Kerri-Anne Kennerley has visited remote Alice Springs to support an Aboriginal women’s group after being called ‘racist’ by a Studio 10 host in an on-air stoush.
Panelist Yumi Stynes attacked the veteran presenter in a tense exchange in January after Kennerley criticised the priorities of Australia Day protesters.
During a break in her visit to the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group which stands against domestic violence in the Alice Springs Town Camps, Kerri-Anne said she had no regrets about her impassioned Australia Day speech.
The Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group welcomed Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s visit on Monday. Co-ordinator Shirleen Campbell (left of Kerri-Anne) herself lost three family members to domestic violence prompting her to start the organisation
‘It’s not that I’m sorry, I’m just happy to be here,’ she was quoted by ABC Alice Springs as saying.
Kennerley had stated that remote Aboriginal women and children are being abused.
‘It may have been a bit clunky and I’m a white person saying it. That doesn’t mean it’s not true,’ she was quoted by 10 Daily as saying.
Tangentyere group co-ordinator Shirleen Campbell had initially been angered by Kerri-Anne’s Australia Day comments but during the visit Kerri-Anne asked for her forgiveness which the Aboriginal woman immediately gave.
In her polarising on-air outburst in January, Kennerley said Australia Day protesters should take action about the violence faced by remote Aboriginal women and children instead of complaining about the date the national day is celebrated on.
Some Aboriginal activists took offence and protested against Kennerley’s comments. Other Aboriginal activists said she made a good point.
Kerri-Anne Kennerley talks to the women in Alice Springs. Indigenous women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than non-Indigenous women
In the wake of the controversy, Ms Kennerley promised to visit the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group that combats domestic violence in Alice Springs to better understand the issues facing remote indigenous women.
She made good on her promise on Monday despite a difficult few months dealing with the death of her husband, John, in February.
Kennerley travelled to the remote Northern Territory to meet the women’s group co-ordinator Shirleen Campbell who started the group after losing her mother to domestic violence.
At the age of 36, Ms Campbell is a grandmother and mother-of-five who has lost a total of three relatives to family violence.
Some Aboriginal activists protested Kerri-Anne’s Australia Day comments outside Network 10’s Sydney headquarters in January (pictured is a post the group made on Facebook)
Aboriginal activist Jacinta Nampiginpa Price, a Warlpiri woman and Alice Springs Town Councillor, supported Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s stance in January, saying critics such as Yumi Stymes (pictured above) were contributing to a culture of silence by ‘virtue signalling’
‘I’ve lost three women in my family which is why I’ve started,’ she told Kerri Anne Kennerley.
When asked how they died, Ms Campbell said they were abused, bashed and assaulted.
‘And just left to die?’ Kennerley asked.
‘Yes,’ Ms Campbell replied.
Ms Campbell told Daily Mail Australia she was glad Kerri-Anne had come to hear about their experiences and recognise the work they are doing to combat domestic violence.
‘We are pleased Kerri-Anne was able to take up our invitation to come to Alice Springs,’ she said via email.
‘Kerri-Anne listened respectfully and, as she said, learned about the importance of deep listening.’
According to the latest 2018 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, indigenous women are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than non-Indigenous women, with one in seven experiencing physical violence in the previous year.
The report, Family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia, also found indigenous children were seven times as likely to be the subject of substantiated child abuse or neglect as non-Indigenous children.
Alice Springs Town Councillor and Warlpiri woman Jacinta Nampiginpa Price supported Kerri-Anne Kennerley’s stance in an opinion piece for The Australian newspaper in January where she criticised urban activists for ‘virtue signalling’ at the expense of remote indigenous women and children.
‘When people choose offence about distractions like Australia Day over facing truths about the real problems, they are contributing to the culture of silence,’ she wrote.