‘s next Governor-General Sam Mostyn said she felt ‘completely untethered’ after the crushing defeat of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, as she had hoped was a ‘big enough’ nation to accept the proposal.
Daily Mail can reveal new details about the political views of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s handpicked choice to be King Charles’ representative Down Under – after the contents of her deleted social media accounts surfaced.
The appointment of Ms Mostyn – a businesswoman, climate and gender equity campaigner – has sparked backlash, with conservative critics describing her as the ‘wokest’ choice for the job.
In a podcast interview with former prime minister Julia Gillard on December 14 last year, Ms Mostyn lamented the defeat of Mr Albanese’s plan to enshrine an Indigenous advisory body in the constitution.
‘s next Governor-General felt ‘untethered’ following the crushing defeat of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum
‘Frankly, after the referendum I felt completely untethered,’ Ms Mostyn said.
‘I thought perhaps we were a big enough nation, and there was enough understanding, to make that step.
‘There’s all sorts of reasons why that hasn’t happened.’
The Governor-General-designate also took aim at ‘s past failure to teach Indigenous history in schools.
She identified that as a reason that the referendum was soundly defeated.
Ms Mostyn said she is ‘horrified to think about what I thought was growing up with the Captain Cook story and no mention of First Peoples or Frontier Wars’.
‘Any of that [was] hidden from us,’ she said. ‘It was a catastrophe – and I think all of that led to what we saw with the referendum.
‘Enough of the older population still don’t fully recognise that history, and somehow consign that to wokedom or a revisiting of history rather than a truth-telling exercise.’
Some 60 per cent of the n voting public and every single state voted against enshrining an Indigenous advisory body in the constitution.
Ms Mostyn (pictured alongside Adam Goodes and Michael O’Laughlin) admitted she is ‘horrified to think about what I thought was growing up with the Captain Cook story and no mention of First Peoples or frontier wars’
‘s new Governor-General referred to Day as ‘invasion day’ in a deleted tweet
Ms Mostyn said her 24-year-old daughter received a much broader and ‘more truthful’ education about the history of .
She expressed particular concern for how First Nations people felt after the Voice result.
Ms Mostyn said the outcome ‘makes her worry for those communities who have spent their whole lives trying to address those issues’, noting they too ‘believed we had built an educational understanding’.
‘To discover that had not happened and actually there’s so much work still to happen, must just be completely devastating.
‘Kids who had to go to school the day after the referendum and have a sense of not being valued, understood, being rejected. I suspect the mental wealth of the country was damaged.’
Ms Mostyn added she ‘wished [she’d] grown up in an era when we were actually told the truth.’
Ms Mostyn said Indigenous issues were one of her three long-term passions, alongside women’s equality and climate change.
Ms Mostyn said she learned from her father ‘very early on to respect people where you find them and not assume your world view is right, just because you’ve got passion and energy’.
She said she initially struggled with her father serving in the Vietnam War as a soldier. Ms Mostyn admitted that she was ‘young, opinionated and probably a bit of a lefty’.
But her father urged her to ‘stop this’ and respect ‘the life I’ve chosen to serve Queen and country’.
Ms Mostyn will replace Governor General David Hurley (front) on July 1
Sam Mostyn wiped all her social media presence before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced her as David Hurley’s replacement on Wednesday morning
Daily Mail revealed how Ms Mostyn advocated the Voice to her 22,000 followers on X, before disabling her account.
She was a leading advocate for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, hosting and participating in panels about the referendum alongside Yes campaigner Thomas Mayo.
She advocated for a Yes vote online, took part in Michael Long’s ‘Long Walk Oz’ to Canberra promoting the Indigenous advisory panel and joined virtual yarning circles with Pat Anderson AO and Professor Megan Davis.
The banner picture of her X account was, for a lengthy period of time, a poster which declared, ‘We support the Uluru Statement’.
And on January 25, 2020, Ms Mostyn wrote: ‘This 26 January, NITV Sunrise Ceremony cleansing ceremonies, 80,000 yrs n history, wonderful panel discussing survival, truth, #invasionday & the future.’
She then included another hashtag which stated: ‘#AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe.’
Reconciliation , a foundation focused upon healing the divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous ns, celebrated her appointment on Wednesday, revealing – in addition to the long list of qualifications touted by the PM in his statement – she also served on their board.
‘Sam is a former board member of Reconciliation (2007-2010) & has been a dedicated advocate for reconciliation, First Nations rights, climate change & many other causes during her career,’ the organisation said.
Ms Mostyn made another post on July 30, 2022 after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed to the referendum into the Voice to Parliament, and in the wake of Aboriginal activist and singer Archie Roach’s death.
She said: ‘Cannot think of a more bittersweet day – from the exhilaration & hope for a Voice to be enshrined in our Constitution to the devastating, deep sadness on the loss of Archie Roach.
‘ cannot waste a moment in accepting the Uluru Statement from the Heart.’
The banner picture of her X account was, for a lengthy period of time, a poster which declared ‘we support the Uluru Statement’
The Indigenous Voice No campaign Advance hit out at the appointment after Daily Mail ‘s article, describing it as ‘an insult to mainstream ns’.
‘Mostyn is the worst kind of corporate activist who campaigned against the majority of ns in the divisive Voice referendum.
‘The PM’s appointment… confirms he cares more about the activists and elites than the people working hard to make this nation great.
‘If ns want to see an example of the left’s march through out institutions – this is it, right in front of us.’
Advance described the appointment as ‘deeply political’, and said the role should have gone to someone who was ‘non-political’.