EXCLUSIVE
Sam Newman has been accused of an astonishing act of disrespect during an Acknowledgment of Country in Victoria.
The former Footy Show presenter and AFL great was among the guests at an Australia Day function at the state's Government House on Wednesday.
According to another guest at the event, as Victoria Governor Margaret Gardner began an Acknowledgment of Land, Newman could be seen turning his back and heading for the exit.
By the time he reached the door, however, Mrs. Gardner had given the address and he returned to his seat in the room.
For the rest of Ms. Gardner's speech, Newman stood with his back to the podium and appeared to take pictures of his companion Sue Stanley.
Of the hundreds in attendance, Newman was the only one in the room and did not watch as the governor addressed the crowd, the guest said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Newman for comment.
Newman has courted controversy as a media figure in the past and made headlines with his comments about Indigenous culture.
As Margaret Gardner began an Acknowledgment of Land, Newman could be seen turning and heading for the exit, but he turned back when the speech was finished.
For the rest of Ms. Gardner's speech, Newman stood with his back to the podium and appeared to take photos of companion Sue Stanley
In September 2024, he urged Australians to blow off the 'welcome to country' ceremony at the AFL grand final.
The former footy great also recently shuttered a dedicated Telstra call center phone line for Indigenous people.
The Darwin-based call center hotline came under a devastating attack from the AFL veteran during an episode of Newman's podcast, You Cannot Be Serious, in January.
Newman's co-host shared a story about a non-Indigenous woman from Kununurra in Western Australia who was able to skip the line after lying about her heritage.
“Why doesn't everyone do it?” Newman said in response. “Indigenous people – why are they getting through while the rest of us are waiting in line?
“This will lead to you going to a movie, and there will be a line for white people. And here is a line for anyone with a non-white skin color.'
Telstra denied the call center allowed Indigenous callers to skip the queue for the rest of the community.
“Telstra's First Nations Connect Hotline is supported by a small dedicated team to serve our most remote customers,” a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
Newman was the only guest among the hundreds in attendance who wasn't paying attention during the governor's remarks, a witness said
“It also provides culturally appropriate customer service to our First Nations customers.”
In 2018 Nieuwman told News Corp he was considering running for mayor of Melbourne on a platform of ending homelessness in the CBD, cleaning up graffiti and ignoring the agenda of minority groups.
The role of mayor was empty at the time after then-Mayor Robert Doyle resigned while battling sexual harassment allegations.
Mr Newman, who said he was toying with the idea of running in the 2016 council elections, told the Herald Sun that the role of mayor would allow him to combat the politically correct agendas of minority groups.
“We are stuck with delusional psychotic anarchists pushing all kinds of agendas because they have a point to make and usually the greater good of the community is under scrutiny,” he said.
'I'm sure the majority of people are concerned about the homeless in the CBD, the graffiti, [and councils] the use of motorists as a tool to balance the budget.'
