Premier encouraged to intervene after First Nations performing artist prevented from playing at NSW Parliament House
Staff from the Premier’s Department prevented Jayden Kitchener-Waters, a proud Gomeroi and Ngiyampaa man and performing artist, from playing at the NSW Parliament.
Mr Kitchener-Waters was set to perform for the Premier’s Public Service Awards, but two staff members asked him to not perform because his guitar read “fuck the IDF”, “no pride in genocide”, and “free Gaza”.
Mr Kitchener-Waters is a public servant and works with the NSW Aboriginal Languages Trust. The Premier’s Department is threatening him with a termination of employment for making his experience public.
Greens MP, Solicitor and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson said,
“I have written to Secretary of the Premier's Department, Simon Draper, and Premier Chris Minns to ask them to intervene and stop the Premier's Department’s appalling persecution of Jayden Kitchener-Waters, a proud Gomeroi and Ngiyampaa man, after they prevented him from performing at the Premier’s Public Service Awards this week in Parliament House. The situation should have been handled very differently”,
“Punishing a First Nations man for expressing a political opinion is not on. Jayden offered to remove from display the only words that could have been described as offensive so it was a clear case of oppressive political censorship”,
“It’s heartbreaking to watch the footage of Jayden walking through a colonial building, past colonial paintings, having just been told he is not welcome as a First Nations performing artist in our Parliament because of his beliefs in justice,”
“Jayden is now facing threats of disciplinary action, Jayden has contributed extensively toward the Aboriginal Languages Trust and letting him go would be a grave error on the part of the Premier’s Department,”
“If Labor Premier Chris Minns wants to use First Nations people to white-wash his appalling record on First Nations Justice, he cannot justify his Department then kick First Nations people to the curb for having political opinions,”
“Just this year Labor Premier Chris Minns has advanced laws to deliberately lock up First Nations kids, and to increase the risk of First Nations deaths in custody. If the Premier’s Department expects First Nations people to be silent when they are in the proximity of politicians, then the Premier is sorely mistaken,” Ms Higginson said.