A member of the legendary Australian band the Seekers has criticized a Brisbane conservative conference featuring Pauline Hanson for using their classic track without authorization. Bruce Woodley confirmed that no permission had been granted for the Conservative Political Action Conference to play I Am Australian during its opening ceremony.
The track, originally co-written by Woodley and Dobe Newton of the Bushwackers in 1987, was performed following renditions of the national anthem and Waltzing Matilda. It was also listed as part of the official conference program agenda.
Both songwriters strongly condemned the organizers, pointing out that the song's message of unity in diversity directly contradicts the anti-immigration stances voiced at the gathering. Woodley stated that no approval was ever requested or provided for the event.
Following the performance, speakers including Hanson and the opposition leader condemned mass immigration. Newton expressed absolute refusal to endorse the track's association with such viewpoints, recalling a previous instance when he and Woodley threatened Hanson with legal action after she attempted to use it during an election campaign.
Newton noted that they had a friend draft a strong solicitor's letter to stop Hanson's previous usage, which caused her to change her mind. They also denied requests from both the yes and no campaigns to use the song during the 2023 voice to parliament referendum.
Mark Callaghan, leader of the band Ganggajang and an APRA-AMCOS board member, explained that the unauthorized public performance was illegal, emphasizing that clearance must be obtained, particularly in political settings. However, he acknowledged that enforcement remains difficult due to widespread misuse across digital platforms.
CPAC organizers have been approached for comment regarding the incident. The prominent 1997 recording of the song by Judith Durham, Russell Hitchcock, and Dr M Yunupingu remains an established national standard, having been added to the National Film and Sound Archive registry in 2023.