How to lose friends and influence people

Pardon?

Mundine’s gig at the Bennelong Society raised more than a few eyebrows but he doesn’t appear to care. He’s fully conscious of his unique ability to lose friends trying to influence people.

His speech was duly reported in The Australian which has declared him a member of the new “radical centre” of Aboriginal leaders. The criticism of his decision to accept the Bennelong Medal, and speak to it, inspired a follow up piece in The Australian.

It began with an admission he loses friends whenever he declares his priorities for ending Aboriginal poverty, such as his rights-busting agenda on private land ownership.

“I have lost some dear lovely people (in the Indigenous community) who have disagreed with me very strongly on this and I’ll be quite honest that has caused me a lot of heartache,” he told the newspaper. But he pledged to fight on for his strong beliefs in fixing the problems afflicting Aboriginal Australia “... through private land ownership and zero tolerance of criminal behaviour”, even if it did mean “... I end up with no friends”.

Predictably, the article reported, some in the ALP want him to step down from the NIC before he becomes Labor’s national president in January next year.

The article carries statements from Linda Burney, Tom Calma and Phil Lockyer, who co-ordinates the NSW-based Indigenous Labor Network, expressing increasing concern about Mundine’s political views. The article talks of his increasing alienation from the Aboriginal community in NSW. “People are really upset about it,” says one Indigenous source from NSW. “People feel like he is doing John Howard’s work.”

But it contains a stirring defence of the man by NSW ALP Secretary Mark Arbib who sees no inherent conflict of interest between Mundine’s ALP leadership and his position on the NIC. “Warren Mundine is an outstanding party official,” he declared. “He has strong beliefs and convictions about the Indigenous community and has a right to take a stand,” Arbib tells The Australian. “The great thing about the ALP is that it accepts a diversity of views and is not afraid of robust debate.” Resignation from the NIC is a “matter for Warren to consider”.

No one should be afraid of robust debate or a diversity of views ... but hold the phone.

Mundine was elected to his position within the ALP in the first ever rank and file ballot of ALP members for the position of national president. As such, he will be the chief party spokesperson for the membership come January. He set out his principles in a candidate statement released before the ballot. Chief among them was a pledge to work towards party unity and the defeat of John Howard. He appears to be failing miserably on both counts.

It’s a bizarre strategy: the Bennelong Medal a bizarre prize.

It’s join them to beat them. How absurd.

Isn’t it time someone in the ALP came to their senses and tapped Mundine on the shoulder. Andrews and the Bennelong boys must still be chortling. The message to Mundine from ALP chiefs should be short and sharp.

Get on the right bus, or get on your bike.