Australian politician finds fat Aboriginal dancers offensive
Australian politican Wilson Tuckey has proven himself to be a fat-hater as well as a racist. Most Australians would be aware of the notorious Mr Tuckey, who tends to run his mouth off at any given opportunity and if there isn’t an opportunity, he will create one just so he can spout his bigoted opinions to the population at large.
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott yesterday pronounced Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country formalities as being ‘patronising’ and ‘a farce’. For those not of our sunburnt country, let me explain what Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country actually are… AOC is a short statement made at the commencement of an event (ie parliamentary session, school fete, organisations meeting, conference etc) which acknowledges and recognises the traditional owners of the land (in my case, the traditional Aboriginal people are the Gunai/Kurnai). AOC can be made by any person, Aboriginal or not. A Welcome to Country is a formal welcome onto Aboriginal Land (which technically is ALL of the land in Australia) can can ONLY be given by an Aboriginal person (preferably an Elder) who is a descendant of the traditional land owners, that is they have to be descended from the local Aboriginal people. An example of this is my husband who is of Ngarigo and Gundjitjamara heritage. Because we are on Gunai/Kurnai land, he should not (and will not) do a Welcome to Country but he will do (and is happy to do) an Acknowledgement of Country.
So yesterday Mr Abbott took it upon himself to declare that AOC and WTC are being irrelevant and tokenistic. Pretty inflammatory stuff. Pretty racist stuff. Quite mind boggling when you consider it is just over two years since the Federal Parliament made a formal apology to the Stolen Generation. Abbott was just an Opposition back bencher then and obviously wasn’t paying attention that day. Either that or he is as much a racist bigot as Wilson Tuckey. As soon as Abbott delivered his pearl of wisdom, Tuckey was quick to jump on the bandwagon but not only did he endorse Abbott’s racism, he added to it, as unbelievable as that is…
Tuckey agreed that acknowledging traditional owners at official functions is a farce, reinforcing his position by saying:
“I have never thanked anyone for the right to be on the soil that is Australian”
He then went on to dig his hole even deeper by adding that many Aboriginal dancers who perform Welcome to Country ceremonies are
“grossly overweight”
Apart from the fact that the weight of the traditional dancers has NOTHING to do with the issue at hand (the relevance of WTC formalities), has Wilson Tuckey ever read any of the parliamentary reports regarding Indigenous Health? Seemingly not… Yes, Australian Aboriginals do have a high rate of ‘obesity’ (if you believe in the BMI) but they also have extremely high rates of poverty and a higher rate of illness than other Australians. I would suggest to Mr Tuckey that most Aboriginal people have more important things to consider other than their weight, incidental issues such as interpersonal and systemic racism for a start and that perhaps Mr Tuckey and his cohorts should be working to address those issues rather than being so offended that he has to see brown (and often not so brown) Aboriginal bellies bulging over the top of traditional style lap laps.
Malarndirri McCarthy, an Indigenous politician in the Northern Territory, puts it more politely when she says Tuckey’s comments are offensive and
Indigenous Australian dancer
- Picture shows a male Aboriginal Australian dancer dressed in traditional costume of a red lap lap/loin cloth and red head band with white body paint. He is standing on an animal skin and holding a didgeridoo (a traditional musical instrument in some Aboriginal tribes).
I knew Wilson Tuckey was best ignored to protect one’s emotional health. But this is a new low, even for him. I am dismayed by Abbott’s comments and completely gobsmacked that Tuckey still has a job.
Politicians need to stick to what they know best “lying to the public that voted them in”.
Being an obese Aboriginal man that has never danced but has acknowledged country but never conducted welcome to country – the statements of Mr Tuckey are of an ageing bureaucrat….. You can’t always believe Wiki but I quote
Tuckey is one of the most controversial figures in Australian federal politics. In 1967, while a publican in Carnarvon Western Aust, he was convicted of assault after striking an Aboriginal man with a length of steel cable. It was alleged that the man was being pinned to the ground at the time. He has had the nickname “Ironbar” ever since.
AND……………………..
On 13 February 2008, Tuckey walked out during the opening of the 42nd Australian Federal Parliament immediately after prayers, and pointedly before the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a motion of apology to the Stolen Generation. He was one of five Coalition MPs not present in the chamber, thereby boycotting the motion.[12] On the steps of parliament, Tuckey was sarcastic about what the apology would achieve for indigenous people: “I’m there to say hallelujah. Tomorrow there’ll be no petrol sniffing, tomorrow little girls can sleep in their beds without any concern — it’s all fixed. The Rudd spin will fix it all. I’ve read it, I’m convinced. I think it’s wonderful.”[12] AND his being paid to represent the people of Australia!!!!!!
