Prime Minister Anthony Albanese participates in a Smoking Ceremony in the forecourt of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 22, 2025. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used the opening of the 48th Parliament to deliver a pointed rebuke to the opposition’s election campaign rhetoric on Welcome to Country ceremonies, saying the tradition is “not controversial—nor should it be.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony on July 22, Albanese said Welcome to Country was a powerful and respectful way to begin parliamentary proceedings and a symbol of national unity that must not be taken for granted.
