Protests planned as Geelong library defends hosting divisive Tony Abbott event
A cultural storm has erupted as Geelong library defends its decision to host former prime minister Tony Abbott despite strong community pushback. HAVE YOUR SAY.
An upcoming visit by a former prime minister has sparked controversy, with protests planned and many questioning the venue’s decision to host the event.
Tony Abbott is scheduled to appear at Geelong library on November 27 for an hour-long discussion about his new book, Australia: A History.
The announcement last week was met with a flurry of criticism from opponents of Mr Abbott, who cited his stance on Indigenous issues and his friendship with the late Catholic cardinal George Pell.
Former state Labor MLC and genU board member Elaine Carbines aired her disagreement on the library’s Facebook page – one of 600 comments the library’s post has so far received.
“He (Abbott) has constantly downplayed the rich cultural heritage of our nation which existed for thousands of years prior to colonisation and has consistently ignored the impact it continues to have on First Nations People,” she commented.
First Nations’ advocacy group Be Tru to Uluru said it would stage a protest to “to send a message that Mr Abbott’s kind of divisive politics are not welcome in our city”, while others urged people to email the library with their concerns.
The Surf Coast for Reconciliation group slammed the library for its “disgraceful choice of speaker to promote his book of lies”.
The book, published last month to coincide with a three-part documentary broadcast on Sky News, is Mr Abbott’s account of Australia’s evolution.
“This book is a compelling reminder of our inheritance, which gives us a reason to be proud of who we are and the country we’ve become,” Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said.
In an email to staff following the “strong feedback”, Geelong Regional Libraries chief executive Vanessa Schernickau said a priority of the organisation was to provide access to a range of perspectives “in these times of increasing polarity”.
“As public discourse becomes increasingly binary, we have a pivotal role in ensuring different voices can be heard, hopefully by those who are curious and have open minds,” she wrote in the email, seen by the Addy.
“I know that I personally need to challenge my beliefs sometimes and on what information they are founded.
“This includes sometimes listening to/reading views that I might find confronting and indeed offensive.”
A GRL spokeswoman said the book’s publisher, Harper Collins, approached the venue, not the other way around, and confirmed proceeds from the $20 entry fee would support the library’s operations.
Liberal senator Sarah Henderson, Corangamite MP under Mr Abbott’s leadership, said the book had been endorsed by two former Labor leaders – “a testament to his efforts to present a balanced and objective perspective about the history of our great country”.
Geelong-based state upper house member Bev McArthur, who hosted Mr Abbott during his visit in 2023 for a “No to The Voice” event, said while people were entitled to criticise the book, the decision to proceed with the event was “entirely appropriate”.
“Read the book, join the discussion, and don’t try to silence it, if you disagree with its conclusions, challenge them, that’s how a democracy works,” she said.
“To try to shut down an author event at a library is antithetical to everything we should stand for in a democratic society.”
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Originally published as Protests planned as Geelong library defends hosting divisive Tony Abbott event
