‘No’ campaigner Warren Mundine demands written apology from SBS board and journalist Narelda Jacobs over voice debate

‘No’ campaigner Warren Mundine is demanding a written apology from the SBS board and journalist Narelda Jacobs over a heated on-air exchange that aired on the night of the voice vote.

Indigenous businessman and No campaigner Warren Mundine will meet with SBS executives following an investigation by the broadcaster’s ombudsman into a heated on-air debate on the night of last year’s referendum.

Mr Mundine wrote to SBS last month to complain about the findings by the broadcaster’s ombudsman Amy Stockwell that the program “unduly favoured” Marcia Langton, who backed the Yes campaign.

Mr Mundine said the ombudsman’s findings failed to address some critical aspects of the program.

On October 14 last year, Mr Mundine – a former SBS board member – was part of a on-air panel discussion on The Point: Australia Decides. Professor Langton was a fellow guest, with Indigenous hosts Narelda Jacobs and John Paul Janke moderating the debate.

During the discussion Jacobs, an advocate for the Yes vote, described Prof Langton as a “national treasure” before accusing Mr Mundine of attacking the academic.

“I think, well, we’ve just seen who Warren Mundine is,” Jacobs said.

The ombudsman later determined that the broadcast “unduly favoured” Prof Langton.

But in his letter sent to SBS on January 27 (and seen by The Australian), Mr Mundine was scathing of the broadcaster’s overall conduct in relation to the structure and content of the panel show on October 14.

Mr Mundine said he was not provided with a “safe space” while taking part in the voice debate.

“It is on the public record that during the referendum campaign I made plans to commit suicide on several occasions as a result of racial and other abuse levelled at me by senior members of the Yes campaign,” Mr Mundine said in the letter.

“It (SBS) did not provide a safe space for me.

“Neither as an Aboriginal person nor as a human being.”

The ombudsman found two breaches relating to impartiality and balance, with SBS subsequently apologising for breaches of the code in a letter to Mr Mundine.

Mr Mundine said the day after the show aired that it was the “worst interview” he had taken part in during the entire referendum coverage.

SBS's program The Point hosted by Narelda Jacobs and John Paul Janke speaking with No campaigner Warren Mundine on the night of the voice referendum.

In the broadcast, the ombudsman found that at 8.06pm during the on-air discussion, Mr Mundine stated that there should be an audit of funding for First Nations services. His microphone was subsequently switched off for the duration of the discussion on that topic.

The ombudsman’s findings prompted Mr Mundine to demand a meeting — scheduled for later this month — with SBS managing director James Taylor and the public broadcaster’s chair George Savvides.

Mr Mundine, who was an SBS board member before resigning in 2022, also complained about a statement released by SBS in December after the ombudsman’s report was handed down.

The statement said: “The intention of the actions taken by the program team was to ensure that the conversation taking place remained clear for audiences, fact-based and a safe space for discussion.”

SBS received eight complaints about the broadcast and the ombudsman’s two-month investigation resulted in the broadcaster apologising for breaching its Code of Practice.

Mr Mundine said the meeting with Mr Taylor and Mr Savvides had only been scheduled because he “instigated it” and wanted further action to be taken.

He has also requested a written apology from the SBS board and Jacobs, and an on-air acknowledgment of the SBS ombudsman’s findings when The Point resumes later this year.

He has also asked the statement on SBS’s website be removed and replaced with words of an apology.

On the day the discussion aired, Jacobs uploaded a photo of herself onto her Instagram account wearing a T-shirt supporting a Yes vote.

SBS was contacted by The Australian, but declined to comment.