This was published 5 years ago
Kerri-Anne Kennerley labelled 'racist' in heated Australia Day debate
By Amy Croffey
A debate between Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerley and panellist Yumi Stynes, about Australia Day protests, turned acrimonious on Monday morning.
It all kicked off when Kennerley questioned if protesters at Saturday's rallies calling for Australia Day to be moved to a date other than January 26 had ever done anything for the Indigenous community.
"Has any single one of those 5000 people waving the flags saying how inappropriate the day is, has any one of them been out to the outback where children, babies and five-year-olds are being raped, their mothers are being raped, their sisters are being raped? What have you done?" she asked. "Zippo!"
Stynes responded: "That is not even faintly true Kerri-Anne and you're sounding quite racist now."
Kennerley replied: "I'm offended by that, Yumi."
"Well keep going then," Stynes said, "because every time you open your mouth, you're sounding racist."
Sarah Harris (far left) tried to interrupt the debate between Kennerley and panellist Yumi Stynes (far right), while Joe Hildebrand and Ajay Rochester (centre) looked uncomfortable.Credit: Ten
Co-host Sarah Harris attempted to defuse the discussion, while fellow co-host Joe Hildebrand and guest Ajay Rochester both looked uncomfortable.
"Just because I have a point of view, Yumi, doesn't mean I'm racist," Kennerley said.
"You're actually connecting rape, child abuse, you're drawing a straight line," Stynes responded.
"You're implying those 5000 protesters, none of whom you know personally, are all lazy and idle. You're asking if any of them have ever done anything as though it's clear they haven't."
When Kennerley objected, saying Stynes was "drawing a line that isn't there," Stynes responded that she could see the line "quite clearly".
"Well, get new glasses," Kennerley fired back.
An Invasion Day rally in Sydney on Saturday.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Harris continued to try and quell the argument, urging the two women to avoid name-calling. Kennerley replied, "We're grown up enough; this is clearly just an issue Yumi and I have. There are probably 20 other things that we do agree on - this is just one that we clearly don't.
Stynes' response? A deadpan stare into the camera.
The disagreement between Kennerley and Stynes comes after tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets on Saturday to call for the abolition of Australia Day being celebrated on January 26.
Rally organisers say the day, which marks the anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet in 1788, actually signifies the start of the "attempted subjugation of over 500 nations" and that "it is offensive to celebrate genocide".