Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto is distancing himself from an outspoken Liberal MP for making comments that are “hurtful” to Indigenous Australians.
Upper house MP Bev McArthur, an opponent of the voice to federal parliament, issued a statement last week denouncing Geelong council’s decision to cancel Australia Day citizenship ceremonies.
In the release, she questioned if a councillor who supported the decision also reflected on the “wonderful things that have been enabled via colonisation by a democratic country”.
“Firstly – democracy itself. The arrival of communists instead of the First Fleet would no doubt have created a different outcome,” she wrote.
“Should we also say sorry for hospitals, roads, mobile phones, ready food at supermarkets, homes, running water, electricity for light and warmth, Indigenous-only medical centres, aged care and court processes?
“There is one word that is rarely heard in this discussion and it is a simple word. Thank you.”
Ms McArthur noted her piece mentioned wrongs committed against the Aboriginal population and disputed she implied Indigenous Australians should say “thank you” for colonisation.
“That is absolute nonsense,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.
But the comments drew the ire of First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria co-chair Marcus Stewart, who accused Ms McArthur of trying to make a name for herself by saying something offensive at the expense of Aboriginal people.
“Should Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people be saying thanks for the invasion of our lands and massacre of our people?” he asked.
“The reality is that more and more people across this country are learning the truth and understand that the harms of colonisation are still experienced by our people today.”
Mr Pesutto agreed her remarks were hurtful to Indigenous Australians as national debate ramps up ahead of the voice to parliament referendum.
The state Liberal leader confirmed he plans to speak with her about the remarks, but declined to say if she would be warned or face any punishment.
“It’s incumbent on every Victorian to engage in debates about Indigenous Australians and the great contribution our First Nations people have made to our country in a very respectful way,” he told reporters.
“There are ways to conduct this debate without causing hurt or offence.”
The Victorian Liberals have opted against adopting a formal position on the voice after giving MPs a non-binding vote.
It means they can actively campaign for either the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ campaigns, in contrast to the federal Liberal parliamentary party.
The Victorian Nationals fell into line with their federal counterparts and voted to formally oppose the voice at a party conference in Ballarat on Saturday.
Tuesday marked the first parliamentary sitting since Mr Pesutto was heckled and booed at a Liberal state council conference in Bendigo over the Moira Deeming expulsion saga, prompting leadership challenge speculation.
Earlier this month, Ms McArthur voted against the motion to expel Ms Deeming for bringing discredit to the party after the first-term upper house MP threatened defamation action against Mr Pesutto.
Australian Associated Press