Story perspectives

CPAC in Brisbane Used “I Am Australian” Without Permission

By Drooid · Oct 12, 2026, 10:20 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Bruce Woodley says CPAC used “I Am Australian” without permission at its Brisbane ceremony.
Co-author Dobe Newton also denied permission and recalled threatening Pauline Hanson over a prior use.
APRA-AMCOS board member Mark Callaghan called the unauthorised use illegal and enforcement “like playing whack-a-mole”.
Both 2023 voice-to-parliament yes and no campaigns requested the song and were denied.
The 1997 recording entered Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive registry in 2023.

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Story summary

Bruce Woodley says CPAC used “I Am Australian” without permission at its Brisbane ceremony.
Co-author Dobe Newton also denied permission and recalled threatening Pauline Hanson over a prior use.
APRA-AMCOS board member Mark Callaghan called the unauthorised use illegal and enforcement “like playing whack-a-mole”.
Both 2023 voice-to-parliament yes and no campaigns requested the song and were denied.
The 1997 recording entered Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive registry in 2023.