Newsroom

June 19, 2018

KAP Federal Leader and Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has again called to end the immoral trading and selling of fake Indigenous art that is coming in from overseas, particularly from Indonesia.

“Our First Australians are being taken for a big ride, it was on 60 Minutes last night we thank them for it, it would appear that about 80-90% of all supposed Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander artefacts are not made in Australia nor painted or designed in Australia but in fact are made overseas.”

Mr Katter held a press conference in Parliament today following a report by 60 Minutes (reporter Liam Bartlett and Producer Grace Tobin) that exposed the sale of imitation art and the people involved.

“The industry is reputed to be worth between $25-30 million per year and most certainly most of the souvenir shops in Australia would have between 80 and 90% of the artefacts claiming to be Australian Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander artefacts which they are not,” said Mr Katter.

Mr Katter was joined at the Press Conference by a delegation of First Australians who displayed some beautiful authentic artefacts from Yarrabah. Mayor Ross Andrews of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council slammed the fake trade.

“It’s very offensive, it’s fake and it’s exploitation of First Australians,” said Mayor Andrews.

Mr Katter then showed the cameras a fake artefact that was purchased at the Canberra Airport.

“To show you a classic example this says ‘Returning Boomerang’ that has three artworks by supposedly First Australians and this says ‘HAND MADE’. Designed by ‘World Champion’ but they don’t mention the world champion’s name?

“I have got my little pocket knife here and when we take this (wrapping) off we see here ‘made in Indonesia’ but you can’t see that (the made in Indonesia sign) when it’s being retailed and that is typical of the deceitfulness that is taking place“.

Mr Katter has twice introduced with Rebekha Sharkie (former MP for Mayo, currently recontesting the seat in a by-election) into Parliament a Bill which will make it illegal to sell fake, imported ‘Aboriginal Style’ art, keeping jobs and an income stream open for First Australian peoples.

“Rebekha Sharkie, please God she’ll be returned in a month’s time, and it’s our legislation that will again be put into the House and we’ll serve notice on the major parties.

“We’ll be moving it and we’ll be dividing the House on it. So I would warn the Member for Leichhardt, the Member for the Northern Territory and the Member for the North of Western Australia – if you are Liberals and you vote against this division of the House, it will be at your own peril because we’ll be seeing that every single First Australian community is made aware of that“.

“What this legislation will achieve is that no longer will those jobs go overseas, they will remain here in Australia and Indigenous art will remain the property of our First Australian people.

“If this Bill goes through, no longer will they take our culture and our art away from us and I think every single person in Australia will agree with that proposition,” said Mr Katter.