Update 30/4/2025: This blog highlights some of the ways the 2025 Federal Election could make a difference for Mob in the ACT: https://antar.org.au/blog/2025-federal-election-what-it-means-for-mob-in-the-act/.
In the lead up to the 2025 Federal Election on 3 May, ANTAR (National) is providing analysis on the priorities of First Nations communities and the policy platforms of the parties and candidates seeking election. The issues covered are: Closing the Gap; Justice & Over-incarceration; Cultural Heritage & Country; and Voice, Treaty & Truth.
The ANTAR scorecard covers the three major parties’ [Australian Labor Party (ALP), Liberal National Party (LNP) Coalition and Australian Greens] First Nations policy platforms. You can find the scorecard here: https://antar.org.au/resources/2025-federal-election-scorecard/. ANTAR have other election related resources, including ways to take action, on their election page: https://antar.org.au/2025-federal-election/.
To help ACT voters, we also contacted all the independent and other party candidates whose email addresses were publicly available or provided to us on request. The responses received are below – click on the link to go to the full response. Additional statements will be added as received.
Authorised by J. Hunt, ANTaR ACT, Ngunnawal and Ngambri land, Canberra.
Statements received from candidates in the ACT
Response from Claire Miles, independent candidate for Canberra, House of Representatives
12 April 2025
Dear Janet,
Thank you for reaching out and for the critical work that ANTAR ACT continues to do in advocating for justice, equity, and recognition for First Nations peoples.
I am deeply committed to advancing the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. If elected, I will continue to work in genuine partnership with communities, advocate for structural change, and ensure First Nations voices are centred in decision-making — because without justice for First Nations peoples, there can be no true progress for this country.
Please find my responses to your key concerns below:
Closing the Gap
I strongly support the Closing the Gap framework and recognise that meaningful progress can only be made when First Nations communities are given the power and resources to design and deliver solutions for their own communities.
If elected, I will advocate for:
- Increased and long-term funding for Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs).
- Embedding co-design and shared decision-making structures across all federal agencies and programs working in First Nations affairs.
- A strong national commitment to address systemic inequality in health, housing, education and employment — backed by measurable accountability mechanisms.
Justice & Over-incarceration
The over-incarceration of First Nations people is one of the clearest signs of structural injustice in this country.
I fully support:
- Raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years, without exception.
- Investment in justice reinvestment programs and wraparound early intervention services led by local communities.
- Increased federal funding for community-based programs that address family violence, mental health, and youth diversion, particularly in remote and regional First Nations communities.
Cultural Heritage & Country
Our heritage laws must protect the invaluable legacy of First Nations people — not facilitate its destruction.
I support:
- Stronger national cultural heritage legislation, with enforceable protections and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) at its heart.
- Embedding the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy into all renewable energy transition plans — ensuring First Nations communities are not just consulted, but are equal partners and beneficiaries in the clean energy economy.
- A just transition that includes Indigenous land rights, protection of sacred sites, and the economic empowerment of Traditional Owners.
Voice, Treaty & Truth
Although the Voice referendum outcome was deeply disappointing, the work for truth, treaty and justice continues — and I am committed to seeing it through.
If elected, I will:
- Support the re-establishment of a national representative body designed and led by First Nations people.
- Advocate for truth-telling processes at both national and local levels, in line with the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
- Continue working toward the Treaty-making process — which must be resourced, inclusive, and grounded in self-determination.
I acknowledge that the ACT voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Voice, and I stand with the many Canberrans who believe in fairness, recognition, and justice. The path to real change is not through symbolic words, but through bold policy, partnership, and listening to those who have been telling us what needs to be done for generations.
I acknowledge that I do not have the lived experience or all the answers to ensure First Nations people are properly represented. For this reason, I am committed to having true dialogue with advocacy groups such as yours so my policies and what I vote on – should I be elected, are reflecting what is actually needed.
Thank you again for your letter and for giving me the opportunity to outline my position.
Warm regards,
Claire Miles.
Independent candidate for Canberra.
