NAB in firing line for hosting videos with Yes backer Thomas Mayo

The Coalition has hit out at NAB for hosting videos with the prominent Yes campaigner on its website, in which he declares the advisory body ‘must be respected and its advice acted upon’.

Thomas Mayo says the voice would deliver advice to parliament in a way that was ‘difficult to ignore’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The Coalition has hit out at NAB for hosting pro-voice videos with Thomas Mayo on its website, in which the prominent Yes campaigner declares the advisory body “must be respected and its advice acted upon”.

Liberal National Party MP Garth Hamilton, deputy chair of federal parliament’s Standing Committee on Economics, questioned if NAB chief executive Ross McEwan agreed with all Mr Mayo’s views – such as whether the voice could be used for reparations and compensation for Indigenous people – or had thought through the bank’s position on the advisory body.

“Does the NAB CEO agree with Thomas Mayo – should his customers who are struggling to pay their mortgages also have to ‘pay the rent’?” Mr Hamilton said.

“I want to know if NAB is all in behind Mayo or is their support just crass corporate virtue-signalling? Polling shows the CEO is out of touch with his customers. Things are going to get a lot tougher for mortgage holders, he should be focusing on helping his customers through these challenges.”

NAB, which announced its support for constitutional recognition and the voice last July, did not respond directly to Mr Hamilton.

Bank sources said NAB recognised it was not its role to tell people how they should vote and it was on all Australians to make an informed decision.

Mr McEwan fronted the economics committee last week but Mr Hamilton said he did not attend that part of the hearing to ask him questions about the voice because he was helping write the No pamphlet. The big four banks have come out in support of a voice enshrined in the Constitution.

In one of the NAB videos, published in February, Mr Mayo says: “Some might criticise that it can only give advice to parliament but advice coming through firstly a referendum of Australian people saying ‘this voice must be respected and its advice acted upon’ is a powerful thing.

“The Australian people can see what advice has been given so it makes it much more politically precarious for politicians to blatantly ignore it, and that our own people can see what our representatives are saying on our behalf in a transparent way.”

Mr Mayo on Monday hit out at “disappointing” personal attacks against him during the voice campaign he said had been hurtful, after he was depicted in a widely criticised No campaign ad receiving a handout from Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney.

The Northern Territory-based Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man said he would keep talking to Australians about how the voice would be modest, meaningful, uniting and something that would be celebrated forever.

“Housing, health, education, employment, those are common issues across all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and a voice will be so important to helping our people to offer the solutions to the parliament in a way that is transparent, in a way that is difficult to ignore, and we’ve been ignored for too long,” he told Sky News.

“That’s why we have the life expectancy gap of around eight years. Why we have such terribly high suicide rates amongst youth. I mean, these aren’t choices of us as Indigenous people ourselves, it’s a result of trauma and poor policy over a long period of time and a voice is absolutely vital to that.”

Asked how he’d personally found the campaign, Mr Mayo said: “Oh, it’s been difficult. It’s disappointing when you know these sorts of personal attacks happen but, you know, I just keep focusing on talking to Australians, just doing what I know I’m good at, which is communicating with people what the truth is about this.”

“It’s hurtful when you see that stuff (attacks), but what keeps me going is addressing crowds of Australians … In Perth last week, you know, there was over 600 people gathered to hear myself and (independent MP) Kate Chaney and former chief justice of the High Court, Robert French, and just a great vibe.”

Mr Mayo said he wasn’t concerned by the latest Newspoll showing just 41 per cent of voters would vote Yes while the No vote in the regions has grown to 62 per cent

“I’m not worried about the trends, most polls will go up and down,” he said.

“The feeling that I get out in the community when I’m travelling, I’ve been to Doomadgee and Mt Isa, the Pilbara and to cities – Perth, Sydney Melbourne – just in the last two weeks and, you know, it’s a great feeling that I get when people are informed.”

Videos unearthed by No campaign strategists showed Mr Mayo describing former prime minister John Howard as a “bastard” and threatening that politicians would be “punished” if they ignored the voice.

The militant unionist has raised the prospect of a voice being the first step towards reparations and compensation for Indigenous Australians.

“‘Pay the Rent’ for example, how do we do that in a way that is transparent and that actually sees reparations and compensation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people beyond what we say and do at a rally?” he said previously.