Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used the opening of the 48th Parliament to deliver a pointed rebuke to the opposition’s election campaign rhetoric on Welcome to Country ceremonies, saying the tradition is “not controversial—nor should it be.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony on July 22, Albanese said Welcome to Country was a powerful and respectful way to begin parliamentary proceedings and a symbol of national unity that must not be taken for granted.
“This ceremony did not take place until 2007 and was controversial in 2007. It is not controversial today—nor should it be,” he said.
Albanese reaffirmed the significance of the ceremony, which former Coalition leader Peter Dutton had criticised during the campaign as “overdone.”
“Like a lot of the most positive things about our nation, we shouldn’t take it for granted,” Albanese said.
Ley Shifts Tone
Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley used her own address to Parliament to also open with a clear endorsement of Welcome to Country.
“This parliament doesn’t begin in isolation,” she said, describing the ceremony as a reminder of Australia’s ancient culture and democratic inheritance. “As Australians, we share a story unlike any other … rooted in land, language, and story.”
Ley added that the 48th Parliament is an opportunity to deliver “practical, lasting change,” calling for better education for Indigenous children, improved healthcare in remote areas, and real action on family violence.
“It’s time for action, not just words,” she said, urging support for those making a difference on the ground.
Ley concluded by encouraging bipartisanship on key social priorities.
“Let us approach that work with resolve and with a shared commitment to real and lasting progress—that work of listening, of acting and of striving for better is at the heart of reconciliation and our national story,” she said.
The Liberal leader’s embrace of the ceremony is a backflip from Dutton, who launched the Coalition’s No campaign against The Voice to Parliament and had criticised the growing use of the Indigenous ceremony.
“For the opening of parliament, fair enough, it is respectful to do,” Dutton said at the time. “But for the start of every meeting at work, or the start of a football game, I think other Australians think it is overdone and cheapens the significance of what it was meant to do.”
Dutton also said he would not stand in front of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and sympathised with those who criticised holding a Welcome to Country on Anzac Day.
“The majority view would be that they don’t want it on that day,” he said.