Response from Mary-Jane Liddicoat, HEART Party candidate for Canberra, House of Representatives
14 April 2025
Dear Janet,
Thank you for your letter dated 10 April 2025. I appreciate ANTAR ACT’s continued advocacy for the rights and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and welcome the opportunity to respond.
The HEART Party believes in respectful collaboration with Australia’s First Nations communities, guided by our principles of Health, Environment, Accountability, Rights, and Transparency. Our policies are grounded in restoring integrity to governance, supporting self-determination, and protecting traditional culture and connection to Country.
Closing the Gap
The HEART Party is committed to walking with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and working together on matters raised through consultation with Cultural Elders. We support initiatives that assist in the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs, traditional foods and medicines, and spiritual health—recognising that loss of culture can lead to physical illness.
Justice & Over-incarceration
While HEART does not currently have a specific criminal justice policy, our overarching belief is that all Australians deserve equal rights, informed choice, and respect. We support peaceful, community-led approaches to wellbeing and encourage trauma-informed, culturally competent solutions that address root causes of disadvantage. We also call for a Federal Human Rights Act to protect freedoms and human dignity for all.
Cultural Heritage & Country
We support the protection of Country and cultural heritage through environmental responsibility and independent, transparent assessment of the impacts of mining and industrial activity. The HEART Party encourages regenerative practices and an end to environmental degradation, aligning with First Nations stewardship of land and water.
Voice, Treaty & Truth
The HEART Party supports ongoing conversations and community-led efforts to advance reconciliation and truth-telling. While we do not currently have a written policy on treaty, we affirm the importance of respectful engagement and collaboration with First Nations peoples in decision-making processes, grounded in listening, learning, and shared action.
Thank you again for this opportunity to share our values and vision. Should you wish to discuss our positions further, I am happy to connect.
Warm regards,
Mary-Jane Liddicoat
Candidate for HoR Canberra
HEART Party
Response from David Pocock, Independent Senator for the ACT
23 April 2025
Dear ANTaR ACT,
Thank you for writing to me about the priorities for First Nations communities, and for the opportunity to provide my commitments on these. I am so grateful for all your work in the Canberra community, and for your advocacy. It has been a privilege to engage with you over the term of the 47th Parliament.
I will offer my positions against your questions below – some of these are also available on my website.
Closing the Gap – Life outcomes including in areas of health, housing, education and employment must be equitable for all. First Nations people hold the solutions to address the needs of their communities. If re-elected, how would you support Aboriginal community-controlled initiatives, genuine power-sharing by government, and decision-making partnerships to close the gap?
In my work with First Nations communities and the development of my positions on policy issues that affect First Nations people here in the ACT, I am led by advice from Aboriginal community controlled organisations and community leaders. I agree that First Nations people hold the solutions to address the needs of their communities, and for that reason I will continue taking that approach if I am re-elected. I will push government at every opportunity to support Aboriginal community controlled initiatives and to be similarly led by First Nations communities on the issues that matter most.
Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, regularly explains to me that poverty is the root cause of the majority of issues she sees. The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee (EIAC), which I negotiated with the government to establish, provides expert advice to the government on what the rate of support payments should be.
The latest report highlights how support payments are seriously inadequate, falling well below poverty benchmarks and contributing to widespread hardship, including poor health, housing insecurity, and elevated suicide risk. Rates of which are all higher for First Nations people.
Taking the advice of EIAC and increasing support payments would go a long way to improving the lives if Indigenous Australians. The report also highlights how the Remote Area Allowance (RAA) has remained stagnant for over 25 years, losing two-thirds of its value. I support the Committee’s calls for an immediate increase and proper indexation of the RAA to reflect the significantly higher cost of living in remote communities.
Housing and Homelessness remains one of many big challenges for meeting the Closing the Gap targets. I am also supporting the push to establish an Aboriginal community-controlled housing organisation in the ACT. This is long overdue and more urgent than ever as the Commonwealth steps up funding for housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund as well as new election commitments like the 100,000 new homes for first home buyers commitment from Labor.
