Indigenous senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price declared that ‘First Nations’ is not even an Australian term before being told off by Penny Wong in parliament.
The firebrand Coalition politician was at the centre of a fiery row in the Senate after One Nation senators including Pauline Hanson turned their backs on the acknowledgement of country at the start of parliament last week.
Senator Price objected to the ceremonies as a person of Indigenous heritage, claiming they did little to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians and were a form of ‘political point-scoring’.
It prompted Wong to urge the Coalition to ‘respect’ parliamentary traditions.
‘I would hope that the Opposition would reflect on the words of their own leader in relation to Welcomes to Country,’ the Labor Senate leader told the chamber.
‘Decency and respect cost us nothing, but it goes a long way to building a sense of unity.’
After being told off by Wong, Senator Price launched a blistering attack on the term ‘First Nations’.
‘First Nations isn’t even Australian terminology, for crying out loud! It’s been adopted from Canada, from America. It’s just reinvention, which is actually belittling and watering down traditional culture and what it’s really about,’ she told the chamber.
Coalition Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured) is ‘sick to death’ of the virtue signalling
Price also doubled down on her stance about Welcome to Country.
‘Senator Hanson is correct to say that Welcome to Country is not traditional culture. It isn’t. And what we do need to recognise is – and it is important for all of us, as leaders of this nation, to recognise – the reinvention of culture, which diminishes traditional culture.
‘For those who still live close to traditional culture, within cultural confines, their day-to-day lives are dictated by it.
‘They speak their language. They are often spoken about in very romanticised terms. And the use of acknowledgements really does absolutely nothing to improve their lives and has done nothing to improve their lives.
‘To be quite honest, as a woman of Indigenous heritage but, first and foremost, as an Australian, I am absolutely done with the virtue signalling that takes place. I am of the belief that it is not necessary to have an acknowledgement, because we are all Australians.
‘Every single one of us – including the Ngunnawal and the Ngambri – is Australian. We are here to serve all Australians equally in this country, not to praise or acknowledge one group above others.
‘Truly, I don’t think you really want to acknowledge my existence because of my indigeneity more than anybody else’s. I am equal to you and to everybody else here and to everybody in this country.
‘But we can ignore traditional culture in this chamber because there are elements of it in every single one of you across from here ignore, because it’s detrimental to the most remote and marginalised communities.
‘But if you speak up against it, if you mention it, you’re painted as a racist or somebody who is a ‘coconut’, or somebody who is a traitor.
Welcome to Country ceremonies reginited heated debate in the Senate last week
‘Imagine if we treated every single racial group in this manner in this country. It’s horrendous.’
Senator Price didn’t mince her words on what she thought of the politicisation of Indigenous Australians due to their racial heritage.
‘I’m sick of death of it as a woman, mother, soon to be grandmother and as an Australian of proud heritage, whether it’s my convict ancestors or it’s my Warlpiri ancestors, I’m proud of it all and we should all be,’ she said.
Price was quickly inundated with widespread support.
‘Thank you for speaking up for ALL Australians, Jacinta,’ conservative political lobbyist group Advance Australia posted.
A man added: ‘Well said, we are all Australian irrespective of skin pigmentation, heritage, race or whether you believe in a deity or you don’t. I hope this is replayed many, many times.’
Another commented: ‘Here’s hoping that one day we can all be proud Australians and recognise past heritages and be thankful we live in an amazing country.’
The speech also reignited calls for Price to lead the Coalition.
‘Future Prime Minister of Australia,’ one Aussie commented.
The senator’s fiery speech came after Opposition Senate Leader Michaelia Cash leapt to her defence and accused Wong of having ‘sought to dismiss’ Price’s objection to the ceremonies.
‘I will stand by and respect Senator Nampijinpa Price, who every day has lived and breathed reconciliation in this country – her father is white, her mother is black,’ Cash said.
‘Please don’t ever come into this place again and pontificate to us like you’ve just done.
Senator Price called for the end of infantilisation of Indigenous Australians in a fiery speech
The Indigenous senator hit back after she copped a public scolding from Penny Wong (pictured) over her objection to Welcome to Country ceremonies
