Role in Indigenous voice ‘No’ campaign led to AACTA festival cancellations, claims Warren Mundine
Warren Mundine claims his appearances at the AACTA festival have been cancelled as a direct result of his role in the campaign against the Indigenous voice to parliament.
Aboriginal entrepreneur, writer and former Sky News host Warren Mundine claims his appearances at the star-studded festival of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts have been cancelled as a direct result of his role in the campaign against the Indigenous voice to parliament.
On Tuesday night Mr Mundine was still listed as a speaker at the five-day AACTA festival on the Gold Coast, which includes a glamorous awards ceremony on Friday promoted with images of Australian stars including Margot Robbie and Rebel Wilson. The program includes a broad range of panel discussions on topics such as documentary making, writing and broadcasting. Mr Mundine told his 34,000 Facebook followers on Tuesday evening that he was dropped from the festival and he linked this to his role in the campaign against the voice.
Mr Mundine said he was only going to the AACTA festival because organisers invited him to speak on two panels about Indigenous storytelling. However, he claimed that he had since been contacted by a member of the AACTA’s staff who told him that other Indigenous festival participants objected to him being a presenter.
Mr Mundine told The Australian the organisers of the AACTA festival had been polite and helpful to him as the festival drew closer. He said the organiser who was given the task of breaking the news to him that he was uninvited was “very apologetic”. Mr Mundine said the reason he was given for the alleged ultimatums of other festival participants was that he was a No campaigner.
“I got told ‘Some of the Aboriginal artists or writers have said if you’re there we are not going to turn up because he is a No campaigner’,” Mr Mundine said.
“This bloke said ‘I’m really sorry we are going to have to drop you (as a panellist). You can still be at the festival’.”
In 2023, Mr Mundine – who favours a treaty for Indigenous advancement – was a strident opponent of the voice. He appeared on the No campaign’s how-to-vote pamphlet alongside the Coalition’s Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Mr Mundine toured with Senator Price at times during the debate over the proposal to amend the Australian constitution to guarantee the existence of an Indigenous advisory body to parliament and executive government. That proposal was defeated 60-40 on October 14, 2023.
The Australian phoned and texted the AACTA employee whom Mr Mundine claims delivered him the news that he would be dropped. The Australian also sent an email to AACTA on Tuesday night detailing Mr Mundine’s claims and asking if what he claims is true.
On Facebook, Mr Mundine wrote: “I was to speak at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Festival AACTA Awards but they have cancelled my appearance as a speaker because the other Indigenous speakers would withdraw. I’m still allowed to attended. I’m a no campaigner.
“So much for free speech and the arts.”
The AACTA’s awards night is presented by Foxtel Group, which is 65 per cent owned by News Corp, which publishes The Australian.
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