Leading no vote spokesperson Warren Mundine has called for the date of Australia Day to be changed, and for multiple treaties with Australia’s First Nations, despite his own campaign raising these as potential “radical” consequences of voting for an Indigenous voice to parliament.
Mundine, who founded the Recognise a Better Way group opposing the voice, also hinted on Sunday that fellow no vote advocate Gary Johns had been told to keep quiet, after a backlash over Johns’ comments suggesting blood tests for access to welfare, and that some people in Indigenous communities lived in a “stupor”.
Australians will vote in a referendum on 14 October on whether to recognise the First Peoples of Australia in the constitution by establishing an advisory body called an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice.
The official voice no pamphlet tells voters that one reason for voting against the proposed amendment to the constitution is because “it opens the door for activists” and asks “what comes next?”
“The Uluru Statement from the Heart says a Voice is a first step, before a treaty and truth telling,” it says.
“Already, many activists are campaigning to abolish Australia Day, change our flag and other institutions and symbols important to Australians,” the no pamphlet says. “If there is a constitutionally enshrined Voice, these calls would grow louder.”
It adds this could lead to “great irremediable harm to Australian society”.
“Yes, I’m a change-the-date person,” Mundine told the ABC’s Insiders program.
Mundine said the annual argument about the date was “not helping us”.
“This is one of the reasons why I believe that the idea that the voice, when it is set up, isn’t going to talk about Australia Day is nonsense,” he said.
“We need to confront it and talk about it. We need to have a mature debate.”
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”.
“I say treaties in the plural sense because we have to recognise Aboriginal culture. Aboriginal culture is our First Nations.”
Asked whether treaties were more likely if people voted no, Mundine said: “Yeah. Because then, on 15 October, if it is a ‘no’ vote, that’s when the real work starts.”
Mundine was also asked whether he had had to kick any more people off the no campaign over their remarks.
“Look, I’ve been very strong about these issues,” Mundine replied. “People know that and you notice that some people aren’t talking any more.”
Asked whether that included Johns, Mundine said: “Yes … because we had a cup of tea and we talked about it.
“I think he had an opinion, and I don’t agree with all of his opinions.”
Johns holds a senior role at Recognise a Better Way, one of the main organisations opposing the Indigenous voice, alongside Mundine.
Further comment has been sought from Johns.
Mundine said the Australian public “want Aboriginals to be recognised” but also wanted “practical outcomes”.
He said Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generations left him with “a tear in my eye” and was “a very good healing process”.
“The issue now is we need practical stuff, real stuff that is going to make the difference.”
Earlier, Yes23 said it expected tens of thousands of Australians to attend more than 40 Walk for Yes events today, describing it as the campaign’s largest show of force so far. Thousands of people attended a similar event in Adelaide on Saturday.
The campaign director of Yes23, Dean Parkin, said there was “no better time for Australians to be part of this unifying moment”.
