The Mad Monk once again inflamed debate this week, after labeling Indigenous “welcome to country” ceremonies  as “tokenism”. Wilson Tuckey then took things one step further (or perhaps too far) by calling them a “farce” and helpfully adding that the dancers who perform them are often “grossly overweight”.

The comments may have done nothing to change Abbott’s image as a rusted-on conservative — or Australia’s international image as a pack of racists, with the story pulling headlines around the world — but they’ve sure got the punters talking.

King of the soundbite, Paul Keating, weighed in on Tuesday, calling Abbott a “little John Howard”, whilst the topic proved highly divisive on this week’s Q&A, with left-wing columnist Catherine Deveny butting heads with Liberal MP Peter Dutton in a heated war of words, especially after host Tony Jones revealed that Dutton had wagged the Stolen Generation apology:

CATHERINE DEVENY: … We need to be hit over the head time and time again of what we did and how the generational impact of the horror that has happened over generation and generation

Here’s what the rest of the commentariat is saying:

The Australian

Editorial: Welcome to controversy

The way to keep indigenous culture alive is through practical programs to help Aborigines now, not by paying lip service to suspect ceremonies.

Gary Johns: Welcome to endless poverty

… the traditional acknowledgment serves the purposes of those determined to lock Aborigines out of the modern economy.

ABC

Jonathan Green: Is honesty always the best policy?

Interesting that Tony Abbott should raise the issue. A talking point with not too much hanging on it. A quiet nailing of colours to the mast.

Herald Sun

Andrew Bolt: I am, you are, we are seeing racism in land welcomes

They’re wrong because they’re divisive. Even racist.

Jill Singer: Danger in a redneck approach

This redneck stuff might well prove smart politics for the Liberals, but it certainly doesn’t represent fair dinkum values

Daily Telegraph

Piers Akerman: Sorry to say this but hypocrisy unwelcome

Let’s not pretend the welcome ceremony is more than a contrivance which allows some to play dress-up and others to don black armbands.

Elsewhere…

The Punch, Chris Deal: Why stop at binning welcome to country and prayers

These repeatedly enforced preambles for the Whatever Tribe Of Wherever grow ever more meaningless each ensuing shindig

Mamamia, Mia Freedman: Aboriginal Australia & Welcome To Country. Symbolism or tokenism?

Why is it so threatening to some people to acknowledge the past?

Larvatus Prodeo, Kim: Acknowledgement of country ‘culture wars’

… if something is ’superficial’, that doesn’t imply that it is ‘unnecessary’

Overland blog, Stephanie Convery: Lip service

If the mere act of speaking recognition has become tired, perhaps that is because we are no longer paying attention to what we are saying.

Still Life With Cat, Kerryn Goldsworthy: It’s only words

It’s a small reversal of erasure and a little raiser of consciousness

Fat Lot of Good, Bri King: Australian politician finds fat Aboriginal dancers offensive

I would suggest to Mr Tuckey that most Aboriginal people have more important things to consider other than their weight…