The Wire

Two years ago, Indigenous elder Matilda House made history by giving a traditional welcome to country at the opening of Parliament. This weekend, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott took a swipe at the practice – and at the government for embracing it, saying in some contexts, it’s tokenistic. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda told The Wire that he sees welcomes to country as an important way of showing respect to Australia’s first inhabitants.