Liberal senator Michaelia Cash says Welcome to Country ceremonies ‘tokenistic,’ don’t improve lives of First Nations

Michaelia Cash gave a strong take-down of Welcome to Country ceremonies, stating they allow people to turn a “blind eye to the realities faced” by First Nations people.

Senior Liberal senator Michaelia Cash has given a strong take-down of the “tokenistic” use of Welcome to Country ceremonies being conducted at official events, stating they make people “feel good” while turning a “blind eye to the realities faced” by First Nations people.

The view, which differs from the position held by Sussan Ley, comes as the contentious motion was debated at the WA Liberal Party council on Saturday.

State members called on the Opposition Leader to state that “Welcome to Country ceremonies and acknowledgments should not hold official status as they are tokenistic at best and do nothing to improve the lives of our most disadvantaged Australians”.

Practically, this means the rituals would not be performed during sporting matches, and official functions like Anzac Day Dawn Services and the opening of parliament.

A second motion also called on the federal party to only give “formal Commonwealth recognition” to the Australian national, and state flags.

Senator Michaelia Cash said Welcome to Country ceremonies are ‘tokenistic’. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

‘Overdone’

Speaking to Sky, Senator Cash stood by her strong support of the motions, stating its been her “fundamental belief for a very long time”.

“They have now become so overdone, they are tokenistic. But more than this, as a Western Australian, and we live in a big state and there are large Indigenous communities, the one thing I want Australians focused on is not tokenistic gestures that make us feel good whilst we turn and a blind eye to the realities faced in Indigenous communities on the ground.”

She said she “stood with” Indigenous Country Liberal Party senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, and would do so “any day of the week,” and called for “practical” policies.

“We want to see all Australians unite and focus on the practical policy outcomes that will make a difference … in the lives of the most disadvantaged in this country,” she said.

“The one thing we should unite under is making a practical difference, a positive difference in their lives. It’s my focus … I can be judged for that.”

Senator Cash said she ‘stood with’ Indigenous Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who has also been critical of Welcome to Country ceremonies. Picture: Thomas Lisson/ NewsWire

Libs should ‘continue in the mainstream’

Perth MP Pat Gorman urged the Liberal Party not to “take another hard right turn,” but “continue in the mainstream”.

Speaking in Canberra he questioned why the Liberal party was undoing the work of former prime minister Scott Morrison and minister Ken Wyatt, who acquired the Aboriginal flag’s copyright in 2022, which he described as a “proud achievement”.

“They should avoid these extreme motions and continue on the work that they’ve done in the past,” he said.

“I’m not normally in the business of giving political advice to my opponents, but on this, I would suggest that they focus on the things that Australians are concerned about, like protecting penalty rates, like making sure that we bring student debt down and not these extreme motions, even if they are the pet policies of some of our front benches.”

One Nation inflames Welcome to Country debate

On Tuesday, One Nation senators fuelled debate after Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Roberts, Tyron Whitten and Warwick Stacey turned their backs on the chamber during a Welcome to Country ceremony.

Later speaking to Sky, Senator Hanson said she “had a gutful” of the rituals.

“I have had enough, and I do not want a Welcome to Country and to be disenfranchised from my own country that I was born here,” she said.

Minister for Indigenous Australias Malarndirri McCarthy said the act was “disrespectful” and “unacceptable” given senators “represent millions of Australians and that includes First Nations people”.

While she said it was improper parliamentary conduct, Senator McCarthy acknowledged that there will “always be differing opinions” on the matter.

“I expect that people will bring their own personal opinions and views into it, but it really was about the conduct of the Senate and senators, and it was important that we put on the record that all senators in there are there to represent Australians and to do so with dignity and respect,” she told the ABC.

Originally published as Liberal senator Michaelia Cash says Welcome to Country ceremonies ‘tokenistic,’ don’t improve lives of First Nations