cultural awareness training in this specific incident could be very beneficial'. 'Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know, and I do think this could give Cr Preece a chance to just, you know, think about the way he thinks,' she said. Barossa Mayor Bim Lange told the ABC on Thursday council's decision was about policies rather than politics. 'It's disappointing that this has occurred, but I believe that council is engaging with First Nations, looking at all the things associated with their history and it's just about showing respect,' he said. 'People can have personal views — I don't hold a grudge against that — but when we've set some policies and some principles on our behaviour, I think it's important we demonstrate that to the wider community.' A number of councils have voted to cancel Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country ceremonies following the defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023, including South Australia's Northern Areas Council, the City of Playford and Naracoorte Lucindale Council. Several others have knocked down motions seeking to end the practice, including the Shire of Harvey in Western Australia, Sydney's Cumberland City Council and Flinders Council in Tasmania earlier this week.
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Welcome to Country to stay after Flinders Island council rejects move to end Aboriginal protocol
Flinders Island councillors have rejected a motion to cease Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country at events the council is involved in. Councillor Garry Blenkhorn put forward the motion at the Tasmanian council's meeting on Wednesday, but it failed to get a seconder. Around 50 people, including many from Tasmanian Aboriginal communities, were present when the motion was put to the council. All those present were against the motion. In his councillor's report for putting forward the motion, Cr Blenkhorn said there had been "an increase in discontent throughout Australia" regarding the use of Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country at public events. "The use of Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country is seen as divisive, unnecessary and not contributing to reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and others," Cr Blenkhorn wrote. The motion was not discussed by council before the meeting and the community had not been consulted. Cr Blenkhorn has previously told the ABC he'd been approached by "well over a hundred people" on the topic and "for that reason presented the motion." Speaking at the meeting after the motion lapsed, Flinders Island Deputy Mayor Vanessa Grace said she was dismayed to read the motion. "While Cr Blenkhorn says he is representing up to 100 people's views and he's brought them all forward, such a significant change should have been brought to council for a workshop, discussion and collaborations with the community and the key stakeholders, the Aboriginal communities," she said. Denise Gardner, who represents the Cape Barron Island Aboriginal Association and Aboriginal people on Truwana/Cape Barron Island, was one of many in the public gallery who cheered and clapped after the motion stalled. "We were quite elated but not surprised at the outcome," Ms Gardner said. "We had half a dozen people fly over from Truwana Island to attend and had people on Skype watching the proceedings." She said many had been "flabbergasted" the motion was being put forward, especially during National Reconciliation Week. "It's just amazing that it would be a motion at what is quite a sensitive time for people when we're all trying to go forward," she said. "Flinders Council have done a lot of work with communities on Flinders and Truwana/Cape Barron to get work together, get on with business and work together on common causes and for the best part that has been happening. "We move forward on that." Flinders Island Mayor Rachel Summers said it was "a good move" of councillors to not second the motion. "Councillors spoke out in support of our community rather than the motion, so it was really good to see that," Cr Summers said. But she said the motion had caused damage. "Unfortunately, damage has been done out of this and I really hope council can work with our Aboriginal community, with the organisations that represent those communities and find a way to walk forward together." Cr Blenkhorn has been contacted for comment.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Time to move on': Flinders Island councillor pushes to scrap Welcome to Country
A councillor on Flinders Island in Tasmania has called for the end of Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country, saying the ceremonies have 'served their purpose and it is now time to move on'. Flinders Island, part of the Furneaux Group in the Bass Strait off Tasmania's northeast tip, has a population of 800 people and the second-highest proportion of Aboriginal residents in the state at around 16 per cent. Councillor Garry Blenkhorn has put forward a resolution to be voted on at Wednesday's meeting for Flinders Council to 'cease reciting all references to Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country in any event or publication involving the council including, but not limited to, meetings of the council, meetings of special and subcommittees of the council, public meetings organised by or involving the council and the publishing and presentation of reports of the council including Annual Reports'. Mayor Rachel Summers told the ABC that she was disappointed Cr Blenkhorn had not raised the issue before submitting his notice of motion. She warned that the proposal would 'take us back 50 years, 100 years even'. 'It's literally 30 seconds, 60 seconds, when we just acknowledge the contribution the Aboriginal community has made over their time as custodians of the land,' Cr Summers said. The Palawa people of the Trawulwai Nation are recognised as the traditional owners of the Furneaux Islands. Flinders Island is also the site of the old Wybalenna Mission where Indigenous Tasmanians were sent in the early 1800s, many dying from disease and poor conditions. Cr Blenkhorn said there had 'recently been an increase in discontent throughout Australia regarding the use of Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country at public events'. 'The use of Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country is seen as divisive, unnecessary and not contributing to reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and others,' he wrote. 'I believe the two protocols have served their purpose and it is now time to move on. These protocols are not historical and have only existed for around 50 years … It is not a long-held tradition and should not be regarded as such.' Cr Blenkhorn highlighted the 2023 defeat of the Indigenous Voice Referendum by a 60-40 margin. Flinders Island recorded a slightly stronger yes vote at 45.6 per cent, but Cr Blenkhorn said the overall result was 'a vote against constitutional recognition for Indigenous peoples throughout Australia'. 'There can be many interpretations put on the result … but the major certainty is that Australians do not want separatist development,' he wrote. 'That is called apartheid. Many will recall or have read of the White Australia policy which was developed after World War II. We do not want to go back to those days where your future in Australia was determined by your race. Those days have gone and should never return.' Flinders Council general manager Warren Groves raised concerns about the motion, saying the Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Incorporated (FIAAI), the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association (CBIAA) and the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania (ALCT) were all 'strongly opposed'. 