Anthony Albanese has accused Warren Mundine of “splitting” from the no campaign over his support for treaties with First Nations people and moving the date of Australia Day, issues that Liberal sources say will likely sink his chances of taking a vacant Senate seat.
The prime minister responded to Mundine’s comments about supporting treaty-making by noting “that’s not what this [referendum] is about” because “all that is on the agenda is recognition and an advisory body”.
“So he’s a no campaigner splitting with the other no campaign about treaty and Australia Day, none of that is on the agenda,” Albanese told Channel 10 on Monday.
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, also seized on Mundine’s remarks, arguing the “no campaign is all over the place” because of Mundine’s suggestion a no vote made treaties more likely.
Peter Dutton wanted a second referendum.
— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) September 18, 2023
Then he didn’t.
Then they told us that a ‘Yes’ vote leads to Treaty.
Now they tell us a ‘No’ vote leads to Treaty.
The No campaign is all over the place.
Write YES for unity, YES for hope, YES for progress. pic.twitter.com/IWP8RT9u0S
Mundine has been touted as a possible candidate for the New South Wales vacancy created by Marise Payne’s resignation. He has been supported by the former prime minister Scott Morrison and his centre-right factional ally Alex Hawke.
But the hand of the frontrunner, the former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance, was strengthened by Mundine’s comments on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
Asked whether treaties were more likely if the referendum for an Indigenous voice to parliament failed on 14 October, Mundine said: “Yeah, because then, on 15 October, if it is a no vote, that’s when the real work starts.”
Mundine, who founded the Recognise a Better Way group in opposition to the Indigenous voice to parliament, also reiterated his previously expressed personal support for changing the date of Australia Day from 26 January – despite that being one of the fears raised in the no pamphlet.
Mundine acknowledged that “people on my side don’t agree with me on these two issues and that is treaties and that is changing the date”.
A senior Liberal told Guardian Australia on Monday that Mundine “made it very difficult for himself over the weekend” in the race to succeed Payne.
“Mundine’s position on Insiders puts him in the [independent senator] Lidia Thorpe camp on why to vote no,” the source said.
“That’s essentially her argument: deal with treaty and sovereignty first. It is a Thorpe position, which Mundine has adopted.”
Another Liberal source said “some people would be uncomfortable” with Mundine’s candidacy on the basis of the views he had expressed.
His comments demonstrated he was an “unknown quantity” and emphasised it would be “hard to say” what he believed on various “touchstone issues”, they said.
Mundine is on the Indigenous advisory council of the Australian Republic Movement, which makes it unlikely he would draw support from the Liberal party’s conservative faction.
Moderates are uniting behind Constance – despite fears this will pit him against senator Maria Kovacic, another moderate – when the pair seek preselection for winnable spots ahead of the 2028 election.
When asked about a potential bid to succeed Payne, Mundine said on Sunday that he was focused on trying to defeat the voice and ‘“not focused on things that are irrelevant”.
The federal Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, was asked on Monday about Mundine’s view on treaties.
“I’ve been very clear that a government I lead will not enter into billions of dollars worth of treaty negotiations that will just see rich lawyers in Sydney and Melbourne get richer,” Dutton told reporters.
Earlier in September, Dutton said Mundine had “contested elections before, he’s obviously a significant contributor to debate” and “would have a very serious claim to make” on the Senate spot.
“There are other candidates who would be in a similar category,” Dutton told ABC radio, although it “would be an issue for the NSW division” to decide.
On Monday, the shadow veterans affairs minister, Barnaby Joyce, repeatedly refused to say whether he supported Mundine’s comments.
The Nationals MP told Channel Seven that “right now we are focused on the referendum”.
Asked if the no side believed there would be a greater chance of treaties if the voice referendum was defeated, Joyce replied that Australia was a “peaceful nation” that had never had major internal conflict and if the no campaign won, “the status quo” would remain.
“I can’t see why that will substantially change in regards to treaty but I can tell you that delivering on the Uluru statement in full is yes to the referendum, yes to treaty,” he said.
Comment was sought from Mundine.
