ABC Q+A’s program dominated by ‘yes’ supporters after no campaigner Warren Mundine pulls out of special Garma episode
The public broadcaster has been accused of running a yes vote ’love fest’ on its flagship political program Q+A, which airs on Monday.
The ABC’s special Q+A episode that will air from the Garma Indigenous festival will be dominated by yes supporters and has been labelled a “love fest on top of a love fest” by no campaigner Warren Mundine, who has been advised not to appear on the show.
The Indigenous businessman has recently revealed his mental health battles due to threats and abuse he has suffered by opposing the voice.
He was to take part in the program but pulled out several days ago on the advice of his psychologist. “My psychologist told me not to go because she said all I was doing was going up in a nest of vipers, all the corporates, and Garma’s just a love fest, it’s a rock festival for the yes campaign,” he said. “It wouldn’t have worried me too much but she advised me not to do it.”
Recent polls show declining support for a yes vote and on Saturday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is at Garma, promised not to delay the upcoming referendum, saying a yes vote could “bring our country together”.
The Q+A panel, led by ABC Indigenous journalist and voice correspondent Dan Bourchier is dominated by prominent yes campaigners including voice architect professor Marcia Langton, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Indigenous Health Malarndirri McCarthy, co-principal of Yirrkala Community School Merrki Ganambarr-Stubbs.
Gunaikurnai and Wotjobaluk writer Ben Abbatangelo and Indigenous lawyer and Wiradjuri woman Taylah Gray, who have raised questions about the voice, will also take part. Nobody on the panel is a vocal no voter.
“The ABC continue to do this, they have one-sided debates and you have a lot of media not supporting us and the yes campaign are still losing, “Mundine said.
Mundine was due to fly to the festival in northeast Arnhem Land on Friday and instead said he was taking four days off from the no campaign trail.
On the ABC website the Q+A episode is promoted as being a “special episode from the Garma festival, Australia’s largest Indigenous cultural gathering”.
It explains that the show will be led by Bourchier and said the program would “speak to Indigenous leaders and discuss issues facing their community and will feature a music performance by King Stingray”.
Q+A’s executive producer Erin Vincent quit last month and ABC Radio National breakfast host Patricia Karvelas has taken over as interim host until the end of the year.
The ABC would not comment.
More Coverage
‘Offensive and untrue’: Netflix portrayal of Belle Gibson’s ‘rival’ upsets family
‘It’s a falsified dramatic fictional portrayal,’ says Tallon Pamenter, former partner of Jessica Ainscough upon whom a key character in the Netflix series is based.
Lattouf’s direct manager said she ‘tried to stop them’ in emotional exchange
Antoinette Lattouf manager told her there was pressure from higher up for her to be removed from the day she started.