Former PM Tony Abbott says Welcome to Country ceremonies ‘grating’

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has weighed in on the Welcome to Country debate, taking aim at the major airlines.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says what happened on January 26, 1788 was “wonderful” in an interview denouncing Welcome to Country ceremonies.

Mr Abbott shared that he had a “fundamental problem” with Welcome to Country ceremonies and acknowledgements of country in an interview with Ben Fordham on 2GB radio.

Mr Abbott believes they are an “exercise in virtue signalling” akin to wearing masks during the Covid pandemic.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has said that what happened on January 26, 1788 was “wonderful” in an interview denouncing welcome to country ceremonies. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“It’s become a badge of political correctness,” he said.

“It’s become a political statement – a bit like wearing masks became a political statement during the pandemic.”

Mr Abbott said he had taken issue with the practice since it started on Qantas and Virgin flights.

Uncle Mark Brown was booed and heckled at the official Anzac memorial in Melbourne. Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

“I’ve found the notion of having country acknowledged when you land in Melbourne or Sydney or Brisbane absolutely grating,” he said.

2GB listener Vicki agreed with Mr Abbott, texting in: “Last night, MasterChef did an acknowledgment or a Welcome to Country to kick off the show.

“This is a cooking show. Really?” she said.

Mr Abbott said what happened on January 26, 1788 was wonderful and “the beginning of the great country that we know as Australia”.

“It was the eruption of the modern onto an ancient continent. It’s something to be celebrated,” he added.

The conversation was prompted following controversy at Melbourne’s Anzac Day Dawn Service, which was marred by booing from attendees during Bunurong elder Uncle Mark Brown’s Welcome to Country.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Defence Minister Richard Marles weighed in on the debate, saying that while it is ultimately up to RSLs to decide to incorporate welcome ceremonies, he felt they were appropriate given Australia’s “rich and important Indigenous military history”.

“I don’t have a problem with paying respect to Indigenous Australians, and it’s as simple as that,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he felt welcome to country ceremonies were appropriate at Anzac events given Australia’s ‘rich and important Indigenous military history’. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“But what I don’t think we should be doing is giving airtime or amplifying the exact message those people were putting forward in an utterly abhorrent way.”

Reconciliation Australia says that incorporating a Welcome to Country or an Acknowledgement of Country into events shows respect by “upholding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural protocols”.

A Welcome to Country is delivered by traditional owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have been given permission from traditional owners, to welcome visitors to their country, whereas an Acknowledgement of Country can be offered by any person and is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for traditional owners.

Originally published as Former PM Tony Abbott says Welcome to Country ceremonies ‘grating’