Anzac Day Service Booed: Australian Premiers Split Over 'Welcome to Country' Backlash

What happened

At this year's Anzac Day dawn services, sections of the crowd booed Welcome to Country addresses delivered by Indigenous elders. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas called the booing 'outrageous' and 'self-indulgent.' Other state leaders responded with more measured concern. The episode dominated weekend news and political talk shows.

Why this matters

- A symbolic ritual under pressure. Welcome to Country has been part of major Australian public events for decades. Booing it at a service commemorating Australian war dead is a deliberate, charged break.
- Aligned with a wider mood. The same weekend saw a Canberra anti-immigration rally addressed by Senator Matt Canavan. Commentators are linking the two as part of a broader rightward shift in public discourse.
- Political bind. The Albanese government, already under pressure on cost of living and the gas-export tax, has limited bandwidth to address what is fundamentally a cultural and identity dispute.

What to watch

- RSL state branches' formal positions on whether Welcome to Country should remain part of Anzac services.
- Whether the Coalition opposition distances itself from the booing or treats it as a free-speech issue.
- Polling reaction — particularly among voters under 40, where Welcome to Country has historically had high acceptance.

Sources

- The Guardian