Stolenwealth Games? Aboriginal leaders don’t seem to share Wayne Wharton’s views

Aboriginal activist Wayne Wharton starts his “Stolenwealth Games” protest. Wharton speaking to Seven News Gold Coast, yesterday:

We are calling on every other nation that has come here and as part of the Commonwealth that they have a responsibility to visit this country and leave something positive here. If they don’t, they are no better than the slaves and the invaders that Malcolm Turnbull represents.

Wharton was quite restrained there. The Aboriginal activist speaking to The Australian, February 26:

Malcolm Turnbull’s statements in the past three weeks are close to inciting (the use of) guns and (Aboriginal activists) taking up terrorism … Some of our young people are not far off it with the things he’s said.

He’s still keen to get in the way of the Games, though. Wharton on Seven News, yesterday:

Reporter: These Aboriginal groups have made a protest blocking the Queen’s Baton … Would you like to tell us why we are here?

Wharton: We are calling on the Commonwealth heads of every nation that is coming here to get Malcolm Turnbull to initiate a truth commission.

Did Wharton ask local elders’ permission before he showed up? Games committee member and Yugambeh elder Ted Williams speaks to The Australian, February 27:

If this fellow wishes to stay true to his indigenous identity, we expect to receive a request for permission to come on to our lands … we would expect him to behave himself …

Not that he has shown indigenous Australians participating in the Games much respect at all up to this point. Wharton speaking to the Gold Coast Bulletin, yesterday:

There’s going to be all these white fellas in the seats around here, I wonder how many black fellas are going to turn up and tell these people what happened to our grand people?

Williams speaking to The Australian, February 27:

GOLDOC (the Games’ organising committee) have done their darnedest to include indigenous people in these Games.

You’ll be hearing a lot from Wharton during these Gold Coast Games. The Aboriginal activist in the Gold Coast Bulletin, April 1:

We want to be able to get to (Prince Charles) and have a yarn to him.

But we don’t expect Wharton to take his former comrade’s advice. Warren Mundine speaking to The Australian, February 27:

I know Wayne Wharton … we both protested the 1982 Commonwealth Games together and we shared a police cell … But times have changed … I’ve left the police cell behind and Wayne needs to as well.

Queenslanders will hear more of Wharton than their own Premier at the Games. Annastacia Palaszczuk’s quashed opening ceremony speech, yesterday:

Queenslanders put the “Q” in Qantas, the bend in bananas and the warmth into every sip of Bundaberg rum … And the girl and guy next door are literally Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie. We’ve got millions just like them.

What a shame! Palaszczuk’s speech nearly rivals Dame Edna’s spectacular closing song at Melbourne’s Games, March 26, 2006:

This little spot called Melbourne / is the city of my birth / It’s not as hot as Brisbane / or as far away as Perth / It’s not as small as Adelaide / Compared to Canberra, it’s bliss / And if you’ve been to Melbourne / you can give Sydney a miss / Give Sydney a miss