‘Pure culture-war stuff’: Turnbull and Wyatt criticise Dutton’s welcome to country comments

First Indigenous Australian to serve as federal minister says to politicise it just adds to the division'

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Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed Peter Dutton's concerns about welcomes to country as pure culture-war stuff" that will cost votes, hours after Australia's first Indigenous minister warned the opposition leader's comments were damaging social harmony.

Ken Wyatt, a former Liberal minister and the first Indigenous minister for Indigenous Australians, said he was disappointed by some of the commentary about an alleged overuse of the ceremonies and told politicians to stay out of it".

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