Overview

• Peter Dutton has reiterated his stance that Welcome to Country ceremonies are overused and should not feature on Anzac Day, citing feedback from veterans.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and RSL branches defend the ceremonies as respectful and historically significant, leaving the decision to event organizers.
• Far-right agitators, including neo-Nazis, disrupted Welcome to Country ceremonies at Anzac Day dawn services in Melbourne and Perth, drawing condemnation from across the political spectrum.
• Melbourne Storm apologized for canceling a planned Welcome to Country ceremony before their Anzac Day game, which left Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin “heartbroken.”
• The controversy reflects broader cultural tensions following the Voice to Parliament referendum, with Indigenous leaders highlighting the ceremonies' millennia-old traditions and modern significance.