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Controversy Over Welcome to Country: Pauline Hansen’s Bold Stand Against Indigenous Protocols

A Stark Protest in the Senate

Recently, a heated debate erupted over the ceremonial Welcome to Country, a traditional Indigenous acknowledgment often performed at the beginning of official government proceedings in Australia. During a Senate session, the Senate President led the customary acknowledgment of the Nanawal and Nambry peoples, traditional custodians of the land. However, this time, four senators from One Nation, including leader Pauline Hansen, turned their backs during the ceremony—a gesture widely interpreted as a protest.