Anthony Albanese will not attend Garma festival, despite vowing to attend every year as prime minister

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made headlines for his decision to skip this year's Garma festival, a significant Indigenous cultural gathering in north-east Arnhem Land. Just 12 months ago, Albanese committed to attending the festival annually, promising to "be here and engaged with you" as long as he remains in office. The cancellation of his attendance has sparked questions about the Prime Minister's commitment to Indigenous affairs and his willingness to engage with the community. This development comes as a surprise, particularly given Albanese's previous enthusiasm for the festival, which he has attended every year since 2019.

Albanese has attended the Indigenous cultural festival every year since 2019 and committed to ‘be here and engaged with you’ each yeah he remains in officeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese won’t attend this month’s Garma festival, breaking a commitment made just 12 months ago to travel to north-east Arnhem Land each year for Australia’s largest Indigenous cultural gathering.The prime minister last year vowed to keep attending the annual celebration of Yolŋu culture so long as he was in the role. Continue reading...