Jordan Peterson has lashed out at Qantas over an indigenous acknowledgement made by the airline.
The Australian airline features an Acknowledgement of Country message in the safety video it plays before all flights. Such acknowledgements are standard practice for Australian companies, but in a tweet the visiting Canadian psychologist appeared to be unfamiliar with the custom - and infuriated by it.
"I could really do without the land acknowledgment propaganda delivered to me by a corporate behemoth," Peterson said.
"I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. Stick to (1) flying and (2) making money. I don't want or need moral lessons from you or any other corporation."
Peterson is currently on a speaking tour of Australia after hosting one event in Auckland earlier this month.
Qantas said in a statement that it wants to "foster a shared national identity" where Australians "take pride" in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.
Peterson's tweet prompted an outcry from many Australians who disagreed with his stance, although it has over 22,000 likes at the time of writing.
"With the greatest respect, this issue is way beyond your domain of competence," Twitter user David Paterson said.
"Recognition of Traditional Owners is a practice widely accepted across the Australian political spectrum. It is not propaganda. There are some issues you as a visitor should leave alone."
Kilian Harkema parodied Peterson's tweet in his response: "Stick to (1) Clinical psychology (2) Enlightening your students by reexplaining Jung's ideas, how you once enlightened me. I could really do without the aggressive rhetoric and pushing of a political counter-narrative. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way."
Peterson's Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life tour of Australia concludes on December 3.