Justice & Over-incarceration – First Nations people, and particularly children, are disproportionately criminalised, over-policed and over-incarcerated. If re-elected, how would your proposed policies address mass incarceration? What is your position on raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility across Australia to at least 14 years without exception? Further, what would you do to advocate for better support systems and resourcing to help end family and gendered violence impacting First Nations communities?
I support and will continue to push for a Human Rights Act for Australia, which would be likely to have a significant impact on the age of criminal responsibility and the over-policing and over-incarceration of First Nations people. An Australian Human Rights Act would require governments to protect human rights when legislating, developing policy and delivering services. This would likely require a minimum age of criminal responsibility of 14 years and the prevention of the detention of children in adult prisons and watchhouses. It would provide for remedy in instances of discrimination by public officials, including police.
I have also been advocating for a National Anti-Racism Framework, which is a
comprehensive plan developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Race Discrimination Commissioner. The Framework is a long term plan to address racism in Australia, and places the experience of First Nations people as central to all action on this plan. The plan proposes to work for systemic change across all levels of government to address racism in police & justice, healthcare, education, workplaces, media and the arts. I will continue to advocate for the plan to be fully funded and implemented.
On family and gendered violence impacting First Nations communities, I continue to advocate for systemic solutions such as closing the gender pay gap, increasing social safety net payments, housing reform and better data collection of gender based violence and the demand experienced by family and domestic violence services.
I will push the government for sustainable domestic and family violence funding based on community needs. In Canberra, our Domestic Violence Crisis Service now receives 1100 requests each month, up from 850 two years ago, leading to increasing deficits as costs rise.
Our Canberra Rape Crisis Centre is so underfunded that they can’t even afford basic IT systems or sound proofing in their counselling rooms. Their counsellors are overloaded and victim survivors of sexual assault are waiting too long for the support they need.
Crisis services must be adequately funded to ensure no call goes unanswered and staff wellbeing isn’t compromised. I will advocate for at least five-year funding cycles through the National Partnership Agreement, allowing jurisdictions and services to plan effectively and maintain workforce stability.
I will also advocate for the government to invest more in specialist services that meet the needs of minority communities, recognising that family and domestic violence needs a specific skilled approach in First Nations, LGBTIQ+, and culturally diverse communities, and specialist expertise is needed in prevention, early intervention and response.
Cultural Heritage & Country – If re-elected, what would be your position on protecting invaluable First Nations cultural heritage particularly when there are competing interests from extractive industries and other development? Regarding energy and renewables, how would you work to elevate the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy framework for economic empowerment and a just transition to net zero?
The Australian Capital Territory is the only jurisdiction in Australia in which the Traditional Owners do not own and manage any land. It’s time to fix this and hand back the incredible Western Edge to be managed by First Nations people.
The Western Edge is 9,800 hectares of land to the west of the territory and stretching along the Murrumbidgee River. It is home to endangered box gum woodlands, temperate grasslands, and dozens of endangered species. The area is rich in cultural importance to First Nations People, and a vital buffer against bushfires from the west.
Canberrans love living in the bush capital. We are a city where nature isn’t something we visit, it’s something we live alongside. But a big part of our incredible bushland is at risk.
The Western Edge is a piece of bushland that cannot be replaced. We can’t offset what’s already nearly gone.
● Less than 1% of temperate grasslands remain in Australia.
● Box gum woodlands are down to just a few percent of their original extent.
● Offsets don’t work when the ecosystems being destroyed can’t be replaced.
Yet the ACT Government continues to rely on offsets that fail to deliver real conservation outcomes. According to the 2024 WWF Threatened Species Scorecard, the ACT saw the biggest decline in recovery and protection efforts in the country.
We need a new vision to protect the bush capital and to deliver for First Nations people. One that protects, restores, and respects.
That’s why I’m calling for:
● Full protection of the Western Edge, including Block 402: Block 402 (leased to the ANU) is an ecological gem that must be added to the nature reserve. Its high biodiversity value and role as a fire buffer make it too important to sacrifice.
