Commentary
“For we are one and free” is the second line that Australians recite when singing their national anthem.
National unity and treating everyone equally is an integral part of the basic Australian fabric. These virtues and upholding them is core to maintaining a stable society.
The land of the “fair go,” “mateship,” and treating each other fairly are endearing and enduring Australian qualities.
Into this ethos has crept the ubiquitous “Acknowledgement of Country” recitals of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at nearly every public event.
It seems Australians are finally giving expression to their views on this overdone, virtue signalling, and patronising mantra—an initiative many Aboriginal leaders themselves decry as cringeworthy.
Most will recall Prof. Marcia Langton’s “threat”—some saw it as a promise—that if the divisive Voice referendum failed, Australians would be denied “Welcome to Country” statements.
This highly counterproductive threat from the Yes campaign was latched on to by a famous cartoonist who had Prof. Langton on a TV screen uttering the “threat” while a couple on their living room couch turned to each other and said that would be a good reason to vote No.
The cartoon masterfully captured much of the Australian sentiment.
The overwhelming No vote to The Voice proposal has unlocked the doors and mouths of many Australians who are now engaging in a respectful and considered discussion about these endless Acknowledgements and Welcome to Country statements often delivered like children delivered their times tables in primary school. Nothing against rote learning by the way.
The Presbyterian Church of Australia was first cab off the rank giving expression to the sentiment, although before the referendum.
It banned the Acknowledgement of Country in its church services.
The predictable opposition was raised but on mature reflection, a church that worships God—maker of heaven and earth and all peoples—would be unwise on theological and consistency lines to play favourites.
Indigenous performers perform the Welcome to Country during a smoke ceremony prior to the state funeral service for Uncle Jack Charles at Hamer Hall in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 18, 2022. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
Leaving theology out of the equation, two South Australian Councils have dropped the Acknowledgement to Country from their proceedings in recent times.
The Northern Areas Council, together with the Playford Council, passed resolutions to drop the statement from the commencement of their proceedings. Other councils, one suspects, will follow suit.
Interestingly, this is taking place in a state where a newly elected Labor government established its own “Voice” and relentlessly promoted the Yes campaign, yet still saw the people reject the proposal at the federal level when given the opportunity.
Every single federal South Australian electorate returned a No majority. Yet the political elite are turning a tin ear.
There’s Plenty to Be Positive About
Australians are instinctively fair and reasonable. They don’t like politicians playing with their Constitution for no good purpose, are suspicious of big bureaucracy, and take a serious dislike to unfair preferencing of one section of the community over another.Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison tried to tap into that sentiment by including an acknowledgement of our veterans. It predictably fell flat and thankfully did not catch on.
Not that our veterans don’t deserve a huge debt of gratitude. They do. So we set aside special days, think ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.
Not overdone. A modest and sincere acknowledgement.
Crowds are seen as War veterans march by during the ANZAC Day March in Brisbane, Australia, on April 25, 2023. AAP Image/Darren England
Similarly, we have NAIDOC week to remind Australians of its Aboriginal community.
Special days for special commemorative events have strong community support. It’s sensible and balanced.
Like we celebrate Christmas, or birthdays and anniversaries, a day is set aside.
With the overwhelming rejection by the people of The Voice, there remains the lingering issue of acknowledgement of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution which in turn has raised the need to acknowledge British settlement and the wave of migrants from the four corners of the world.
Where will it end?
Let’s recognise that special recognition causes division, is of no practical help to anyone, and once you start picking favourites you are confronted with the conundrum of who you exclude. So, let’s not exclude anyone and include everyone.
This means we can sing with conviction and gusto that Australians are “one.”
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
