Federal Election 2025: Key Voice campaigner Thomas Mayo hails Labor victory as support for welcome to country

A key supporter of the Voice to Parliament has hailed Labor’s barnstorming Federal Election victory as an endorsement of welcome to country ceremonies and a rejection of “ignorance” and “xenophobia”.

Thomas Mayo was one of the most prominent campaigners for the Yes vote in the failed 2023 referendum on amending the Australian constitution to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

“Tonight, Australia voted no to ignorance and yes to acknowledgement,” the Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander posted on X on Saturday night.

“No to xenophobia and yes to welcomes, no to regression and yes to progress.”

Former Liberal leader Peter Dutton last week said he thought Aboriginal welcome to country ceremonies had become “overdone”.

The issue of the failed Voice was also reignited last week when Foreign Minister Penny Wong hinted in a podcast there was a chance it could be revived — though she later backed away from those comments.

Mr Mayo added that leading figures from the Coalition, One Nation, Trumpet of Patriots and right-wing campaign groups had been rejected resoundingly by voters.

“Peter Dutton, Jacinta Price, Clive Palmer, Pauline Hanson, the IPA and Advance henceforth have no mandate,” he wrote. “They’ve been thoroughly told no.”