Yes campaign for an Indigenous voice to parliament says No camp hosted by extreme group

Warren Mundine says he’ll talk to everyone, including a conservative Christian lobby group voice supporters say is extreme.

Sean Gordon told The Australian: “The one thing I’ve always said as we’re working through this (voice referendum) is we’ve still got to sort out how we move forward as a nation, regardless of the outcome.” Picture: Sue Graham

Conservative Yes campaigner Sean Gordon has urged voters to scrutinise the No campaign and its intentions during the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum, accusing opponents of bringing organisations with extreme views into the debate.

The National Civic Council, a conservative Christian lobby group, will host leading No campaigner Warren Mundine in Wodonga, Victoria, on Sunday despite the council publishing articles containing contradictory views on Aboriginal history to Mr Mundine.

No campaigner Warren Mundine. Picture: Adam Yip

The council has questioned the “so-called” Stolen Generation, published content that said the genocide of Tasmanian Aborigines was a conspiracy and re-posted a quote from former prime minister Tony Abbott — which Mr Mundine attacked as silly and bizarre — that 1788 was, on balance, a good thing for everyone, including Indigenous people.

“I call on the No campaign to ensure we’re having proper and respectful conversations and that we’re not bringing into the conversations these type of organisations that have extreme views,” Mr Gordon, co-convener of the Liberals for Yes campaign, told The Australian.

“Australians need to have a look at where it’s coming from, what their intentions are and if their intention is to create division and be divisive in the way in which they’re trying to gain support in the No campaign, then people really do need to scrutinise the No camp.”

Mr Gordon reflected on the effect of online trolling after former Labor national president Mr Mundine told Sky News it had impacted him so much he had attempted to take his own life twice.

“I would encourage Warren, for the sake of your mental health, that you don’t engage with these type of groups. He’s not going to have the conversation with them to convince them to vote No, they’re already voting No,” Mr Gordon said.

Mr Mundine said he would talk to everyone and that no Australian was unnecessary in the voice debate, regardless of whether they agreed with him. He said it was not people from organisations like the NCC abusing him.

“Just because people have differing views to what I believe in, and they (the NCC) do, you don’t win friends by only talking within your own little echo chamber,” Mr Mundine said.

“I’m out to win this campaign and I will talk to the National Civic Council, I will talk to any council or any group of people because I want to change people’s minds. I want to show them they’re wrong and I want to win some votes in this election.

“The Yes campaign should talk to all different people around Australia as well, rather than sitting in their own echo chamber. That might actually get some traction winning some votes.”

Former NCC president Pat Byrne said it was not an extreme organisation. He could not recall the comments on the Stolen Generation or Tasmanian genocide being published by the NCC’s publication, News Weekly.

“We have had a long history of support for Indigenous affairs,” he said.

“Leading anthropologists have written for us going back many years,” Mr Byrne said.

“The founder of the NCC Bob Santamaria was offered a state funeral from John Howard. People such as Tony Abbott have great respect for both Bob and this organisation.”

Mr Mundine is director of Litigation Lending Services, which has funded class action from Indigenous people in the Northern Territory demanding compensation for the forcible removal from their families as children between 1910 and the 1970s.