‘Shouting over each other’: Ernie Dingo’s frustration at politics

Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we’re told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they’re given. This week, he talks to Ernie Dingo. The 67-year-old is a Yamatji man, an AFI Award-winning actor and TV presenter who has been recognised as a National Living Treasure. He was awarded the General Division of the Order of Australia in 1990.

Ernie Dingo: “These days, nobody wants to sit down and talk without other people shouting over the top of ’em.” Credit: Mark Rogers

POLITICS

Where did you get your values from? My family’s been in the Mid West [of Western Australia] for 43,000 years, so there’s a bit of bush politics going on there. We don’t have lawyers, so it makes things a lot easier. When you travel up through the Kimberley, into the desert, through Arnhem Land and parts of Queensland and South Australia, we all still have a strong connection to the land. If you’re out with the old men and old ladies, adhere to wherever you are. Most of the time, it’s just about respect.

Did the referendum make this a frustrating year? No, no, no. The referendum was a request by the prime minister who had spoken to a lot of Indigenous people in regard to finding a better way. I was only one vote.

Still, you publicly expressed some frustration towards other Indigenous people who were campaigning for the No vote. Where did that frustration come from? Well, “yes” is a positive word, “no” is a negative word. One bloke said, “If you don’t know, vote no.” To me, if you don’t know, shouldn’t you ask questions, find out why things are happening? So I got a little bit upset about people saying no, but they’re entitled to their own opinions. These days, nobody wants to sit down and talk without other people shouting over the top of ’em. That’s not going to help; you’re just going to isolate people.

Have you ever been approached to run for office? Not interested!

If you were, though, what would your platforms be? My platform would be West Coast Eagles and Perth Wildcats. Or I’d just go back to the 1960s and talk about flower power.

MONEY

Let’s talk about money. Count me out, mate. Don’t have any!

Is that true? You’re one of the most recognisable people in the country. That doesn’t mean I’ve got money.

So famous doesn’t necessarily mean rich. See, the thing about fame is, you have to keep maintaining it. And I’ve got a big family. Coming from a big family, you don’t get to keep much money.

What’s been your lowest point when it comes to earning money? Fifty years ago, I was an apprentice signwriter earning $18 a week. I paid rent and a dollar a day to get to and from work on four buses. Afterwards, I found out that because I was Aboriginal, they paid me the bare minimum. When they discovered that I was serious about my job, they gave me my backpay after six months.

Geez. How do you reflect on that kind of discrimination now? I just wanted to be a signwriter; I didn’t know the politics behind it was about my ethnicity.

What was your high point of earning money? Earning about $850K a year, travelling around the world with The Great Outdoors for Channel Seven, with two tickets to the AFL grand final chucked into the contract. My agent saw my worth a lot more than I did.

Say you have some cash and time to spend on a holiday somewhere in Australia: where would you go? I’d go up to the Kimberley, then go to see my son up at Fitzroy Crossing. And if I have to go over the border, I’ll make sure I run down the middle first until I get to about Warburton and then go across to Uluru, through the desert mob, then go further south to Maralinga to get a bit of cold and go further down towards Port Lincoln and stir up the people around Kangaroo Island. Or I’d go up towards Darwin and across into Arnhem Land to see my brother there.

So what I’m hearing is travel is really about people. Mate, travel is people.

SEX

What are the strengths you bring to a relationship? I look back to my mum. Cooking was important; self-appearance, too.

What are the weaknesses you bring to a relationship? Picking up things that are still laying around. I kind of believe in the word “floordrobe”.

What’s the sexiest place in the world? People would say Paris, but Paris is very predictable. And Tuesday in Paris is the saddest day of your life if you live there because Tuesday is the day you realise that you’re alone. Wednesday is the day you start picking yourself up and getting ready for the next outing. Thursday you go looking for something and then Friday is the meeting day and it’s wonderful. Saturday is a continuation of that romance. Sunday is like, “Oh, this is going to last forever!” But Monday is like chewing your arm off, and then Tuesday is sad …

Okay, you’re not going to be hired by the Paris tourism council any day soon. Where else, then? I prefer Ireland and Scotland. The art of conversation: the Irish have a knack for it. I’ve always had this fascination with the Irish, and I’ve always had this straight-up-in-your-face relationship with the Scots. Don’t mess with the Scots because they see it and they call you out on it. But the Irish have a nice way of telling you that you’re an idiot.

And there’s something sexy about that? That sort of honesty, there’s beauty in it. I also love Canada in so many ways. I’ve been out to a lot of Indian reservations in Canada. When they take you through their country? You feel in love with why they’re in love with the land.

Going Places with Ernie Dingo is on SBS On Demand.

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