Remarks of Dutch Foreign minister upset first Australians

The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples says they're appalled by comments made by the Dutch foreign minister who suggested the first people of Australia have been wiped out. "It's an embarrassment and completely unacceptable"

Stef Blok, minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands Source: ministerie van buitenlandse zaken

Foreign Minister Stef Blok, a member of the conservative VVD party of Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, made the comments at a gathering in The Hague on July the 10th.

The remarks came to wider attention only after video appeared in Dutch media on Wednesday.

Asking the audience to give an example of a multicultural society, Mr Blok suggested Australia could not be an example of one because, he says "it's Indigenous population has been wiped out... they do not live there anymore."

Co-chair of the Congress Rod Little has told SBS Dutch Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop should raise the comments with Mr Blok.

"I certainly would like to say, get your facts right, here I am, here's proof that First People's still exist here in Australia, we haven't been wiped out. And I would certainly like to encourage our Foreign Minister to make that well known."