The daughter of prominent No campaigner and founder of Recognise a Better Way, Warren Mundine, has shared her intention to support an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Speaking to, Garigarra Riley-Mundine who is one of Mr Mundine's seven children, said she feels her father's stance goes against how she's been raised.
"I came from a family where my grandfather was a staunch union man and we were raised in this way where we felt as a family that we had to do everything we could to make sure that future generations had it better than what we’ve got now," she said.
"I'm seeing and hearing everything that my father is saying and, although he is entitled completely to his opinions, it really goes against what I feel is morally right and how I've been raised and the family that I come from."
The Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi, Bundjalung and Yuin woman said she felt the need to "speak up now".
“It’s something that’s incredibly important and we need more voices behind this to show our support for a voice.”
'Hurt' by Uluru Statement comments
Mr Mundine has been a persistent opposition to the Voice to Parliament. He recently made his first address to the National Press Club in which he pushed for a no vote.
In the address, Mr Mundine also labelled the Uluru Statement from the Heart as a "symbolic declaration of war".
Uluru Statement architects pushed back on Mr Mundine's statement, calling it a "peace offering" and noting its credential as the winner of the 2021-22 Sydney Peace Prize.
Ms Riley-Mundine supported this sentiment and said it "hurt" to hear her father make such claims.
"I feel that the Uluru statement came from a place of unity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” she said.
“We’re not trying to take over anything; we are literally just asking for a voice.
"We just want to unite this country, because when we are empowered and our communities are strengthened, then all of Australia is empowered and strengthened.”
She said she sees the Voice to Parliament and the Uluru Statement as an "outstretched hand" that seeks self-determination.
She criticised the No campaign's "two-pronged approach" which she said is based on "fear".
“Fear that a Voice to Parliament will be too powerful, that giving Indigenous people a voice enshrined in the constitution will have negative consequences for the wider community [and] that this is just another way for the government to control Aboriginal people, take away our sovereignty,” she said.
"That’s not what it is."
For Ms Riley-Mundine, a "yes vote would be healing". She acknowledged the severe impact of the referendum on Indigenous mental health and well being and said healing would be needed post-referendum.
“There have been a lot of divisive voices that have been lifted up in this referendum and I feel that as a nation, we have to go through a healing process after this," she said.
"I draw connections to when we had the marriage equality vote – a lot of awful things were said and done during that time.
“In having a yes vote, we can show people that this is something from love and this is something from hope and that it’s nothing to be scared of.”
'Racism is racism'
Ms Riley-Mundine also spoke about her father's defence of a comedian who performed at CPAC.
The comedian, Rodney Marks, mocked the Welcome to Country and referred to Traditional Owners as "violent black men".
Mr Mundine, who is chair of CPAC, was questioned on this after his National Press Club Address. He responded with "comedians who what comedians do" and said it isn't up to him to define what is and is not humour.
Ms Riley-Mundine disagreed, claiming "Racism is racism, no matter how you frame it".
“[Mundine] surely must have been hurt by those words. I can’t imagine any black man that wouldn’t have been hurt by those words," she said.
“I found it really hard to hear.
"As a Blak woman, obviously I feel strongly about these things no matter who my connections are, but being surrounded by strong black men who I love, my heart hurt hearing those words.”
