Bizarre Acknowledgement of Country ritual at a work meeting is slammed - as survey reveals what Aussies really think about the ceremonies

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A senior businessman has blasted his boss for making every single one of their workers perform an Acknowledgement of Country at a meeting.
The worker, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Herald Sun it was 'comical' to watch and said he felt compelled to join his colleagues in the ritual.
The comment comes as the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) conducted a survey in May and found 56 per cent of Australians believe Welcome to Country ceremonies have become divisive.
That was compared with just 17 per cent who disagreed.
A childhood educator said pressure to perform the acknowledgements in the private sector had been led by other progressive staff members, the government and relevant peak bodies.
She said failure to give one would cause her to be 'crucified' by other staff.
'It's being pushed down our throats,' she said.
The state government's First Peoples' relations wing advised traditional owners should be acknowledged at the commencement of functions, board meetings, and school assemblies, among other events.
The IPA - a conservative, free market think tank - asked 1,005 Australians whether Welcome to Country ceremonies had 'become divisive'.
Fifty-six per cent of respondents said they agreed they had, while 17 per cent disagreed.
A larger proportion of Australians said the practice should continue before sporting events and ceremonies like ANZAC Dawn Services.
Just under half – 49 per cent – said the Welcome to County ceremonies should no longer take place before sports games, while 30 per cent said they should continue.
At Anzac Day, 34 per cent wanted to see the Welcomes continue, while 46 per cent said they should no longer occur.
A Welcome to Country is a formal ceremony conducted by an Elder or Traditional Owner of the land, granting permission for others to be on their Country.
An Acknowledgment of Country, however, can be delivered by anyone to show respect for the Traditional Owners.
Last week, a Darebin City Council worker objected to have land acknowledgements before work meetings.
The council dismissed Shaun Turner when he questioned the ceremony after it was held at the toolbox meeting for the first time.
He told the meeting: 'If you need to be thanking anyone, it's the people who have worn the uniform and fought for our country to keep us free.
'It's getting out of hand and people are losing it, it is now being done at the opening of a postage stamp.'
Council officers investigated Mr Turner's alleged 'serious misconduct', but he doubled down and won an unfair dismissal case.
The ceremonies took a central place in the lead-up to the May 3 Federal election.
Then-Coalition leader Peter Dutton said he wanted to unite the country under one flag and maintained the ceremonies were 'overdone', after Daily Mail Australia revealed both prime ministerial contenders would have to answer a question regarding the ceremonies following an incident at a dawn service.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said individual organisations should decide whether to open events with a Welcome, saying the ceremonies were a 'matter of respect'.
It came after a group of protesters booed the Welcome to Country ceremony during the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne on Friday.
Victorians gathered under pre-dawn darkness to commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, before Bunurong Elder Mark Brown began the Welcome to Country.
But boos and heckles emanating from the front of the crowd began shortly after Mr Brown commenced his speech.
'It's our country!' one heckler yelled.
'We don't have to be welcomed!' another screamed.
Jacob Hersant, a prominent neo-Nazi figure, was allegedly among those loudly booing.
'This is a day for the Anzacs, it's not for Aboriginals,' he told media after the service.
Public opinion was divided following the incident.