Success of voice ‘was hurt’ by Anthony Albanese’s stunt with Shaquille O’Neal

Anthony Albanese’s appearance with Shaquille O’Neal to advocate for an Indigenous voice has been condemned from both sides of the debate.

Shaquille O'Neal, left, Anthony Albanese and Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney in Sydney last week. Picture: Monique Harmer

Anthony Albanese’s decision to appear with ex-NBA player and gambling company promoter Shaquille O’Neal to advocate for an Indigenous voice has drawn condemnation from both sides of the debate, amid concerns it could hurt the referendum’s prospects for success.

Ken Wyatt, the first Aboriginal man to be the federal minister for Indigenous Australians and a strong advocate for the voice, told The Australian he had a lot of respect for the basketballer but said he was the wrong person to try to promote the cause.

Mr Wyatt, who lost his seat at the last election, said Australians did not respond well to foreigners weighing in on domestic policy matters and said the movement would be better served by enlisting the support of prominent younger Australians.

“I like Shaq, I think he’s an outstanding sportsman, but across this nation we have outstanding Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians who are committed to the voice who will have a greater impact than somebody who comes from another country,” he said.

“It’s a reality that Australians tend to take note of their own leadership.”

O’Neal’s appearance alongside the Prime Minister at the weekend was sandwiched into an itinerary that included two sold-out meet-and-greet events, a Pointsbet-sponsored charity basketball competition, and a superyacht cruise around Sydney Harbour with three-foot-four Russian social media star Hasbulla Magomedov.

O’Neal has more than 50 million followers across his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts. While he has so far been silent on the platforms about his meeting with Mr Albanese and his apparent interest in Australia’s Constitution, he has found the time to post videos of Mr Magomedov playfully punching him in the face as well as a video of him surprising a member of his entourage while feeding a kangaroo. He has also posted messages promoting a vitamins company and an upcoming NFT release.

It is understood O’Neal has agreed to do future videos on the voice referendum.

The paid meet-and-greets in Sydney and Melbourne also attracted controversy, with several people posting negative online reviews to the page of promoter The Hour Group after they were unable to meet the basketball star despite paying hundreds of dollars a ticket.

The Prime Minister’s appearance alongside the legendary basketballer was also slammed by the head of the Aboriginal Land Council, Michael Mansell, who said the event had “cheapened” the debate.

Mr Mansell – who is arguing for a model that would give Indigenous a stronger direct say in their affairs, rather than the advisory role being advocated by the government – said it was wrong to engage a foreign athlete to address issues that are relevant to Aboriginal and Australian people. He said the stunt was particularly disappointing given his group claims it is not being given the opportunity to meet and engage with government in discussions around the voice.

“We’re getting no opportunity from the government to become involved, no one’s telling us how or what the process is,” he said.

“Shaq’s got greater access to the Prime Minister than the Aboriginal people on an Aboriginal issue. It just goes to show that Albanese has got more interest in the glitz and glamour rather than sitting down with Aboriginal people.”

However, the stunt did find support from the co-chairman of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, Marcus Stewart, who said it would resonate with Australians who may not otherwise be engaged in the debate.