● A First Nations-led land management and conservation project: This land has been cared for by First Nations people for tens of thousands of years. It’s time governments recognised that. This project would support Indigenous fire management, weed and pest control, and revegetation, while generating cultural, environmental and economic benefits.
● Transparency and accountability in conservation funding: We need spending that matches rhetoric not more announcements with no follow-through.
Voice, Treaty & Truth – Following the loss of the 2023 Voice Referendum, First Nations self-determination through robust First Nations representative bodies, agreement making, and formal as well as community-based truth-telling remain essential to creating structural change. If elected/ re-elected, what would you do to support voice, treaty and truth?
The Uluru Statement from the Heart was a generous invitation from First Nations people to all Australians, calling for constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament. While the referendum result was a setback, the work for justice and self-determination cannot stop there.
The post-referendum period was and has been a difficult and painful time for many First Nations people, and we must respect their leadership in determining the next steps. I remain committed to supporting the Uluru Statement’s vision and ensuring the momentum for change continues.
Thank you so much for your work, and for the opportunity to comment on your policy priorities.
Sincerely,
Senator David Pocock
Response from Elise Searson-Prakaash, HEART Party candidate for ACT Senate
13 April 2025
Dear Janet Hunt and the ANTAR ACT team,
Thank you for your thoughtful letter and for ensuring that the priorities of First Nations people are not sidelined during this election. I share your concern that rights and justice for First Nations communities continue to be marginalised in national politics, and I believe that real, lasting change must begin with listening, partnership, and accountability.
I’m proud to offer the following commitments:
Closing the Gap
The failure to meet Closing the Gap targets highlights the limits of top-down approaches. If elected, I will push for greater investment in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and ensure that funding is long-term, stable, and flexible, recognising that self-determination is the foundation for better outcomes in health, housing, education and employment.
I will also support embedding formal partnership structures between governments and First Nations leaders, including through the Partnership and Joint Council mechanisms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. First Nations communities must not only be consulted, but co-design and co-decide how policies and services are delivered.
Justice and Over-Incarceration
Australia continues to have one of the highest incarceration rates of First Nations peoples in the world, and children as young as 10 continue to be detained, despite consistent recommendations to raise the minimum age. I fully support raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years, with no exceptions. This aligns with recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, medical experts, and social justice organisations.
I will advocate for:
- Justice reinvestment strategies, led by First Nations communities, that divert funding away from incarceration and into early intervention and community support
- Increased resourcing of culturally safe legal and family violence prevention services, especially those led by First Nations women
- Restorative justice programs and trauma-informed approaches that address systemic causes, not just symptoms
Cultural Heritage and Country
First Nations cultural heritage is not just history—it is living identity, law, and connection to Country. If elected, I will:
- Support legally enforceable cultural heritage protections, including reforms based on the 2021 Juukan Gorge Inquiry recommendations
- Oppose any developments—mining, gas, or otherwise—that proceed without Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Traditional Owners
- Ensure that climate and energy policies do not become another form of dispossession, and advocate for First Nations-led clean energy partnerships as outlined in the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy and Indigenous Desert Alliance’s clean energy principles
Voice, Treaty and Truth
The result of the 2023 Voice Referendum was a national loss, but not a loss of First Nations determination—or the ACT’s strong support. We must keep going.
If elected, I will:
- Support the creation of a national First Nations representative body that is independent, community-elected, and able to influence laws and policy
- Support state-based and national truth-telling processes, such as the Yoorrook Justice Commission in Victoria and community-driven truth projects
- Advocate for Treaty processes that are First Nations-led and nationally supported, following the guidance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
This is a defining issue for our generation. I’m grateful to ANTAR for keeping these priorities front and centre, and for building public awareness and allyship across the country. I welcome your decision to make my response public and would be honoured to work in partnership if elected.
With respect and commitment,
Kind Regards
Elise Searson-Prakaash | Candidate ACT Senate
HEART party www.heartparty.com.au
Health | Environment | Accountability | Rights | Transparency