Ugh.
As an American, I can only say that, at times like this, I’m almost relieved to hear that we in the US haven’t cornered the market on asshat politicians.
Oh good grief. Is there any way we can get some ‘real’ men in parliament. I know a fantastic Aboriginal man who is married to one amazing FLOG Blogger who we should start campaigning for asap! Think what fun and games we could have with you two in Canberra!!
I don’t think I can be as polite as Malarndirri McCarthy.
Fuck you Wilson Tuckey. And all your kind. And you, too, Abbott, you grotesque Hanson-esque, hate-mongering, vote-grubbing maggot. Actually, I take that back. At least a maggot can do some good in the world.
[...] Australian politician finds fat aboriginal dancers offensive: I would suggest to Mr Tuckey that most Aboriginal people have more important things to consider [...]
Miriam-
Agreed. It’s good for us self-centered Yanks to be reminded that the sun don’t rise out of the Atlantic and set into the Pacific. Unfortunately this kind of stupidity tends to bring into sharper focus the question of how much humanity itself really has matured in the past few hundred years when people like this can continue to hold office in positions of public service.
OTOH, at least racist, asshat, Pols in Oz are kind enough to stand up, open their pie holes, and make themselves plain. Asshat racists on Capitol Hill are quite adept at social camouflage, so we don’t usually don’t find out what we’re dealing with here until they start handing out inditements.
What an idiot. I choked on my sesame noodles when I read what he said. Not only do you try to deny the native people their rights as native people (as in there before you, you walked into their home, baby, not the other way around). And then the fat comment?! As if weight had anything to do with anything. If they were THIN dancers, it’d be okay, hm? Right. Sir, you win the International Ass Award. *hands over a paper bag full of dog poo* Congrats.
Honestly, and it’s sad, I know, I can see almost no one batting an eye at the fat comment. But god! The racism is baffling! I (as a white American) sit around sometimes thinking about what could have been done instead of wiping out the Native people, here. Is the world just going to forget about all Native people in every country? What a sad thought.
Also, does anyone else think the guy in the picture is smokin’ hot? ‘Cause, I do. Not only that, but he stands with such grace and looks very elegant and masculine in the traditional dress. >w<
Thank you to Itsjustme but I do not think I could be a politician.
I struggle to colour the truth for the safety of others & to be a politician you have to change black & white into red & blue. I just couldn’t do it.
I am more effective & affective in being out in the community than inside the government. I got out because I couldn’t speak out nor against the government I worked for. Now my voice is heard & I am seeing actions happen (slowly but they do listen).
As much as Wilson has baffled many with his comments sadly when he retires another red neck racist will pop up.
I live in hope that one day the Aboriginal people of Australia will live as equals within their own country along side the diverse racial popluation that is Australia.
Ohhhh and I must add – NEVER SAY NEVER
I’m sickened by most politicians in this country at the moment, there is a tide of false moralism and pandering to a fundamentalist minority that really offends me. But Tony Abbott would have to be the cream of the crop of a bunch of narrow-minded, bigoted, archaic old white-boys that is roaming Canberra at the moment.
Wilson Tuckey is just an offensive shit who shouldn’t be acknowledged.
I would think the Australian Indigenous peoples themselves would be the people to ask concerning whether WTC and AOCs are a “farce” or “patronising”.
The Apology to the Stolen Generations seems to have been well received by Indigenous peoples in general.
My opinion is that if only one Indigenous person’s
grief, trauma, sadness and isolation from country was somehow lessened by the Apology, then let us have more such acts that elevate us all.
I agree with my fellow Americans in heaving a sigh of relief that we don’t have ALL the racists, but I am sad that we don’t do these lovely Welcome to Country / Acknowledgment of Country ceremonies in the US. How cool and important and meaningful would it be for us to recognize Native Americans in this way?
Of course, many places would have a hard time FINDING a person who was descended from the original inhabiting tribe. Because of the extermination. Or because the tribe that lived on a particular plot of land isn’t officially “recognized” by the government.
I find Wilson Tuckey offensive,,he’s an abomination,,how embarrassing for all Australians,,why hasnt some1 assinated the idiot??