You make my own point. If only the rest of the Voice debate could go so smoothly. The ceremony is solely political. It is either a welcome or it is political but it can't be both. Enact it at Speaker's Corner in the Domain every Sunday then and piss it off from the football or wherever where we don't want politics shoved down our throats. Whatever commonplace polite niceties were performed for thousands of years - which were only like visa entries that all countries have - they bear no relation or relevance to the 30 year old dressed up version invented by Ernie Dingo. It has become a sly dig instead.
Apart from that Jamez 11 - and I'm not pissing in your pocket - I do like your reasoned discussion.
Ps. I haven't started on smoking ceremonies yet.