Latest news with #AcknowledgementofCountry
Sky News AU
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Hobart City Council rejects push to make its Acknowledgement of Country speeches optional after councillor argued they were 'ritualistic', similar to 'holy communion'
A proposal to make Acknowledgement of Country speeches optional for Hobart City Council meetings has been voted down despite the push being endorsed by a high-profile Indigenous campaigner. Cr Louise Elliot put forward a motion to remove the item from the agenda and for it to instead take place prior to official proceedings. Cr Elliot likened the practice to religious rituals like "baptism" and "holy communion". "Country in an Aboriginal context is much broader than the geographical term in English language. It's a much more spiritual setting and there's a complex set of things that underpin that. It's much more than the tangible items," she said. "This is about the central concept of consent and giving people the option as to whether they engage with the ritual or whether they don't." Cr Elliot denied the move was about erasing Tasmania's violent history. "Acknowledging history is a really good thing. I don't think we need to do it on a hourly, daily, or even weekly basis,' she said. 'We all know that Aboriginal people were here well before colonisation. We all know that terrible things happened as part of that process, which is really sad." The motion received unexpected support from local Aboriginal activist and Palawa person Nala Mansell. 'I completely agree that offering nothing but words at the beginning of every single meeting, gathering, parliamentary sitting to acknowledge all the horrible things that have happened to Aborigines, and continue to happen to Aborigines, becomes tokenistic,' she told The Mercury. 'The words end up making the person offering those words feel like they've contributed somehow, while offering no benefit whatsoever to Aboriginal people. 'It doesn't give us back any of our stolen lands, it doesn't stop Aboriginal incarceration rates from rising.' Palawa elder Uncle Rodney Dillon said Acknowledgement of Country still has a role in Australia. "As Aboriginal people we feel recognised when we do Welcome to Country. We feel that we're part of the community and the community understands us," he said. "This is not about jamming something down someone's throat. This is about love and putting our arms out and cuddling each other. It's the opposite to what she thinks it is." Uncle Dillon also criticised Cr Elliot's framing of the issue around consent. "We didn't consent to them taking our land either and we didn't consent to them locking up our kids. I know a lot about consent," he said. A council spokesman said there is no formal policy requiring the chair to deliver an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of council meetings or workshops. "However, this practice has been consistently observed since 2015 and is observed by all Tasmanian councils and all capital city councils across Australia," they said. Cr Elliot maintains she was made to feel it was compulsory when chairing committees. "I was told 'no' it needs to stay as an agenda item and my choice then was either to say something that I didn't believe in, which I can't do, or to skip the agenda item and be accused of not following the agenda," she said. "By default being put in that predicament shows that it's not optional."
Sky News AU
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Hobart City Council decides to keep Acknowledgement of Country
Hobart City Council has voted down a proposal to make Acknowledgement of Country optional at meetings. It comes after Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party turned their backs during a Welcome to Country ceremony in parliament.
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
WA Liberals support motion to scrap Welcome to Country and exclude Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
The Western Australian Liberal Party has backed a motion to reduce Welcome to Country ceremonies following a private meeting. The motion passed at the WA Liberal state council on Saturday also included excluding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from appearing at press conferences involving the Prime Minister, ABC News has reported. A motion to scrap the net zero by 2050 target has also reportedly been passed by the party. ABC News understands the motions were passed with a significant show of support. The meeting comes amid a week that has seen the place of Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies within parliamentary proceedings heavily debated following a protest staged in the Senate. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and all three other One Nation senators turned their backs during the ceremony on Tuesday at the opening of parliament. Ms Hanson, who has been vocal about her opposition to the ceremonies, has turned her back to the acknowledgment previously - but the rest of the party joining in made the incident one of the most significant protests of its kind to be staged in the chamber. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash then took aim at Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in the upper house on Thursday for having 'sought to dismiss" Indigenous Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's stance on Welcome to Country. Ms Price said during the Senate session she was "sick to death" of Indigenous heritage being 'objectified" and used as a "political token". In response, Ms Wong then urged Ms Price to heed the words of Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who is more supportive of Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies. The move by the Foreign Minister triggered a fiery speech by Ms Cash, which referred to Ms Price's past and upbringing.
