Why prominent Yes campaigner Marcia Langton thinks Australia’s national anthem is offensive

A video has resurfaced of Indigenous voice in Parliament advocate Marcia Langton calling the Australian national anthem offensive in a keynote speech.

On Thursday, Voice opponents released a video of Professor Langton criticizing the Advance Australia Fair at an Australian and New Zealand School of Government conference in February 2019.

The footage was captured before the anthem’s lyrics were changed in 2021 from “for we are young and free” to “for we are one and free”.

This was part of a keynote speech attended by more than 400 Aboriginal and Māori civil servants, academics and leaders to discuss Aboriginal affairs entitled: ‘Give Money and Power to the Aboriginal Sector’.

Towards the end of the 45-minute speech, Professor Langton commented on the anthem, four days after a pre-season NRL clash between the Indigenous and Māori All Stars.

Australia’s indigenous all-star team has sparked a public outcry for refusing to sing the Australian anthem after their Maori opponents proudly performed New Zealand’s.

“I can tell you that when I saw the NRL all-star game on Friday night, I had to sit through the Australian national anthem,” Professor Langton said.

“The Maori people, thanks to their treaty, and you know we don’t have one, were able to proudly sing the national anthem.

“I doubt I know any Aboriginal people who know our words.

“Actually, if you read them, they are so offensive.

“We look across the divide at Māori progress, the Treaty of Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal, your justice reinvestment agenda, your economic development. Anything is possible and I don’t see why we couldn’t have that here.

Professor Marcia Langton claimed in a 2019 keynote speech that she did not know of any Aboriginal Australians who knew the words Advance Australia Fair.

At the time, the NRL Indigenous All Stars attracted controversy for not singing the national anthem during the 2019 All Stars match. In the photo, Latrell Mitchell leads the Indigenous battle cry.

She also claimed that the federal coalition government of the time “could not even consider treaties”.

“Civil servants have no idea what we are talking about and need to be quickly educated to understand these Indigenous priorities if a referendum is held on the Uluru Statement proposal,” she said.

Earlier today, audio resurfaced of Langton calling Australia a “horrible, racist country”.

The Indigenous academic made the inflammatory comments in 2017 with audio shared on 2GB on Thursday.

“What fantasy world do they live in that makes them wonder?” she says.

“Of course Australia is racist. It’s a horrible, racist country.

The newly discovered comments come after Professor Langton was this week forced to deny calling No voters “racist and stupid” during a referendum at Perth’s Edith Cowan University on Sunday.

Instead, she clarified that she was “explaining how the No campaign is using fear and lies to scare No voters into voting No.”

“The No campaign claims that our proposal in the referendum will create apartheid and so it is very important to answer people’s questions and explain exactly how this type of (campaign) works,” she said.

“I absolutely deny it. There is a recording of what I said at the Bunbury meeting. And what I said is very clear.

Audio of the meeting reveals Professor Langton said: “Every time the no cases raise their arguments, if you start to dismantle them, you go back to basic racism – I’m sorry to say that’s where that it lands – or sheer stupidity.”

“If you look at any reputable fact checker, every one of them says no is essentially false, they’re lying to you.”

Marcia Langton (left) and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) urge Australians to vote Yes on The Voice on October 14.