Eye-Watering Spend on Welcome to Countries Raises Eyebrows
Government departments face scrutiny over hefty costs for Welcome to Country ceremonies, totaling nearly half a million dollars.
Welcome to Country, Australia, Government Spending, Indigenous Communities, James Stevens, David Littleproud
Canberra: So, it turns out that the Commonwealth government has been racking up quite the bill for Welcome to Country ceremonies. We’re talking about a whopping $450,000 spent on these events, which has some folks raising their eyebrows.
Documents from the Opposition show that over the last two financial years, 300 of these ceremonies were held across 21 government departments. That’s a lot of ceremonies, right? The average cost per ceremony was around $1,266, with some departments spending way more. For instance, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet shelled out $41,801!
James Stevens, the Opposition’s waste spokesman, mentioned that while these ceremonies have their place, they’ve turned into a “multi-million-dollar industry.” He believes that the money could be better spent on real solutions for Indigenous communities instead of just lining pockets.
David Littleproud, the Nationals Leader, echoed these sentiments. He thinks the ceremonies should be reserved for major events, like international occasions or big cultural celebrations, rather than being a regular expense for government departments.
Interestingly, this news comes on the heels of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s comments about not holding press conferences in front of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, which he claims are divisive. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the federal government defended the spending, saying it’s been the same for years and that departments need to be accountable for their choices.