Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council, Warren Mundine has criticised aspects of the John Pilger documentary, Utopia. Mr Mundine said that Australia “is no more racist than anywhere else” and suggested that some of the film’s themes are no more than baseless conspiracy theories. Mr Mundine’s comments outraged high profile Aboriginal leaders who work at the coalface of Aboriginal impoverishment. One said that Mr Mundine “wears rose-coloured glasses” and all of them said he does not represent the interests of Aboriginal peoples.
Mr Mundine’s criticisms of the film were published in the Sydney Morning Herald by journalist Nick Galvin. Mr Mundine was quoted agreeing that the documentary “raises a lot of good issues that need to be discussed, particularly housing in remote communities.” But he refuted links that were made in the film that the Northern Intervention was underwritten by a drive from the resources industry to expand mining in the Territory.
“Unfortunately, (John Pilger) went off on some conspiracy regarding the mining industry, which I though trivialised the thing,” said Mr Mundine.
In reference to racism, Mr Mundine said “of course” it exists “but I don’t think we are worse off than any other country.”
“Painting Australia as some sort of apartheid racist country is, I think, a bit of an insult to South Africans. That was a real apartheid system.”
Mr Mundine said that change for Aboriginal peoples in Australia will come not from goodwill and the “wanting something to be done” but from “processes and outcomes.”
Chair of the Narrunga Peoples of South Australia, Tauto Sansbury called on Mr Mundine “to start listening to his people.”
“I think Warren went and saw the documentary but missed the big picture,” said Mr Sansbury.
“Unfortunately I feel a little bit sorry for Warren Mundine, because I think he has taken on a position that he is incapable of chairing or leading or achieving anything worthwhile with. I think at the end of the day this position will destroy him or the Liberal Party will – one or the other.”
“He is not representative of the Aboriginal population, he is not representative of what Aboriginal people are seeking.”
“Another thing is that he doesn’t believe that Australia is a racist country, unfortunately it is and I think he is walking around in rose coloured glasses.”
Western Australia’s Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Robert Eggington was a significant presence within the documentary who alongside his wife, Selena counsels families grieving from the loss of loved ones to suicide.
“I knew the Government propaganda machine would go to work however these comments made by Warren Mundine really need to be challenged. He is has obviously never spent a night in the communities presented in the documentary. “
Both Mr Eggington and Mr Sansbury said that the Indigenous Advisory Council is a “flawed process.”
Mr Eggington said the Council’s expertise is in “commercial enterprise economics” and not in the social and cultural health aspirations of the people. He described the Council as “elitist” and that it has been appointed “to carry out the Government’s will for the continued dispossession of Aboriginal peoples.”
“The spokespeople that are clearly identified in the film may not be elitists however they are leaders who have bled with their people, who understand the pain and suffering of their peoples.”
Mr Eggington said Mr Mundine should move fast to ensure running water, fresh water for the communities depicted in the documentary, and to ensure that families do not continue to live in shanty towns of corrugated iron and asbestos.
“His hypocrisy and deceit towards his own people will be his downfall.”
Mr Eggington challenged Prime Minister Tony Abbott to keep a promise he made, which he has already broken, that he and his ministers spend a week each year in an Aboriginal community. Prime Minister Abbott had promised to spend the first week of his Prime Ministership in a community. Mr Eggington said that both Mr Mundine and the Prime Minister should spend a couple of weeks living at Mutitjulu.
Mr Eggington said they should sleep in either one of the condemned asbestos shacks “where 12 people sleep in one room, sharing one mattress.”
“I challenge Warren Mundine and Tony Abbott to visit this community, immediately, and as Mr Abbott once promised, to live on the same basis as the rest of the community. He should therefore live as all the other people affected by the Intervention. Warren and the Prime Minister should be given a Basics Card and only be able to purchase on it what the local people can.”
Rose colored glasses is too nice a description – fascist, (deleted by Editors) more appropriate for someone who pleases Mr Abbott who has given him a highly paid job supposedly to represent Us Mob – I bet he has NEVER lived in one of Our Communities & will NEVER do so just as Abbott & his cronies won’t breaking another election promise:(
Robert Eggington responds to Warren Mundine’s criticisms: http://nirs.org.au/blog/NEWS/article/32100/Response+to+Mundine%27s+criticisms+of+%27Utopia%27.html
Thank goodness for John Pilger for making this film, it has got to be the best catalyst for bringing awareness. People who are defensive and in denial about the plight of aboriginal people may have an opportunity to really open their eyes and see the truth. Mr. Mundine is a very sorry fellow isn’t he. How can we help him to remove his rose colored glasses…I like Mr. Eggington’s suggestion at the bottom of the article. Do you think Mr. A and Mr. M can walk the talk? So far, no, but we can only hope.
Warren Mundine speaks to NIRS news: http://nirs.org.au/blog/NEWS/article/32256/IAC+Chair+wants+rise+in+numbers+of+professionals.html
Warren Mundine needs to come to WA and live, see all the Jails full with our people, due to Aboriginal Racism Incarceration, since invasion days. Downplaying racism won’t help us here in WA who live with it 24/7. The Government Departments are infiltrated with racism towards Aboriginals, especially the DCS system. John Pilger possesses the credentials to determine what a Apartheid Country is, despite what those in Government state to suit their own unsavory purposes.
Ms Capewell is going on with the same usual rants. She assumes that any black fella in jail is there because of racism. Using racism as the excuse will not help Aborignal people. I am a white fella but I have lived and worked along side many Aboriginal within a couple of states of Australia over many years. Many/most are law abiding citizens. There are a few who are not. Wild claims like “Government Departments are infiltrated with racism towards Aboriginals” may feed the ego of [deleted by Editors] but it don’t help the people. What are these credentials that Pilger apparantly posesses? Why did Pilger not show the high rates of violence and alcohol abuse in his film? Why he did not show the many happy successful Aboriginal people?
Robyn, you talk about awareness. I thnk most Australians are well aware of the poverty and disadvantage some blacks endure. What Pilger in his biased way did, was misrepresent Aboriginal Australians. Nobody is in denial about thier plight, what myself and many others question, is that this plight is due to those images of the past that Pilger delights in showing, and his fans delight in seeing. We question it, because Pilger and his worshipers have so far been unable to address why so many black fellas are doing so well despite the ‘evils of colonisation’.
Ms Capewell, I travel to WA 2 – 3 times each year. You need to travel around with me and see all the crime committed by Aboriginal people, often agianst their own. It is not a pretty sight, but you need to see it.