“More and more Australians are saying they want ANZAC Day ceremonies to focus exclusively on the sacrifices of our Diggers, and to drop the inappropriate welcome to country ceremonies which create division,” said Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director at the Institute of Public Affairs.
The IPA has released new polling data, conducted in the wake of several high-profile ANZAC Day ceremonies on Saturday, at which some attendees expressed opposition to the inclusion of a welcome to country message. The research found:
- 49% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that welcome to country ceremonies should no longer be performed at ANZAC Day services. Only 31% wanted to see the practice continued.
- The highest rates of disapproval were in the 25 to 34 age bracket, where 53% of respondents wanted the ceremonies scrapped on ANZAC Day
- 60% of respondents agree or strongly agree that welcome to country ceremonies have become divisive overall. Only 12% of respondents disagree or strongly disagree.
- Net agreement (total agree minus total disagree) was +48%, an increase from +39 recorded in May 2025, indicating an increasing shift towards opposition to the ceremonies
- 60% of those surveyed also say welcome to country ceremonies should not be staged at sporting events
- 69% of respondents aged 45 to 54 want welcome to country ceremonies banned from sporting events
The poll of 1,001 Australians aged 18 and older was undertaken by independent marketing research firm Dynata.
“Welcome to Country ceremonies are anything but welcoming. They have become hostile, aggressive, and a form of moral hectoring designed to make Australians feel bad about their nation and history,”, Mr Wild said.
“I would argue that creating division along racial lines is far more disrespectful to the memory of our fallen than objecting to their inclusion on a completely inappropriate basis.
“It is bad enough that Welcome or acknowledgement of country ceremonies have become pervasive in public and corporate life. But when this overreach impacts on our most sacred of days, enough is enough.”
Mr Wild said increasing numbers of Australians were not willing to ‘toe the line’ of political correctness, people like Melbourne street sweeper Shaun Turner who last year was unfairly sacked for objecting to an acknowledgement of country before a weekly staff meeting.
“It should come as no surprise that Australians are not willing to remain silent, especially which it comes to a divisive practice which only serves to move the focus from the sacrifices of those who’ve laid down their lives to defend the Australian way of life”.
IPA POLL: Attitudes towards welcome to country
The poll of 1,001 Australia was conducted by Dynata between 23 and 27 April 2026.
Q1: Aboriginal Welcome to Country ceremonies should no longer be performed at ANZAC Day services
Q2: Aboriginal Welcome to Country ceremonies have become divisive
Q3: Welcome to country ceremonies should no longer be performed at sporting matches in Australia
