By Rebel News | Created at 2025-01-06 00:02:41 | Updated at 2025-01-07 13:32:41
1 day ago
Australian taxpayers have spent nearly half a million dollars on Welcome to Country ceremonies at official government events over the past two financial years, sparking debate about the use of public funds.
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information by opposition spokesman James Stevens reveal that $452,953 was spent on Welcome to Country ceremonies between 2022 and 2024.
The Australian government has wasted more than $450,000 on Welcome to Country ceremonies at events in the last two years.
This nonsense needs to end.
This is our country as much as theirs. We don't need to be welcomed to it.
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet accounted for $41,801 of this total, hosting 33 ceremonies at an average cost of $1,266 each. With these ceremonies lasting five to 15 minutes, the expenditure equates to approximately $100 per minute.
Stevens criticised the spending, stating, “While there is a place for traditional Welcome to Country ceremonies, taxpayers should not be forking out half a million dollars for them. When added to the enormous amounts state and local governments spend on these ceremonies, it’s become a multimillion-dollar industry.”
“Welcomes to Country should be genuine and authentic, not a lucrative income stream at the taxpayers’ expense. This money could be better spent on delivering real solutions to indigenous communities.”
— Valerie💐 (@AussieVal10) September 15, 2024The Albanese government has defended the ceremonies, describing them as a way to “demonstrate respect” to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The National Indigenous Australians Agency described the ceremonies as “a mark of respect for First Nations peoples” that provide “safe passage” and “spiritual safety” for visitors.
The Department of Home Affairs has already planned future Welcome to Country ceremonies as part of its 2023-2026 strategy for “days of significance,” major meetings, and award events.
— Katherine Deves Morgan 🇦🇺🚺 (@deves_katherine) January 5, 2025The opposition’s criticism extends to broader national identity debates. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton recently announced plans to remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags from press conferences if elected, arguing they are “not our national flags.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed Dutton’s stance, stating, “It costs nothing to show respect.” Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy accused Dutton of trying to “divide Australians.”
