The Australian Labor Party is set to add formal support for “welcome to country” humiliation rituals and an anti-racism strategy to its national platform.
The changes are included in a draft which will be considered at the ALP’s 50th National Conference in Adelaide later this month, and states that “Labor is proud of the symbols of First Nations (sic) people, including the aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag”.
The new clause declares that the party “recognises the importance of welcome to country and acknowledgement of country ceremonies, as opportunities to show respect to First Nations (sic) people”, The Australian reported.
The draft platform also states that Labor is “very concerned by the rise of racism and of division, and will continue to oppose those who foster extremism, hatred, ethnic division or incitement to violence”.
“Labor will develop and implement a national anti-racism strategy to address racism, promote multiculturalism and support education and prevention initiatives that strengthen inclusion across Australia’s diverse communities,” the draft states.
There will also be efforts at the conference to change the party platform to remove support for the Reserve Bank’s interest rate rises, and instead call them a “blunt instrument which hurts workers and vulnerable Australians first and hardest, rather than the asset class which plays a greater role in rising inflation”.
A senior Labor source said the commitments, which were not included in the party’s 2023 platform, were a response to the rising popularity of Pauline Hanson, who has regularly called for “welcome to country” ceremonies to be scrapped.
Pauline Hanson told the National Press Club last month she would prefer to “acknowledge the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for Australia’s democracy and freedom” rather than deliver a “divisive welcome to country”.
The ceremonies were booed on Anzac Day at dawn services in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and last month right-wing senator Ralph Babet walked out of a “welcome to country” at the opening of a new gallery at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Header image: Colin Hunter performs a “welcome to country” at the MCG on Anzac Day (Fox Sports).
