Kerrynne Liddle, who has just been appointed the Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister. She is committed to driving progress in Indigenous affairs with her former Senate colleague, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Following Price’s resignation from the frontbench, Liddle emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on critical issues such as Closing the Gap targets and domestic violence. She’s the one that’s most focused on making sure the Coalition develops holistic policies. These policies must address systemic issues, with a focus on creating better circumstances for Indigenous Australians.
In a recent press gallery press conference, Liddle reiterated the need to urgently address worsening targets under the Closing the Gap initiative. As he put it, “We have kids on the street, rather than in classrooms. Right now, four Closing the Gap targets are going backwards under this Labor government.” Toward the end of the day, Liddle shared her hope that conversations would center on pressing realities rather than theoretical concepts. She challenged her colleagues and the public to focus on substantive, meaningful results.
Commitment to Collaboration
Liddle confirmed her intention to work closely with Price, stating that both are “on a unity ticket” regarding Indigenous affairs. This collaboration is particularly designed to confront urgent issues facing the community. Its long-term aim is to improve education and safety outcomes for Indigenous children.
“There’s a lot of work to do, certainly not just in the NT, but nationally on improving outcomes. We are on a unity ticket to addressing these terrible metrics.” – Kerrynne Liddle
While observing Reconciliation Week in her speech, Liddle recognised Price’s continued contribution to the cause of Indigenous Australians from the backbench. She hopes that Price’s experience and insights will prove invaluable as they further tread on the newfound but still treacherous waters of Indigenous affairs side by side. Senator Price can still become a great asset to parliament,” said Liddle. She can do more to advance Indigenous Australian affairs from the backbench.
Crucially, as Liddle reminded us, there needs to be a focus on transparency and accountability when it comes to Indigenous policy. She stated that she was very disappointed with the federal government’s recent announcement. By removing a separate session on Indigenous affairs altogether from Senate estimates, she made her unilateral decision an “appalling lack of transparency and accountability”.
Focus on Critical Issues
Liddle’s sights are now set squarely on continuing to tackle the big issues that plague many Indigenous communities. Improvement on four Closing the Gap targets is going backwards since the current government came to power. She is committed to advocating for these urgent reforms and solutions.
“We will have policies, and the Coalition has been very clear about a policy process that we will work through,” – Kerrynne Liddle
When addressing her new role, the Shadow Minister quickly honed in on her intentions to reach ambitious targets. We’re looking forward to her first major policy developments cutting straight to the heart of these pressing needs. It was she too who boldly predicted that attention will be on those four Closing the Gap targets. She cautioned, they are going in the wrong direction.
Liddle stressed that parliamentarians no longer have enough opportunities to hold the government to account on Indigenous issues. This reduction constrains their capacity to tackle pressing issues. She sighed, “We’ve lowered our standards for asking hard questions in a day about Indigenous Australians. This brings to the forefront a long-standing concern about legislative engagement with Indigenous issues.
Upcoming Parliamentary Sessions
The Parliament does not sit again until the second week of October for Senate estimates. Notably, they’ve announced their own marathon schedule of additional hearings along the way. Regardless, Liddle’s goal now will be to make sure Indigenous issues are splashed vigorously across these sessions. She will not be distracted though and is resolute in her mission to fight for the needs of Indigenous Australians.
“I won’t be distracted from that and I’m sure that Senator Nampijinpa Price, given the issues in the NT, will not be distracted from that either,” – Kerrynne Liddle
Liddle’s proactive stance on the matter indicates a deeper commitment within the Coalition to actively consult and collaborate with Indigenous communities. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s recent visit to the Kimberley region is all the proof you need of this electioneering commitment. During her visit, Ley connected with many Indigenous groups. This foreshadows the Coalition’s intention to focus more on Indigenous affairs, rather than just entrenching it in the agenda.
