Jacinta Price slams bizarre Welcome to Country ceremony that was sponsored by a BEER COMPANY: 'Getting out of hand'

By MONIQUE FRIEDLANDER, ASSISTANT SHOWBUSINESS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 08:10, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 08:11, 15 May 2026 Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has said Welcome to Country ceremonies have become 'meaningless nonsense' while vulnerable Indigenous children continue to suffer in remote communities. Comedian Blake Pavey shared footage this week from the Sydney Comedy Festival, where a Welcome to Country included sponsorship branding from beer company Young Henrys. Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB on Friday, Price criticised the prevalence of acknowledgments and welcomes. 'It's all getting out of bloody hand in the first place,' Price said. 'I don't know if that (branding) is any form of respect at all, but again, it's just those throwaway lines that (has) become the norm. There's no meaning in it (ceremonies), there's no real sort of respect in it anymore. 'It doesn't help anything or anybody in this country, and we've got to just get past it and move beyond that nonsense now.' The senator slammed the irony of alcohol sponsorship being attached to Indigenous acknowledgments, given the devastating impact alcohol abuse has had in many Aboriginal communities. 'If people really do care for Aboriginal people, look at practical ways (to help), but certainly not encouraging the consumption of alcohol given the way alcohol disproportionately affects Indigenous Australians quite negatively,' she said.  Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured) has declared Welcome to Country ceremonies have become 'meaningless nonsense' Her comments came after comedian Blake Pavey (pictured) shared footage at the Sydney Comedy Festival of a Welcome to Country that included branding from a beer company The senator has been grieving the death of her niece Kumanjayi Little Baby (pictured) During the segment, Fordham acknowledged that it had been a big week for Price, describing her as a 'tower of strength'. The Northern Territory senator has been grieving the death of her five-year-old niece after the little girl's body was found in Alice Springs in April.  Price delivered an emotional speech in Parliament on Tuesday, accusing politicians and activists of ignoring the crisis affecting vulnerable Aboriginal children while prioritising symbolism and slogans. Jefferson Lewis, 47, has been charged with murder and other offences after Kumanjayi Little Baby was found dead in bushland near Alice Springs on April 30. It was revealed last week that six child protection reports were made about the little girl in the six weeks before she was allegedly abducted and killed. The reports alleged Kumanjayi Little Baby was living in a dangerous environment, had been neglected and was exposed to domestic violence. During her speech, Price said the fact that multiple warnings were not acted upon should 'horrify every single one of us in this chamber and across the world'.  'For too long in this country, there has been silence around what is happening in too many town camps and remote communities – a silence driven by fear, a fear of causing offence, a fear of being labelled racist, fear of speaking honestly about dysfunction, violence, alcohol abuse, neglect and conditions,' she said.  'Vulnerable children are growing up in that silence and it is killing our babies. And when I say our babies, our people, I mean Australians. 'My niece was a little Australian girl, yet there is an ideology in this country that has deliberately encouraged people to treat children like her differently because of her racial heritage.  'It's that same ideology that has created a hands-off culture within parts of a child protection system, an ideology that too often places cultural sensitivities and political correctness ahead of the safety of children. 'The same ideology that reveres organisations, bureaucracies and so-called leadership structures, while vulnerable women and children continue to suffer behind closed doors.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.