Pauline Hanson mocks Army’s ‘woke’ indigenous weapons making exercise

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has criticised “out of touch Generals” and the “woke” Defence Minister Richard Marles after Australian soldiers were recently taught to construct wooden spears and axes during an Indigenous weapons making course.

The four-day activity known as “Exercise Greenskin” was held to “strengthen understanding of Aboriginal warfighting traditions, cultural heritage and Indigenous service, while helping Army leaders connect local history with unit identity.”

According to the Defence Department participants learnt to find correct trees to make craft clubs, spears, axes and coolamons, and took part in cultural tours involving the Indigenous Ngunnawal people of Canberra.

“What we’re trying to do here is, in a culturally cleared way, help soldiers better understand the Aboriginal history of their unit,” said Major Samuel White, the officer in charge of Exercise Greenskin.

“I have a strong link to culture being Indigenous myself, but seeing non-Indigenous Australians and service members learn how to do this sort of stuff is the highlight.”

In an article published on the Defence website, Major White said soldiers and officers who took part could eventually be authorised to carry culturally cleared Indigenous weapons for ceremonial purposes.

“When you walk into every CO’s [commanding officer] office, there should be something like this from the area,” Major White said.

“We’re grateful for the Ngunnawal people’s custodianship and for teaching us what it is to be a soldier,” Major White added.

But One Nation leader Senator Hanson has mocked the recent exercise, suggesting the Australian military was focusing on the wrong priorities and was being driven by political correctness.

“The Department of Defence has been caught forcing soldiers to craft indigenous spears instead of practising modern day warfighting,” Senator Hanson wrote on social media.

“I hope spears and clubs aren’t our new plan for Defence instead of weapons and drones.”

“It’s also good to see the ‘traditional’ Ryobi sander getting a workout in this ‘traditional’ process,” Senator Hanson wrote, referring to a photograph of a soldier using an electric tool to make a hunting club known as a “Boondi”. “To be clear, this isn’t the fault of the diggers. They’re being forced to do this by out of touch Generals and our woke Defence Minister,” she added.

A spokesperson for Minister Marles said Senator Hanson’s comments demonstrated “a complete lack of respect for the men and women of the Australian Defence Force, who work tirelessly and selflessly every day to keep our nation safe”.

“Our Defence Force personnel deserve better than being at the centre of the culture war One Nation want to wage.” Last month’s Exercise Greenskin was the fourth of its kind to be run by Defence, with other activities held around Australia, including in Arnhem Land and the Torres Strait, involving about 60 personnel.