Quotes of the Day

WHAT WERE THE AMBITIONS OF AN ABORIGINAL BOY GROWING UP IN NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES WITH 10 SIBLINGS?
We were a poor family, but I always felt that the world was my oyster. I remember listening to the radio when Lionel Rose won the world (bantamweight) boxing title in 1968 and thinking, An Aboriginal person can do anything if he has a go. I didn't see myself as prime minister or a billionaire, but I knew I could do things.

AND NOW YOU'RE THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY'S NATIONAL PRESIDENT.
It's pretty amazing. Some Aboriginal leaders told me the Labor Party would never elect an Aborigine as president. I deliberately proved them wrong because I wanted to show Aboriginal kids what they can achieve.

MANY ABORIGINAL PEOPLE LIVE IN POVERTY. WHY HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN DIFFERENT?
My parents and grandparents. We always had a sense of achieving things instilled in us. I've never been on the dole, even when I was unemployed. If your community has a sewerage problem, go away and learn how to become a plumber, then come back and fix the sewerage. It seems simple to me.

young indigenous people in remote communities often fall into boredom or worse. I broke my arm when I was about 18 and spent 11 months off work. Before long I was smoking marijuana, sleeping in till midday and couldn't be bothered shaving. I understand how you can get caught in that. And often your role models are in the same situation, and people who work are seen as the weirdos.

YOU'VE CRITICIZED SOME INDIGENOUS LEADERS FOR TREATING ABORIGINES LIKE "MUSEUM PIECES."
Some of them are pretty hypocritical - they attack me about my views on (Aboriginal land) ownership and I say, Do you own your own home? They usually say yes. I think they've lost touch a bit with the ordinary lives of people. But I get off the train in Redfern and walk to my office, and it confronts me every day. Aboriginal people say to me, At least you're here so we can give you a spray - others we never see.

YOUR CALL FOR GREATER PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AMONG ABORIGINES SEEMS TO HAVE WON YOU MORE CRITICS INSIDE YOUR PARTY THAN OUTSIDE IT.
It's interesting. But on domestic violence, for example, my attitude is that you can spend billions on it and give every offender a counselor, but that will mean sweet bugger all until that person decides to stop offending.

DO YOU FAVOR A SHAKE-UP OF INDIGENOUS POLICIES?
Governments of all persuasions tend to just chuck money at problems and hope they'll go away. The real issue is that we as Aboriginal people have to take ownership of, and responsibility for, things.

HOW IS ALP MORALE AFTER FOUR ELECTION LOSSES?
I was totally demoralized after the 2004 election, and I'm an optimistic person. But we haven't survived for 110 years for nothing. We have to realize that no one will vote for the party if we don't sell the party.

WHAT'S YOUR READING OF THE NATIONAL MOOD?
There seems to be a strong shift to negativity. We have some very good core values, and we need to sing a song about ourselves, that we are a great nation.

ARE YOU LABOR'S GREAT BLACK HOPE, AS ONE HEADLINE PUT IT?
(Laughs.) If I'm Labor's Great Black Hope then we're in a lot of trouble. It's flattering, but it's a load of crap.

• Warren Mundine, 49, last month became the first indigenous president of a major Australian political party. The former apprentice fitter, who now heads New South Wales Native Title Services as well as the Labor Party, has upset some on the left with his calls for a new approach to Aboriginal land ownership and welfare dependency. He spoke with Time's Lisa Clausen.