What you said about wanting to ban Welcome to Country

The Welcome to Country debate has resurface after one group claimed they wanted to end it. HAVE YOUR SAY

“That Welcome to Country stuff is all pure bullshit.’’

Trevor Pickering, mayor of Croydon Shire Council in north Queensland, in August 2024 wasn’t holding back on his views – and many Aussies are in furious agreeance.

The topic of Welcome to Country – and whether it is overused – remains a lightning rod across Australia.

Mr Pickering said he is utterly convinced the huge majority of Australians would understand how people whose families have lived on a piece of country for 100 years might feel a little confronted by having someone “welcome’ them on a regular basis to the place they already live.

In December it was revealed the Juru people of the Burdekin voted to ban Welcome to Country on their ancestral land, saying they were embarrassed by the ceremonies.

A spokesman for the Juru, Randall Ross, has told 4BC Mornings with Bill McDonald that elders had voted against the ceremonies on Thursday night.

The topic has always sparked a passionate response.

Trevor Pickering has caused quite a stir. Picture: Steve Pohlner

In fact, about 97 per cent of more than 25,000 voters in an online poll insisted Welcome to Country is “overused”.

“Get rid of WTC – we’re all over it! And fed up listening to it! And truth telling – exactly wot is that,” Ted wrote.

Others said the whole issue needs to be resolved, while some claimed it’s up to some people to get with the times on the debate.

“Welcome to country is a sign of respect. live with it and applaud it please,” Doug said.

See what you had to say and join the conversation below >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

I agree with Juru people

Lester

About time commonsense prevails .. we are all Australians

Keith

my family date back to 1824.

We don’t need to be welcomed - thank you.

R

Wokeness gone crazy. Very divisive.

Kat

Finally some sense!! Thank you juru people.

Ditch Welcome to Country completely!

Carol

So true John. I have had a gutful of WTC, binary, non-binary and so on and so forth. This country needs to pull its socks up and look at defending its citizens. Sadly, our defence forces are nowhere the capacity of you know who and all the other wannabe’s north of us. As for our bowing and scraping foreign minister, she has no idea on foreign diplomacy and must be a laughing stock to the power houses of the world.

Ted

Get rid of WTC – we’re all over it! And fed up listening to it! And truth telling – exactly wot is that!!!

John

I’m an Aussie. My kids are Aussies. My parents and grandparents were Aussies. I served for 22 years in Australia’s military defending our freedoms and quality of life, I’m nowhere near 234 years old, I’ve NEVER stolen anyone’s land or killed a single soul and I do NOT need to be insulted and welcomed to my own country!

Ron

Welcoming me to my own country is a sign of disrespect my grandparents were born here as was my parents my father fought for the country they as I worked brought homes raised families to be treated as a tourist or whatever is a disgrace

Richard

Why do we do welcome to the country when it is all our country. Surely after the Voice result it is time to give this woke crap the flick.

Australians remain divided over Welcome to Country. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

I’m for it

Doug

Welcome to country is a sign of respect. live with it and applaud it please.

Stuart

What a sook, how does it hurt him?

April

The world is moving on. It’s slow but it will be relentless. Some will be left behind

Make Australia Great Again

“He’s 54, it’s about 30 years since he wrestled a bull, and he’s finding the 21st Century so infuriating …”

The world changes – get over it.

Has Welcome to Country been overused? Picture: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Another thought …

Barry

Wouldn’t the only time you use ‘Welcome To Country’ be for overseas visitors arriving in Australia?

Martine

Perhaps it’s the ‘Acknowledgement of Country’, rather than the ‘Welcome to Country’ that he’s intending to get rid of at Council meetings. Council meetings don’t have the ceremony, just the speech.

Andrew

Welcome to Country has become a joke. People just cringe and laugh at it.

Gary

Nothing gets my back up more than “Welcome to Country”, I used to be apolitical, “Not any more”.

SS

he’d make a better leader than the bozos we currently have running states and country.

Sheri

It’s rather ironic of the government to implement something that makes a large portion of 97% of Australians irritated with 3% of the other Australians who seem to think it’s helping them – it isn’t – people are just getting more irritated as time goes on.