Media Release

17 May 2017: KAP Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter is renewing his calls for the Federal Government to get off their backside and adopt his legislation, to restrict the sale of fake, imported First Australian art - following the release of French fashion house Chanel’s latest accessory - a $1,930 boomerang, an artefact renowned as being First Australian.

“This is just another example of everyone trying to make a quid out of our First Australian culture, and we’re not making anything out of it,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter answered the calls of the First Australian art community and representative groups and introduced legislation, the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Exploitation of Indigenous Culture) Bill 2017, in February 2017 to make it illegal to sell fake, foreign imports in Australia.

The Bill was seconded by fellow cross bencher, NXT Lower House Member, Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP.

The Chanel boomerang comes after reports that up to 80 per cent of tourist shops and markets sold ‘Aboriginal style’ souvenirs, with some using products imported from Indonesia.

Under Australia’s Competition and Consumer laws it is not illegal for ‘Aboriginal Style’ imports to be sold, so long as they do not claim to be authentic and have a label stating where they are made.

“When will the Federal Government get off their backside and adopt our legislation to restrict the sale of fake imported Aboriginal art?,” Mr Katter asked.

“We will be moving that our legislation be put forward.

“There is a huge industry using “our” name as Kalkadoon and First Australians for these cheap inferior replicas and paying us First Australians nothing for the privilege.

“The Government sold our industries, our public assets, and now they’ve managed to sell our own culture,” Mr Katter said.

“They’re not going to use the technical machinery at parliament – to prevent the legislation from going into the parliament.

“It will take up 15 mins of parliament’s time and deliver millions of dollars to people who can’t get jobs - in a society that the government has created," Mr Katter said.