Daniel Andrews fires back at Sam Newman’s call for Aussies to boo Welcome to Country

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has hit back at recent comments from AFL personality Sam Newman, who called on Aussies to boo the Welcome to Country.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has hit back at recent comments from AFL personality Sam Newman, who called on Aussies to boo the Welcome to Country at this year’s grand final.

The former footy star lit a flame under social media users this week after making comments on his podcast, You Cannot Be Serious, encouraging Aussies to boo or “slow hand clap” during the ceremony.

Appearing on 3AW radio on Thursday to address the previous night’s controversy, Newman was asked by host Tony Jones whether his suggestion was “inciting violence”.

“What an extraordinary question,” Newman said.

“The public have had a gutful of people telling us how to live our lives, particularly footballing organisations. We like to go to the football and watch the game without being told to vote for the gay marriage proposal … without being told to vote for the Voice. Why do they get involved?

“It is an absolute hoax, it’s a rort, the Welcome to Country. Why do we have to be welcomed to the country we live in? Why is that? It is just a mark of division. The people who welcome you to country get a nice stipend out of it. Why do they charge? It’s just a rort.”

Jones accused Newman of taking the conversation to a “new low” with the “irresponsible” suggestion.

“My statement on the podcast was a provocative suggestion that people push back on this nonsense,” Newman said. “It’s cringe-worthy to have to watch.”

The former footy star lit a flame under social media users this week after making comments on his podcast, You Cannot Be Serious, encouraging Aussies to boo or ‘slow hand clap’ during the ceremony.

Dan Andrews joined the chorus of criticism levelled at Newman on Thursday, defending the ceremony from accusations it has deteriorated into “tokenism”.

“Why would you do that?” the Premier said of calls ridicule the ceremony. “Why would you say no to all the wisdom, all the richness that comes from that? I don’t think that would be the right thing to do.

“That’s not something I’d do. That might be his view, but that‘s not my view.

“I don‘t think that celebrating all that ownership, custodianship of Aboriginal people had given to us today – those Songlines, that history, the warmth with which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is shared with the broader contemporary community, that’s not something to boo.”

Andrews said he would prefer listen to an Indigenous person on the matter over Newman, attracting support from some members of the media.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s National Affairs editor James Massola said Andrews was “spot on”.

Spot on from Daniel Andrews. Why would anyone listen to Sam Newman’s call to boo the Welcome to Country at the Grand Final https://t.co/lrd5ya7USl

— James Massola (@jamesmassola) September 21, 2023

“When it comes to views of former footballers, I’d be more inclined to listen say uncle Michael Long on these sorts of issues than Sam Newman,” Andrews said.

“Like every day, and twice on Sunday‘s I’d listen to Michael Long than Sammy. I don’t think that’s a very generous thing to be putting forward.

“I don‘t think it’s right at all... I didn’t come here to talk about him, believe me, he was the last person I was going to be talking about today, but you’ve asked me.”

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe went two steps further, labelling Newman as a “racist” on Thursday.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has hit back at recent comments from AFL personality Sam Newman.

“We all are on stolen land, there has never been a treaty, and a Welcome to Country is a way to bring people along on an understanding of the country that you are all living on,” she told Nine’s Today on Thursday.

“It’s about peace and the whole message behind a Welcome to Country is about respect and bringing people together. And I think Sam Newman is — you know, he is not a respectful man at the best of times so he needs to educate himself and not be so racist all the time.”

Host Karl Stefanovic said he was playing “devil’s advocate” by pointing out that there was a “school of thought out there — and it’s not from me, let me assure you — that maybe there are too many of these ceremonies, that maybe they lose their effectiveness if there are too many of them”.

“How do you counter that?” he said.

Thorpe replied that it was “up to the traditional owners themselves and the event”.

“I think that it’s important for people to understand that the land that they’re on and the stories behind that,” she said.

“There’s a lot of beautiful stories that go with Welcomes and people learn from that and people have a deeper understanding on how to protect country. I don’t think that there’s too many. I think that the stories that are told are important for this country to be able to mature and come together.”

Newman is encouraging aussies encouraging Aussies to boo or ‘slow hand clap’ during the ceremony.