Warren Mundine slams ABC over Indigenous Voice to Parliament ‘bias’

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has accused the ABC of bias during a fiery TV interview over the Voice to Parliament.

Mr Mundine, a leading advocate for the ‘No’ vote campaign, blasted the ABC during an appearance on the national broadcaster’s News Breakfast program on Monday.

Debate over the proposal is heating up with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to make a pitch on Monday night at the annual Lowitja O’Donoghue Oration in Adelaide on why Australians should vote yes in the upcoming referendum. 

Mr Albanese’s speech has already come under fire as it will accuse those who oppose the Voice to Parliament as ‘chicken littles’ and ‘doomsayers’, which has been criticised by the Opposition leader Peter Dutton.

The term is a reference to a European folk tale about a chicken that believes the world is coming to an end and the sky is falling in. 

Mr Albanese will slam opponents of the Voice, dismiss criticism it will divide the nation, and express confidence the referendum will pass. 

Mr Mundine launched into a fiery defence of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s criticism of the Voice, and his call for NSW Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison to stand down over his comments about ‘No’ campaigner Pat Conaghan.

Mr Dutton had warned the Voice would have ‘Orwellian’ consequences where ‘all Australians are equal, but some Australians are more equal than others’ – a direct reference to George Orwell’s satirical 1945 novel, Animal Farm. 

‘I think Peter Dutton is onto something, this is turning into a very divisive, very hateful campaign,’ Mr Mundine said.

‘I know you like to pick on Peter Dutton but he is right, this is starting to get into a disgraceful campaign and the campaign hasn’t even started yet.

‘This referendum is dividing Australia and you see it in the polling, and you see it out in the community.’ 

Mr Mundine called for Justice Harrison to be stood down after he sent an email from his work account to Nationals MP Mr Conaghan and labelled him ‘disgusting’ and ‘racist’ for opposing the Voice. 

He then slammed the ABC for not calling out the attacks by ‘Yes’ supporters who had targeted their opponents with hurtful comments.

‘I just find it bizarre that these people who are supposed to be Yes supporters and Yes campaigners who were looking at us to be the people who were dividing this country,’ he said.

ABC host Madeleine Morris clarified Mr Mundine’s remarks about the judge’s comments were his own views and were not supported by the ABC.

The disclaimer prompted a fiery response from Mr Mundine.

‘Of course you’re not supporting it. It’s my view,’ he said.

‘I just find it funny, if that person came out and did it, and he was a No person, I know where the ABC would be sitting on this whole thing.

‘It’s about time you have got a balanced view and actually started calling out these people who make these racial attacks.’

Morris attempted to change the topic as tensions flared onscreen. 

‘I’ll leave that there because we have invited you on and you are a very prominent member of the No campaign,’ she said.

‘So I’ll just say that we, you know, we are gonna be absolutely platforms to the No campaign and the Yes campaign and as the ABC, we will continue to do that.’

Morris added at the end of the segment: ‘Just to be clear, those are Warren Mundine’s opinions about that exchange that went on with a NSW judge.’

Morris attempted to change the topic as tensions flared onscreen

Mr Mundine later issued a plea to both Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton.

‘What I’m calling on is the Prime Minister in his speech tonight, I’d like to see him stand with the leader of the opposition and actually say, “Look, all this rhetoric, all this language is not on, and is not the way we want to go”,’ he said.

‘We want to have a mature, sensible conversation where people can prosecute their case.

‘I’m going to be watching a whole lot of people in the way that they’re acting and carrying on because this is dividing our country. It is really dividing our country very badly. 

‘And I think it’s about time both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition stood there together and said, “This is not to happen”.’

On Monday night, Mr Albanese will deliver the annual Lowitja O’Donoghue Oration in Adelaide.

Anthony Albanese will deliver a pitch to Australians on Monday night as to why they should vote Yes in the referendum

Mr Albanese will slam opponents of the Voice, dismiss criticism it will divide the nation, and express confidence the referendum will pass.

‘Yes, there are scare campaigns. What those campaigns have in common is that they underestimate Australians so radically,’ he will say.

‘It’s only a matter of time before they tell us that the Voice will fade the curtains… claims have been made the Voice… could even have an effect on parking tickets.’

Mr Albanese will say Australians won’t fall for appeals to fear and the ‘No’ campaign’s ‘ever more ludicrous invitations to jump at our own shadows’.

‘That’s because Australians have a healthy scepticism of doomsayers, a scepticism kept in good health by memories of all the predictions offered by the Chicken Littles of the past.’