A controversial television star has expressed his outrage over First Nations ‘Welcome to Country’ on board an intrastate Jetstar flight.
Dean Wells, who appeared on Channel Nine’s Married At First Sight dating series in 2018, flew from Sydney to Ballina in New South Wales on Tuesday morning to attend his uncle’s funeral.
While the former reality TV star stated he had ‘no issues’ with the airline and that his flight was a pleasant experience, he complained the flight could have ‘done without’ the Welcome to Country ceremony upon arrival.
‘For all the complaining we do about airlines, I gotta say 99% of my flights go off without a problem,’ Dean wrote to his Instagram Story.
‘I arrived at the airport to fly to my uncle’s funeral today, around 40 mins before the plane was due to leave and @jetstaraustralia for me on the plane no issue.’
‘Could’ve done without the “welcome to country” when I arrived in Ballina, the place my familia from,’ he added in another Story.
‘I don’t need to be “welcomed” to my own country.’
Jetstar and Qantas rolled out First Nations Acknowledgement of Country messages on flights in 2021.
A controversial television star expressed his outrage over First Nations ‘Welcome to Country’ on board a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Ballina, both located in New South Wales
A Welcome to Country can only be conducted by traditional owners or custodians of the land on which an event is taking place. In circumstances where a traditional owner is unavailable, an Acknowledgement of Country can instead be performed.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jetstar for comment.
It comes after a young woman was left questioning why she is forced to take part in a Welcome to Country before each Pilates class.
Loren Barry, who is a producer at Triple M, said she didn’t understand why her exercise sessions had to begin with the ceremony.
Dean Wells , who appeared on Channel Nine’s Married At First Sight dating series in 2018, flew from Sydney to Ballina on Tuesday morning to attend his uncle’s funeral
While the former reality TV star stated he had ‘no issues’ with the airline and that his flight was a pleasant experience, he complained the flight could have ‘done without’ the Welcome to Country ceremony upon arrival
Barry was quick to point out she was supportive of the Welcome to Country – but questioned their frequency.
‘I’m all for the Welcome to Country,’ she said.
‘But I think that, when you’ve got the same people in the classes everyday, you’ve been welcomed.’
2GB host Ben Fordham was left stunned after hearing about her story on Friday, arguing they had ‘lost all meaning’.
‘I’m convinced that in a few years from now organisations will be dropping this tradition because they’ve flogged it so hard that it’s lost all meaning,’ he said.
‘Now, if it’s the first day of parliament of the year, do the welcome.
‘If you’ve got a special gathering happening, sure, go right ahead, do the welcome.
‘But, we don’t need every speech to have one, we don’t need a welcome at the start of a zoom meeting, and having the welcome to country at the start of a Pilates class? Well, that’s just bizarre.’
Fordham argued Australians should not be afraid about sharing their thoughts about the ceremonies.
‘We should be allowed to say it, the obsession of the welcome has become a bit of an open joke,’ he said.
‘And, let’s be fair dinkum, it’s sometimes a bit of a chore.’
His comments come as the frequency of Welcome to Country ceremonies comes under the spotlight.
Two Welcome to Country ceremonies were performed at separate AFL matches throughout September – with both of them dividing fans.
The first was held at the GWS Giants and Brisbane Lions semifinal on September 14 – while the second was delivered at the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions Grand Final on Saturday.
Uncle Colin Hunter’s Welcome to the AFL Grand Final was widely praised but Ben Fordham said the practice is a ‘mood killer’ at sporting events
Uncle Colin Hunter hosted the ceremony at the MCG over the weekend with most fans cheering – however pockets of boos were also heard.
Fordham revealed his vehement distaste for the practices, saying they ‘suck the tension out of the air’.
‘It’s a mood killer,’ he said.
‘Players run out onto the ground, the crowd roars, tension fills the stadium and then you know what happens – we’ve all seen it – you cop a speech that has nothing to do with football.
‘All it does is highlight a difference instead of saying, we’re all one mob at the footy,’ he said.
AFL boss Andrew Dillon vowed that the Welcome to Country ceremonies were here to stay.
‘We will continue to do it, the Welcome to Country is for everyone,’ he said.
‘We are a sport that is inclusive, and we believe it sets the tone for the game. It serves the game well, so we will continue to do that.’
