Barnaby Joyce says what many Aussies are thinking about Welcome to Country ceremonies after Anzac Day controversy

Barnaby Joyce has labelled Welcome to Country ceremonies as ‘overdone’, claiming the frequency makes Australians feel awkward. 

The Nationals MP and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek appeared on Sunrise on Monday and discussed hot topics of the federal election including Welcome to Country ceremonies.

The pair were at odds over whether the ceremonies occurred too frequently after a group of protesters booed the Welcome to Country at Melbourne‘s ANZAC Day Dawn Service.  

Ms Plibersek called those involved, one of whom is a known neo-Nazi, ‘scumbags’ and said she enjoys a Welcome to Country as it informs her of an area’s history. 

‘Anybody who boos anyone on Anzac Day as that guy [did] in Melbourne is just a scumbag,’ Ms Plibersek said. 

‘As someone who attends a lot of events, I really like learning about the history and culture of the area that I’m visiting. I don’t think it’s skin off anybody’s nose to show that respect.’

Joyce agreed that the behaviour at the Dawn Service was appalling and that no one had the right to scream out anything during Anzac Day. 

However, he argued Welcome to Country ceremonies were ‘overdone’ and was leading to an ‘aggravation’ being built up within the community. 

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce appeared on Sunrise and claimed Welcome to Country ceremonies were ‘overdone’  

‘You haven’t got a right to scream out anything for any political reason during Anzac Day. You just shut up and respect the day. There’s other days for the political debate,’ Mr Joyce said. 

‘I do think they’re overdone. People are starting to feel awkward at them and awkward goes to anger at times. That is something we don’t want.

‘I certainly don’t want to be welcomed back to my own hometown. I think veterans have a genuine concern, if they’ve signed on the dotted line to [serve] for this nation, they don’t believe they need to be welcomed to it.

‘We’ve got to be a lot more discerning about how we do this because there is an aggravation that’s building up in the community. 

‘The best thing to do to avoid that is to be a lot more discerning about when you do Welcome to Countries.’

It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were asked to weigh in on the appropriateness of Welcome to Country ceremonies during the final leader’s debate on Sunday night. 

During the debate, which was hosted by Channel Seven, political editor Mark Riley asked Dutton about the ugly scenes at Anzac Day.

‘Anzac Day, that is our most sacred day of the year, and it is a time to respect diggers. It’s not a time for booing any part of that ceremony,’ Mr Dutton said. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were asked to weigh in on the appropriateness of Welcome to Country ceremonies during the final leader’s debate

Riley also questioned the Opposition Leader on whether he would include Welcome to Country ceremonies if he won the Federal Election on May 3. 

Dutton claimed he wanted to ‘unite our country’ under one flag: the Australian flag, in contrast to the PM who stands in front of three flags.

‘People have said to me as we had moved across the country, that there is a sense across the community that it is overdone,’ Dutton added. 

‘For the opening of Parliament, fair enough, it is respectful to do. But for the start of every meeting at work, or the start of a football game, I think a lot of Australians think it is overdone. 

‘It cheapens the significance of what it was meant to do, it divides the country, not dissimilar to what the Prime Minister did with the Voice.’

Albanese was asked directly if he thought Welcome to Countries were ‘overdone’.

‘It is up to people to determine whether they have a Welcome to Country or not,’ Mr Albanese responded.  

‘But from my perspective, for major events, it is of course a sign of respect.’ 

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