Australia’s new Governor-General referred to Australia Day as “invasion day” and urged the country not to “waste” the opportunity offered by Uluru statement from the heart in now-deleted comments posted on X.
Sam Mostyn deleted her social media presence before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the businesswoman, gender and climate activist as General David Hurley’s replacement on Wednesday morning.
The once prolific tweeter, who had 22,000 followers on X, deleted her X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts just before her appointment to the viceregal position.
But posts Mostyn made over the years, obtained by WhatsNew2Day Australia, offer insight into the politics of the woman now tasked with representing King Charles in Australia.
Ms Mostyn was a prominent supporter of Indigenous Voice in Parliament, organizing and participating in panels on the referendum alongside Yes campaigner Thomas Mayo.
She advocated for a Yes vote online, participated in Michael Long’s ‘Long Walk Oz’ to Canberra promoting the Indigenous advisory panel and joined virtual circles with Pat Anderson AO and Professor Megan Davis.
Sam Mostyn deleted her entire social media presence before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced her as David Hurley’s replacement on Wednesday morning.
The main image on his X account was, for a long period of time, a sign that said: “We support the Uluru Declaration.”
And on January 25, 2020, Ms Mostyn wrote: “This January 26, NITV Sunrise Ceremony, 80,000 years of Australian history, wonderful panel discussing survival, truth, #invasionday and the future.”
She then included another hashtag that read: “#AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe.”
Reconciliation Australia, a foundation focused on healing the divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, celebrated his appointment on Wednesday and revealed that, in addition to the long list of qualifications touted by the Prime Minister in his statement, he also served on its board of directors.
“Sam is a former board member of Reconciliation Australia (2007-2010) and has been a dedicated advocate for reconciliation, First Nations rights, climate change and many other causes throughout her career,” the organization said.
Mostyn made another post on 30 July 2022 after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed to the referendum in the Voice of Parliament and following the death of Aboriginal activist and singer Archie Roach.
She said: “I can’t think of a more bittersweet day: from the elation and hope that a Voice will be enshrined in our Constitution to the devastating and deep sadness at the loss of Archie Roach.”
“Australia cannot waste a moment in accepting the Uluru Declaration from the Heart.”
The main image on their X account was, for a long period of time, a sign saying “we support the Uluru Declaration”.
Ms Mostyn was a prominent supporter of Voice to Parliament, organizing and participating in panels on the referendum alongside controversial campaigner Thomas Mayo.
Mostyn also appeared to celebrate Teal’s election of independents in the 2022 federal election.
“In case you haven’t heard them roar yet,” she tweeted, sharing an article about the “pro-climate women who took on the Liberal Party and won.”
These were all removed when she was announced as incoming governor general on Wednesday.
Speaking about her appointment, Albanese said: ‘Mrs Mostyn has had an extensive career in the Australian business community, including working at senior levels in telecommunications and insurance companies in Australia and around the world.
‘She also held senior non-executive positions on boards such as Transurban and Virgin Australia, and was chair of Citibank Australia. She currently chairs AWARE Super and Alberts Music Group and sits on the board of directors of Mirvac.
“Ms Mostyn has been a commissioner of the Australian Football League (AFL) and a driving force behind the AFL Women (AFLW).” Her tweets show that she is crazy about the AFL and posts repeatedly about the league.
Albanese was widely expected to appoint an indigenous Australian to the position of Governor-General, and Mostyn’s announcement came as a surprise.
She and Albanese have a long-standing professional relationship due to her high-level roles as chair of the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce and on the board of the Climate Change Authority.
In September 2023, as the Prime Minister faced scrutiny over his friendship with embattled Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, Mostyn was named in a manifesto for Albanese’s VIP flight.
Ms Mostyn was a prominent supporter of Voice to Parliament, organizing and participating in panels on the referendum alongside controversial campaigner Thomas Mayo.
He joined Joyce and Albanese on a private flight back to Sydney after the Jobs and Skills Summit, along with other VIPs including the CEO of Rio Tinto and the chairman of Telstra.
Mr Albanese said at the time: “They were sent an invoice, they paid for their own travel and they sat together while I had a meeting about the Jobs and Skills Summit in a different section of the plane.”
She was also seen at the Prime Minister’s victory party after winning the 2022 election.
Mostyn has long been vocal about her ambitions to see positive change in Canberra after working as a political adviser to two ministers and Prime Minister Paul Keating.
At the time she was completely bewildered by the culture in Canberra and told Zoe Daniel, independent for Teal, that she was repeatedly propositioned by sitting senators.
She said: ‘There was a feeling that everything was fair game.
‘On a couple of occasions I was invited to have coffee with Australians by backbenchers and I picked up my pen and paper thinking they were interested in communications policy.
“A couple of them said, ‘Yeah, are you willing to have an affair?'” he said.
Will replace Governor General David Hurley on July 1
Mostyn has long been vocal about her ambitions to see positive change in Canberra after working as a policy adviser to two ministers and the Prime Minister during the Keating era of government.
Mostyn said these politicians would argue there was no harm in extramarital affairs in Canberra because “it’s a fun old place, away from family”, noting his experience was that “the normal rules of good behaviour” did not exist.
Mostyn’s appointment has sparked a largely positive reaction. She attracted praise from left-wing figures such as Peter FitzSimons, Magda Szubanski and Australian Republic Movement president Craig Foster.
Mr Foster described Ms Mostyn’s appointment as “an inspired choice”, describing it as “one that I am sure Australians would make if we had the choice”. Instead of asking for the approval of a King.
“Indeed, Sam would make a wonderful president of the Australian Republic.”
And Mr. FitzSimons, another advocate of a republic, said: ‘Great choice! Very much a woman of the people.
Senior National MPs David Littleproud and Bridget McKenzie supported the appointment.
But United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet argued Albanese has replaced an ADF general (Mr Hurley) with “a Canberra leftist champion of climate change and equity”.
Mostyn will take up the role on July 1.