The incoming Indigenous health minister, Ken Wyatt, has said he wants to tackle the “industry” in Aboriginal affairs siphoning funds into administration rather than frontline services.
Wyatt made the comments to ABC Radio National on Thursday in an interview about his appointment as aged care and Indigenous health minister, which will make him the first Indigenous person to hold a commonwealth ministry.
Wyatt has also broken from his Coalition colleagues who criticise Labor for considering debate on treaties with Indigenous people at the same time as constitutional recognition, saying the two are not in conflict and a “dual conversation” is possible.
He agreed it was in a sense “unbelievable” that it had taken this long for an Indigenous person to reach the ministry.
He said he and the other Indigenous members of parliament held their positions on merit and that sent “a very strong message to young Aboriginal Australians that their hopes and aspirations can be achieved in many arenas”.
“The ministerial appointment, including colleagues on the other side who have shadow appointments, sends home a very strong message that we can stand as equals amongst our peers.”
Wyatt agreed his appointment meant the federal government could implement policies that affected Indigenous people in a less paternalistic way, citing his participation on a cabinet subcommittee for Indigenous affairs. “Since I’ve been in the parliament … we’ve had the opportunity of shaping people’s thinking to focus on Indigenous issues in a different way.”
The emphasis had shifted to “working with Aboriginal people rather than doing things with them”, and he said working alongside Indigenous people had helped others understand issues in Indigenous communities.
Wyatt said he would aim to achieve “an all round improvement in Indigenous affairs, including the industry that has evolved around Aboriginal affairs that sees money being siphoned off to administration rather than directly to frontline [services]”.
In health, Wyatt said he wanted particular improvements for children below the age of eight and young people generally. Improving social determinants of health would help extend lifespan and achieve parity with all Australians.
On Wednesday night Wyatt told ABC’s 7.30 he still believed Australia was on track to achieve recognition of Indigenous Australians in the constitution.
He said aspirations among some Indigenous Australians for a treaty had not caused momentum for recognition to stall but had sparked a “dual conversation” on both concepts, which were not in conflict.
“I would certainly hope that we don’t abandon, nor set aside, our desire to have recognition within the foundation document of this country’s frameworks,” he said.
The comments are at odds with his Coalition colleagues who argue that Labor’s consideration of a treaty with Indigenous Australians puts at risk a “meaningful but modest” change in the form of constitutional recognition.
Wyatt did agree that recognition was the main priority, saying treaties are “a way forward but they’re not set in the … country’s [foundation] document and I’d rather see recognition first and then treaty”.
“I think the strength is in the constitution, because the constitution is the document that the high courts base their decisions around when challenges occur and in which legislation is framed against our founding document.”
