I'm sure the Hitler salute had similar origins. As Yuyutsu observed, the thing has coercive and authoritarian overtones and instills a fear of what might happen to you if you object. Utterly revolting and disgusting to force it on people. So why not just object as there is no penalty for not doing it. Well,few want to do a Lydia Thorpe and there are very good reasons for having a secret ballot.

It's a needle in my side whenever I vote.

For Indigenous people I've read that "Country" means
more than just the land.

It includes the values, stories, resources and cultural
obligations associated with the area.

"Welcome to Country" is an important way of giving our
Indigenous people back their place in society. A way of
paying respect in a formal sense and following traditional custom
in a symbolic way.

This custom apparently has existed amongst our Indigenous
people for generations. It was introduced to the non-Indigenous
in the late 2970s. However, as I stated earlier - it's not
mandated. You're free to leave or not attend if you object.
And as Yuyutsu told us - his organisation decided not to
have the ceremony. Personally, If we want respect from others,
it's not a big ask to show respect to others. Especially in the
case of our Indigenous people.

Sorry for my typo -

l should have typed - the - "1970s"

.

"This custom apparently has existed amongst our Indigenous people for generations."

Rubbish. Just a made-up post-factum justification.

There was no such ceremonies in aboriginal culture before it was conjured out of thin air in 1976. If such a thing previously existed it wouldn't have needed to be created by Ernie Dingo and his mates.

Anyone even vaguely familiar with the writings of the early explorers would know that no such ceremonies were ever performed, even when those explorers were indeed welcomed by this or that tribe.

Affable Ernie has a lot to answer for. Before settlement, aborigines were killing each other; they were not welcoming; most conflict was about territory.

Good to see that someone in Yuyutsu's group put a stop to the nonsense. There are others who have done the same.

I'm not affected because I have as little to do with people as possible these days, and I don't go anywhere this crap is practised.

As always, it is up to voters to pull politicians and other idiots into line. Your next chance is only a few months off now.

Use your preferences wisely. You won't hurt your preferred candidate if you don't follow his how-to-vote card.

Pauline Hanson recently ran a mini-poll to see how many people knew how to use the preference system. Of the 150 people she asked, only 8 did know.

Some poor souls think that if they want to vote for Joe Blow, they have to number all the other squares the way Joe's how-to-vote card says.

Speaking of Pauline Hanson, that lady has had a bunch of documents thrown at her by the unladylike Senator Lidia Thorpe, when Senator Hanson quite reasonably suggested that Senator Fatima Payman provide proof that she had renounced her Afghani citizenship.

It has been alleged that Senator Payman is in breach of sec. 44 of the Constitution which bans dual-citizens from being elected to the Federal Parliament. The Senator claims to have tried to cancel her Afghani citizenship, but the Taliban didn't cooperate. Be that as it may - and Senator Payman has identified as an Afghani citizen on occasion - Senator Hanson was entitled to call on her out on the matter, and she was verbally abused by Senator Payman for doing so.

Politicians are always abusing each other; but that's not enough for Senator Thorpe, who got physical, and threw documents at Senator Hanson. The act is unlikely to cause harm, unless a paper clip contacted an eye or some such: but it technically an assault. We wait to see what will be done about it. The troublesome Senator has surely been given enough chances to act in a manner fitting her position.

Not only is our government a source of embarrassment, so too is our Parliament.