[1][2] In 1929, as Footscray mayor, he sharply criticised the decision of the McPherson state government to site livestock saleyards at adjacent Kensington.

This led to McPherson personally threatening Mullens - in his day job a teacher at Francis Street State School in Yarraville - with disciplinary action for criticising the government while in its employ.

[6][7] Following his council defeat, Mullens resigned as a school teacher and became the licensee of a St Kilda hotel.

[18][19][20] It was reported that Mullens would be "offered a responsible administrative position" by the Commonwealth Government following his withdrawal from the Footscray preselection contest, and in 1946 he was appointed as a commissioner of the State Savings Bank of Victoria.

[21] In 1948, Mullens announced that he would seek Labor preselection for the new federal seat of Gellibrand at the 1949 election.

[21] It met with opposition from workers at the large Imperial Freezing Works in Footscray, who disliked Mullens due to his hostility to the meatworkers' unions active there.

In 1958, Evatt alleged in parliament that in 1955 Mullens had secretly met with federal Liberal Party president W. H. Anderson and various agents and arranged for the DLP to receive substantial financial assistance.