PM grilled on AFL team, Garma snub in first Tiwi trip

Anthony Albanese has faced questions over his decision not to attend a major Indigenous festival and the possibility of his Northern Territory AFL team joining him during a historic trip to the Tiwi Islands.

On his first visit as Prime Minister to the remote island chain north of Darwin, Mr Albanese fumed over why he would not attend the upcoming Garma Festival in East Arnhem Land.

Mr Albanese used the festival, the country’s largest and most important Indigenous gathering, as a platform to launch a voice referendum in 2022, but will instead take a leave of absence this year.

“It can’t happen everywhere,” the Prime Minister said on Sunday when asked about not attending the event, which starts at the end of July.

“I’ve been to the Garma Festival five times as leader of the Labor Party, more than any leader of any political party in Australian history,” he told reporters.

“I have been to the Northern Territory 19 times, which is more than the previous three prime ministers combined.

“I’m in a really important place here. This is a historic visit.”

The Prime Minister tossed a coin for a domestic Australian rules match and answered media questions about whether the 20th AFL license would be awarded to a Northern Territory team during his visit to the football-mad region.

“I would love to see a team in the region, I’m sure all Territorians would like that,” he said.

“The Northern Territory has a great history of producing great football players.

“We will continue to talk and engage with the AFL. I don’t run the AFL.”

Former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou is among those leading the push for a Darwin-based team to join the league in less than a decade.

Federal Labor Party member and Tiwi woman Marion Scrymgour joined Mr Albanese for the visit.

“It’s always great for me to come back home to my mob in the Tiwi Islands,” he said.