Sky News AU
5 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘She showed fabulous leadership': Senate Opposition leader's fierce defence of Jacinta Price hailed by Bronwyn Bishop
Former Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop has praised Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash's fierce defence of Jacinta Nampijunpa Price in the upper house for her stance on Welcome to Country. The Senate Opposition Leader took aim at Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in the Senate on Thursday for having 'sought to dismiss" Indigenous Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's views on the ceremonies. Ms Price said during the Senate session she was "sick to death" of Indigenous heritage being 'objectified" and used as a "political token" – remarks that followed One Nation Senators turning their backs in protest of an Acknowledgment of Country during the opening of Parliament this week. In response, Ms Wong then urged Ms Price to heed the words of Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, who is more supportive of Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies. The move by the Foreign Minister triggered a fiery speech by Ms Cash, which referred to Ms Price's past and upbringing. Speaking to Sky News host Rowan Dean on Friday, Ms Bishop praised Ms Cash's address and hailed her impassioned delivery. 'And that speech was outstanding because it was passionate, it came right from the heart. And it's about time this whole issue was debated,' Ms Bishop said. 'When you heard what Jacinta had to say and the description that Michaela just gave of what Jacinta has had to put up with all her life ... she is a woman of courage, and Michaelia coming in like that, which Penny Wong tried to stop as I understand it, she just nailed it strongly, and you could hear people all over Australia cheering.' The former Liberal titan also applauded comments made by Ms Cash since her Senate speech, in which she outlined that all senators - including Ms Price - had the right to their own opinion. 'And then to be railed upon by Senator Wong with a 'Wongism', saying 'look at me I'm so superior to all of you', that it really just got to Michaelia, and she showed fabulous leadership for the person she is,' Ms Bishop said. The place of Acknowledgment of Country ceremonies in Parliament have come under the microscope this week following One Nation's protest on Tuesday. Ms Hanson and all three other One Nation senators turned their backs during the ceremony in the upper house, becoming one of the most significant protests of its kind to be staged in the chamber. The party's leader, joining Ms Bishop and Rowan Dean on Friday further cemented her firm opposition to the acknowledgments being a regular part of on parliamentary proceedings, brushing off suggestions the protest was a 'stunt' 'I don't care what people think about it. People have congratulated me on our stance. We're sick and tired of this Welcome to Country ... People are sick and hard of hearing it and being disenfranchised from our own land,' she told Sky News.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'I will not stand for that': Senator Michaelia Cash slams Penny Wong, claiming she ‘sought to dismiss' Jacinta Nampinipa Price
Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash has told Sky News she 'will not stand' for Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price being dismissed for her views on Welcome to Country. Ms Cash slammed Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in the Senate on Thursday for having 'sought to dismiss" Ms Price's views on Welcome to Country, which the Indigenous Senator believes is 'virtue signalling' before every Parliamentary session. The fiery stoush came after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson led a protest from her party to turn their backs on the Acknowledgement of Country ceremony during the opening of Parliament on Tuesday. During Thursday's Senate sitting, Ms Price said she was "sick to death" of the Indigenous heritage being 'objectified" and used as "political tokens". Ms Price said Australians should be proud of all backgrounds and cultures. After the Indigenous Senator spoke, Ms Wong launched into a rebuke of Ms Hanson over her protest and urged Ms Price to heed the words of Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who is more supportive of Acknowledgement of Country ceremonies. Ms Wong quoted Ms Ley as saying: "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." An enraged Ms Cash fired up over the dismissal of Ms Hanson and Ms Price's opinions and said the One Nation leader had "every right" to have a point of view. Ms Cash further defended Ms Price's remarks and demanded the chamber read up on the Indigenous Senator's past and upbringing before casting "aspersions" or "tell us to respect other words". "Do not ever demean anybody. Senator Jacinta Nampajimpa Price. Her mother's story—Bess Price—I suggest you all read it. A woman walking through the desert was her mother," Ms Cash said. "I suggest you read the story of Bess Price before you ever come in here and cast aspersions or tell us, Senator Wong, to respect other words. "I will stand by and respect Senator Jacinta Nampajimpa Price, who every day has lived and breathed reconciliation in this country. Her father is white, her mother is black. "Don't ever come into this place again and pontificate to us like you've just done." Speaking to Sky News after the Senate stoush, Ms Cash said she will 'defend' Senator Price and the right for her to voice her opinion 'every single day of the week". "In relation to Senator Hanson and One Nation turning their backs on the President during the [Acknowledgement of Country], which I've made clear to Senator Hanson and she accepts is inappropriate, unfortunately became a debate in relation to whether or not a Welcome to Country is appropriate,' she told Chris Kenny. "Senator Malarndirri McCarthy put Labor's point of view articulately, Senator Waters the Greens, Senator Pauline Hanson, One Nation, and then Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price articulately and through lived experience gave her opinion. That should have been the end of the matter, Chris, but Senator Wong, as leader of the government, decided that she would be the last speaker and sought to dismiss Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's view. "I will not stand for that. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's opinion in relation to whether or not a Welcome to Country is appropriate is as relevant as any other Senators."