'I am concerned that any such action will cause potentially significant offence and affront to those associations and the communities they represent,' he wrote. 'An Acknowledgement of, or Welcome to Country, is a relatively short expression of respect, acknowledging, amongst other matters, the strong ongoing connection of the Aboriginal people to Australia for more than 40,000 years.' Flinders Council has used the Acknowledgement of Country since 2019, and in 2014 'took what was reportedly viewed as a progressive step, to support an inclusive celebration of being Furneaux Islanders on a date separate to Australia Day'. 'This change has since been widely celebrated for its inclusive and progressive perspective,' Mr Groves wrote. 'I have significant concerns that removing the Welcome to or Acknowledgement of Country from Council events may be seen as a retrograde step and offensive to our Aboriginal community, as well as reputationally and socially damaging for council both within and outside our island communities.' CBIAA chair Aaron Maynard told the ABC 'words can't really explain how disgusting and just how disrespectful this is to everyone'. 'Our people on this land in Australia are the oldest living race in the world at 65,000 years old, and we're still not celebrating that to our full capacity,' he said. Debate over the use of Welcome to Country ceremonies has grown since the Voice Referendum, with the Liberal frontbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price previously warning people are 'sick if it'. 'There is no problem with acknowledging our history, but rolling out these performances before every sporting event or public gathering is definitely divisive,' she said. 'It's not welcoming, it's telling non-Indigenous Australians 'this isn't your country' and that's wrong. We are all Australians and we share this great land.' Reconciliation Australia, the national peak body dedicated to reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community, says the ceremonies are an important sign of respect. 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced a long history of exclusion from Australian history books, the Australian flag, the Australian anthem and for many years, Australian democracy,' it says. 'This history of dispossession and colonisation lies at the heart of the disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians today. Including recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in events, meetings and national symbols contributes to ending the exclusion that has been so damaging.'
ABC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Flinders Island councillor in push to stop Welcome to and Acknowledgement of Country protocols
A local councillor from Tasmania's Flinders Island wants to stop Welcomes to and Acknowledgements of Country at events the council is involved in — a move the Mayor says would cause division. Flinders Councillor Garry Blenkhorn said "Australians did not want separatist development" and that discontent with the Acknowledgement of Country was growing. "These protocols are not historical and have only existed for around 50 years." Flinders Council has included the Acknowledgement of Country in publications and events since 2019. Since 2013, the council — which covers the Furneaux Group of islands, including Flinders Island, off Tasmania's north-east coast — has also held an alternative celebration to Australia Day, which it describes as an "inclusive celebration of being Furneaux Islanders". In the lead up to the federal election, the merit of the welcomes to and acknowledgements of country was questioned by then-Opposition leader Peter Dutton and Senator Nampijinpa Price. Reconciliation Australia, the peak body for reconciliation with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, said they were "simple but profound ceremonies which allow Australians to express respect for traditional owners of the Country on which the ceremony occurs". "Long before the colonisation of Australia, under traditional protocols, when one group entered the land of another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander nation, they would ask permission. The hosting group would welcome the visitors and offer them 'safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey'," it said. The organisation rejected the suggestion that welcomes and acknowledgements were divisive. "In fact, reconciliation provides a strong foundation for a more unified society," a spokesperson said. Reconciliation Australia said they should be performed when organisers of meetings or events deemed it appropriate. "The regular positive response of [for example] sporting crowds to Welcomes to Country ceremonies indicates that many Australians welcome these ceremonies." It said in the lead-up to National Reconciliation Week, it was important to understand what the ceremonies represented. The Flinders Island community has the second-highest proportion of Aboriginal people in Tasmania. It is also the location of the old Wybalenna Mission, where Aboriginal people were exiled to in the 1880s, and where many died as a result of European disease and poor conditions. Flinders Island Mayor Rachel Summers said Cr Blenkhorn's proposal would cause division over what was "essentially a very brief" part of council events. "It's literally 30 seconds, 60 seconds, when we just acknowledge the contribution the Aboriginal community has made over their time as custodians of the land," Cr Summers said. She said she was disappointed Cr Blenkhorn had not raised the issue before submitting a notice of motion for Wednesday's council meeting. "Things like this which have real community impact should come to a [council] workshop in the first instance, and then we could have had that discussion. "And if he was saying that he wanted to put this motion forward, then we could have maybe done some community engagement," Cr Summers said. She said Aboriginal associations and the services they provided were "critical" to the whole community. In response to Cr Blenkhorn's motion, the council's general manager, Warren Groves, said the motion "could well be seen as difficult to reconcile" if supported and contrary to efforts the council has made to improve its relationship with the Aboriginal community and stakeholders. Mr Groves said he had recently spoken with the chief executives of the Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island Aboriginal associations and the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania. He said "all three CEOs are strongly opposed to any proposed withdrawal of the Welcome to or Acknowledgement of Country from council proceedings". Cape Barron Island Aboriginal Association chair Aaron Maynard said the council told him about Cr Blenkhorn's motion. "Words can't really explain how disgusting and just how disrespectful this is to everyone," Mr Maynard said. "Our people on this land in Australia are the oldest living race in the world at 65,000 years old, and we're still not celebrating that to our full capacity." He said he would be attending the council meeting. Speaking on ABC Local Radio on Sunday morning, Tasmanian Aboriginal activist and lawyer Michael Mansell said the idea was "disappointing". "So, again, it's people who just have a very different view, and we need to tolerate that, but why they would try to destroy something that's very positive, and that people do want to participate in, is very hard to understand," he said. The motion will be debated on Wednesday. Cr Blenkhorn was contacted for comment.
