APN Outdoor refuses to run controversial Aboriginal Victoria billboards

A BILLBOARD company has refused to run a Victorian government campaign’s signs, which ask provocative questions about Aboriginal people and racism.

A BILLBOARD company has refused to run a government campaign with signs that ask if being Aboriginal is “just the colour” of a person’s skin.

The peak body for outdoor advertisers warned that the campaign — to run alongside a new website to increase indigenous awareness — risked discrimination complaints.

Aboriginal Victoria’s Deadly Questions website calls for non-indigenous Australians to post questions they are normally too embarrassed to ask.

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The Deadly Questions campaign. Picture: Supplied

Among the questions posed were: “Is being Aboriginal just the colour of your skin?”, “Why can’t Aboriginal people just get over the past?” and “Do Aboriginal people face racism every day?”.

APN Media, on advice from the Outdoor Media Association, refused to run the billboard campaign carrying those questions because it could be deemed discriminatory.

But oOH! Media will run the campaign instead.

Some of the billboards have been deemed too controversial. Picture: Supplied

The Deadly Questions campaign billboard. Picture: Supplied

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Natalie Hutchins said APN’s decision to reject Deadly Questions “proves why we need to have” the campaign.

“Deadly Questions starts an important and sometimes difficult conversation that we all need to have on our path to Treaty and reconciliation,” Ms Hutchins said.

“We need our media outlets to get on-board and support Aboriginal Victorians instead of dictating to them what is and isn’t offensive.”

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