Why this Sydney councillor is calling for ‘divisive’ Indigenous flags to be removed and a total ban on Welcome to Country ceremonies

A Sydney councilor has expanded his campaign to ban Welcome to Country ceremonies to now also call for the removal of Indigenous flags from his electorate.

Cumberland councilor Steve Christou shared on Six News on Tuesday his mission to rid his western Sydney electorate of ‘offensive’ traditions.

“It is insulting to be welcomed into your own country and for people to have to endure expressions like ‘never was, never will be, never ceded land,’” Christou said.

“For people like me and many other millions of people – who were born in this country or migrated to this country and have worked, contributed and paid their taxes to make this country a better place – it is truly insulting and divisive to we don’t belong in this country and it belongs to someone else.’

Mr. Christou served as Mayor of Cumberland Council from 2017 to 2022.

He has vowed to abolish Welcome to Country ceremonies if re-elected in 2024.

Mr Christou said on Tuesday his criticism of the ceremonies was not an “attack” on Aboriginal people.

“It’s about equality and standing side by side as equals, next to the shoulder, hand in hand with their indigenous brothers and sisters,” he said.

Cumberland councilor Steve Christou (pictured) shared on Six News on Tuesday his mission to rid his western Sydney electorate of ‘offensive’ traditions

“It has gone beyond respectful and become virtue signaling far beyond what it was intended to do.

“It tells people that they are not welcome in this country or that they do not own this land unless they are Indigenous.”

Mr Christou said Welcome to Country ceremonies have infiltrated almost all public events and take place “every 10 minutes”.

“Whether you’re boarding a Qantas plane, working in a government department or a large company, it’s being shoved down people’s throats all the time,” he said.

The former mayor has also urged the removal of “divisive” indigenous flags from municipal property.

“We are losing our national identity and we should be proud that we all stand together under the Australian flag,” he said.

“You would never see the Americans putting another flag behind the American flag, and we shouldn’t accept that.”

An estimated 240,000 Australians live in the Cumberland area, with less than one percent of the population identifying as Indigenous.

Mr Christou claimed the Welcome to Country ceremonies have become less meaningful as they are performed ‘every 10 minutes’ (Photo: A Welcome to Country for the Australia Open 2025 Trophy Arrival Ceremony)

Mr Christou said his bid to scrap the ceremonies and flags has “overwhelmingly” support from voters.

“I get elected again and again because I represent my community loud and proud and I confidently let you know that they want me to take home a sledgehammer.issues because they are tired of division,” he said.

“We need to put an end to this and get back to the fact that we are all Australians in multicultural Australia, where we live side by side, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand under the Australian flag as equals.”

Last month, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton announced he would not display indigenous flags at press conferences if elected prime minister in the upcoming federal election.

“I strongly believe that we are a country united under one flag, and when we ask people to identify with different flags, no other country does so, and we unnecessarily divide our country,” Dutton said. Sky News.

“We must respect the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags, but they are not our national flags.”

Previous Prime Ministers chose to display only the Australian flag before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was elected.