Victorian Liberal MP says Indigenous people should be grateful for ‘wonderful things’ brought by colonisation

Bev McArthur criticised by state’s First People’s Assembly co-chair as trying ‘to make a name’ for herself

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Marcus Stewart, a co-chair of Victoria’s First Peoples Assembly has criticised state Liberal MP Bev McArthur, after she said Indigenous people should be grateful for the “wonderful things that have been enabled via colonisation” such as hospitals, running water and electricity.

McArthur, an upper house MP representing the western Victoria region who opposes a federal Indigenous voice to parliament, issued the statement last Wednesday, a day after the Geelong city council voted to stop recognising 26 January as Australia Day.

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