Mundine labels Vic truth telling reparations a ‘slippery slope' that could cripple state
The Victorian government's Yoorrook Justice truth telling inquiry handed down its final report on Tuesday after four years of proceedings and claimed that the state had been illegally occupied.
It also claimed that Victoria's First Peoples had been subjected to genocide.
The commission made 100 recommendations to the Victorian government including providing Indigenous Australians with tax relief, financial reparations and land grants.
But Mr Mundine, who was a driving force behind the No to the Voice to Parliament campaign said the proposal did not represent the view of all Indigenous Australians and said the move would further divide the country.
'It is a slippery slope. We know that because we know that when people ask for something, and it's only a small minority of Aboriginals, you know, more radical Aboriginals and when this starts, they ask for more, and they ask for more,' Mr Mundine told SkyNews.com.au.
The inquiry claimed the government needed to atone for colonial 'injustices' and further ordered Indigenous groups to be given access to cash generated from state resources.
The truth telling inquiry implored the state government to treat Indigenous groups as separate nations, and that taxpayer funds should be used to create a Traditional Owner organisation that would inherit a portion of state revenues.
Mr Mundine unleashed on the commission and questioned why it was "asking for more things" given the High Court's recent native title decision which essentially confirmed property rights for Indigenous Australians.
'I think that was the right decision so why is this body in Victoria asking for more things? They are late to the party.
'I think some of these things get a bit crazy and a bit overboard, you know we're trying to bring our nation together and we're trying to treat everyone as equals and we (Indigenous Australians) have every right as equals as every other citizen.'
Some Indigenous commentators have criticised the sweeping financial recommendations. One said the cash compensation in addition to tax exemptions for Indigenous people, could potentially send the debt-stricken state broke, according to the Herald Sun.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has refused to rule out paying compensation to First Nations people.
Mr Mundine said the Victorian government needed to channel its efforts into improving the living standards of the Indigenous community.
He said funding inquiries and implementing legally risky policies with far reaching ramifications was a "bad joke".
'What I would like to see is that the Victorian government actually takes a sensible common-sense approach to this thing rather than dividing the country," he said.
'What they are saying is that they have failed Australian citizens because the last time I looked at the Constitution Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders are Australian citizens if they're not looking after them then then that's a failure of government.'
Three of the inquiry's five commissioners, who were each paid between $250,000 and $370,000 'did not approve of the inclusion of the key findings in the final report' which included the creation of a permanent First People's Assembly and a treaty between Indigenous groups and the government.
Mr Mundine said if there was disagreement among the inquiry's commissioners, then the parliamentary process to respond to the recommendations would be a nightmare.
'It doesn't worry me that there was disagreement between the commissioners because this just tells you how volatile this is going to be, could you imagine if the commission is arguing about this what is it going to do for the wider Australian community, the wider Victorian community and government?' Mr Mundine said.
'I can bet you a dollar that if it happens in Victoria then other Labor governments will be looking at doing this across Australia.'
The Victorian government has a deadline of 24 months to respond and implement the recommendations, which are non-binding, with Ms Allan conceding that 'the recommendations and indeed the findings are incredibly challenging'.
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