16 Mar Indigenous ceremony proper ‘welcome’ (The Australian)
Mr Madden, who performs two or three welcomes a week to Sydney’s Gadigal land at $250 to $300 for each welcome, said the Opposition Leader’s comments were “just political noise to get a headline”. Mr Abbott told The Advertiser the ceremonies were an “empty gesture”, prevalent because of the Rudd government’s “obsession” with acknowledging the traditional owners of land. “It’s like a stranger coming over to your house and barging their way in . . . isn’t it correct to actually welcome them in properly? That’s what these ceremonies are all about,” Mr Madden said… go to article