Senators Turn Their Backs During Indigenous ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ in Parliament

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the practice had been performed 3 times throughout the day.

One Nation Senators Tyron Whitten, Warwick Stacey, Malcolm Roberts and Pauline Hanson turn their back on the Indigenous Acknowledgement to Country in the Senate chamber for the opening of the 48th Federal Parliament at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on July 22, 2025. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts has vowed to “do it again” after the party’s four senators turned their backs while the Indigenous Acknowledgement of Country was delivered at the beginning of the 48th parliament.

“Silent, respectful, but a protest. To bring the voice of many Australians to the floor of parliament. And we’ll do it again,” Roberts commented in the aftermath.

The symbolic gesture took place on July 22, the first day of the new parliament.

New Senators Warwick Stacey and Tyron Whitten joined Roberts and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

“Your four One Nation senators turned our backs on the Welcome to Country as a silent, respectful, but meaningful protest against racially divisive politics,” Roberts said on Facebook.

“You voted for One Nation and doubled our senators in parliament because we aren’t afraid to bring your views directly to Canberra.

“We will keep doing that. One flag. One Community. One Nation.”

The Acknowledgement of Country is a statement uttered before formal speeches or events as a way of acknowledging Aboriginal ownership of land, while the Welcome to Country is generally performed by Indigenous groups—and may entail a speech or performance—that “welcomes” visitors to their land.

The issue has been contentious with Senator Hanson criticising it for being overused.

Hanson said there had been at least three Acknowledgements performed during the opening day of parliament, which she termed “tokenistic rituals shoved into every meeting, every ceremony, every public event.”

Earlier in the day, Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Welcome to Country ceremonies as a “powerful way” to begin parliament.

“This ceremony didn’t take place until 2007 and was controversial in 2007,” he said.

“It is not controversial today. Nor should it be.”

Former Liberal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had vowed to cut back on the ceremonies, while some Indigenous organisations have even warned the practice was losing its meaning.

Recently, a Melbourne council worker won an unfair dismissal case against Darebin City Council after he was let go for objecting to an Acknowledgement of Country before a safety briefing meeting.