Bruce Mukadda Shillingsworth, a 34-year-old Muruwarri and Budjiti man from New South Wales, demands Indigenous governance for Australia. He criticizes the government’s support for US and Israeli strikes on Iran, arguing that First Nations leadership offers superior management amid the escalating fuel crisis.
Government’s Foreign Policy Stance Draws Fire
Shillingsworth condemns Australia’s alignment with the United States and Israel, nations he claims provide no value to the country’s health, welfare, or interests. He warns that siding against Iran, a key oil supplier, risks national self-harm.
“The Australian government chooses to side with two completely useless countries, and yes, I’m talking about Israel and America, that do not contribute to the necessity of the Australian construct,” Shillingsworth stated. “Even worse, Australia has sided with those two completely useless countries against a country that partially provides oil and that has the ability to stop Australia’s oil supply. And yes, I’m talking about Iran. It is complete stupidity. It is suicide. It is like hacking off your own, completely good, useful limb for no reason at all.”
Prime Minister Albanese announced on March 10 the deployment of an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to the United Arab Emirates, along with 85 personnel and air-to-air missiles to the Persian Gulf region.
Fuel Shortages Grip Nation
Australians face soaring fuel prices and widespread shortages amid the cost-of-living pressures. Nearly 200 petrol stations in New South Wales lack diesel, while 32 report no fuel available, according to Energy Minister Chris Bowen. In Victoria, 134 stations miss one or more fuel types.
Shillingsworth highlights the irony of public support for the strikes despite the fallout. “Australians are now experiencing high fuel prices on top of an already existing cost of living crisis,” he said. “I’m gobsmacked, and not just at a limited oil supply. Some of the fuel stations here are shut down. Fuel prices have gone through the roof.”
Albanese convenes a second national cabinet meeting next Monday to explore emergency measures, including public transport discounts, work-from-home incentives, and carpooling. Hospitality businesses eye a 5% customer surcharge as transport costs surge, with the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association recommending temporary markups on meals and takeaways.
Shillingsworth’s Tribal Lore Enforcement
Shillingsworth shares views on social media with 68,000 followers, asserting First Nations hold supreme power over their lands. He co-founded Tribal Lore Enforcement six years ago with his father, Bruce Mundagutta Shillingsworth, in northwestern New South Wales, covering 200 square kilometers and 2,000-3,000 residents, mostly Indigenous, from Bourke to Enngonia.
The group patrols in vehicles resembling police cars, marked with ‘Lore Enforcement.’ Shillingsworth distinguishes lore from law: “First of all, there is a difference between law and lore. Lore is in reference to natural lore. First Nations people have that close relationship with the land, the flora, fauna, all of it. So it’s very very different from man-made law.”
Legal Clashes with Authorities
Shillingsworth faced conviction in September 2023 for aiding arson and destroying Commonwealth property tied to a 2021 fire causing $5.3 million in damage to Old Parliament House. He appeared in court in traditional attire, including a headdress, loincloth, and kangaroo pelt bearing a declaration of independence.
In March 2022, video captured him confronting police at Ledknapper Nature Reserve over alleged squatting. “This is Muruwarri land,” he insisted, identifying as a Lore Enforcement officer. Officers cited him for blocking a roadway. Bourke Local Court found him guilty of obstructing traffic and disobeying directions, fining him $400. He later received a nine-month conditional release order for recording in court and posting online.
Another April 2022 incident outside Enngonia’s Oasis Hotel saw him warn police of trespassing on Muruwarri land, claiming prior eviction notices.
