Lidia Thorpe unleashes at Sam Newman over call to boo Welcome to Country at AFL Grand Final

Lidia Thorpe has slammed Sam Newman for once again sparking controversy within the AFL community by urging Australians to boo during the welcome to country ceremony.

“We are all on stolen land, there was never a treaty, and a welcome to country message is a way to get people to understand the country that you all live in,” the president said on Thursday. independent senator at Nine’s Today.

“It’s about peace and the whole message behind a Welcome to Country is about respect and bringing people together. And I think Sam Newman is… you know, he’s not a respectful man at the best of times, so he needs to educate himself and not be so racist all the time.

Host Karl Stefanovic said he was playing “devil’s advocate” by pointing out that there was a “school of thought out there – and this is not coming from me, let me assure you – that maybe there are too many of these ceremonies, and maybe they’re losing.” their effectiveness if they are too numerous.

“How can we counter this? ” he said.

Ms Thorpe replied that it depended “on the traditional owners themselves and the event”.

“I think it’s important for people to understand the land they live on and the stories behind it,” she said.

“There are a lot of great stories that come with Welcomes and people are learning from them and understanding better how to protect their country. I don’t think there are too many. I think the stories being told are important for this country to mature and come together.