Inaugural Ethics Council up and running
4 January 2010
Members of the Ethics Council responsible for developing and maintaining standards of the new representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, have been announced today by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma.
Commissioner Calma, who chairs the independent Steering Committee that has been guiding development of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, said the Ethics Council would apply a merit-based process to shortlist candidates for election as members of the National Executive and then be responsible for ensuring the ethical conduct of representatives of the organisation, based on the Nolan principles.
“Appointment of the Ethics Council members takes us one step closer to having a representative voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the first time in five years,” Commissioner Calma said.
“The Steering Committee has decided that the Ethics Council should be comprised of six Indigenous people of high standing, with one chair, and a gender balance among their members.
“The council will initially serve a two year term in order to bed down the processes for the new organisation. This will mean it is in place for the initial two sessions of the organisation's National Congress.”
Commissioner Calma said a number of individuals were canvassed, with interested individuals submitting an expression of Interest and statement of claim in order to be considered by the Steering Committee.
“The Committee also decided that there should be continuity for the new organisation in its establishment phase so it could build on the outcomes of the consultations and work of the Steering Committee over the past year. One member of the Steering Committee or its Secretariat will sit on the inaugural Ethics Council and one member on the interim National Executive,” Commissioner Calma said.
“I have been nominated to be the Steering Committee representative on the Ethics Council.
“It is with great pleasure that I can announce the remaining five members of the Council as Professor Larissa Behrendt, Mr Wesley Enoch, Ms Mary Graham, Ms Nalwarri Ngurruwutthun and Professor Lester Irabinna Rigney,” Mr Calma said.
He said the Steering Committee, working with the Ethics Council, would now finalise the interim National Executive to lead the organisation through its development phase in 2010.
“I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the Steering Committee for their absolute dedication and commitment to progress the many complex issues still to be resolved,” he said.
“I anticipate the Steering Committee will finalise its work by the end of January 2010, by which time I would expect membership of the interim National Executive to have been finalised and for the National Congress to have been incorporated with ASIC.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are now one step closer to having our future in our hands.”
Media contact: Louise McDermott 0419 258 597
Biographical notes on ethics council members
Professor Larissa Behrendt
Professor Larissa Behrendt [Phd] is a Eualeyai/ Kamillaroi woman from NSW. Prof Behrendt graduated from Harvard Law School with her Master of Law and Doctorate. She is admitted to the Supreme Court of the ACT and NSW as a barrister and Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney. Professor Behrendt is a widely published academic and researcher, a publisher of two novels and a director of Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Mr Wesley Enoch
Wesley Enoch is an acclaimed award winning theatre director originally from Stradbroke Island in Queensland – Nunukul Nuggi. Wesley works almost exclusively in Indigenous Theatre and focuses wholly on cultural and social engagement through story telling. Wesley’s extensive experience in directing, writing, script development, acting and dancing spans two decades.
Ms Nalwarri Ngurruwutthun
A senior Cultural Education Advisor and an advocator for bilingual education Nalwarri’s extensive experience in teaching, curriculum development, bilingual education and school management spans over three decades. Nalwarri’s clan is Munyuku and her homeland is Rurrangala in Arnhem Land. She is also a member of the Northern Territory Indigenous Education Council. Nalwarri carries on the vision of her elders continuing to deliver quality culturally appropriate bilingual education to young people in Yirrkala/ Laynhapuy Homelands School.
Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney
Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney [PhD] is a senior academic with more than 15 years of experience teaching in universities and schools. He is descendant of the Narungga, Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri Nations. He is well published and is internationally recognised for his work in Indigenous Education and Research methodologies. He has worked with Indigenous peoples on education across the Pacific in Taiwan, Canada and New Zealand.
Ms Mary Graham
Mary Graham is a Kombu-merri person on her father’s side and is also affiliated with the Waka Waka group through her mother, both groups in Queensland. She has lectured and tutored on subjects in Aboriginal history, politics, and comparative philosophy at the University of Queensland and at other educational institutions around the country.
Mr Tom Calma
Mr Calma is an Aboriginal elder from the Kungarakan tribal group and a member of the Iwaidja tribal group whose traditional lands are south west of Darwin and on the Coburg Peninsula in Northern Territory, respectively. He has been involved in Indigenous affairs at all levels for over 35 years, including the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner from 12 July 2004 to 31 January 2010.
What's new
- New National Congress of Australia's First Peoples announced
(22 November 2009) - Click here for the Steering Committee's report - Our future in our hands - Creating a sustainable National Representative Body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Community Guide - Creating a sustainable National Representative Body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (27 August 2009) - Click here for the Community Guide
- Click here for Commissioner Calma's National Press Club address
- Competition to name the National Representative Body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Closed).
(2 June 2009) - Getting it right - Progress towards a new national representative body - a community guide
(14 May 2009) - Adelaide Workshop Full Report (April 2009)
- Report of outcomes of the first phase consultations (FaHCSIA)
Adelaide Workshop Summary Report (March 2009)
Building a sustainable National Indigenous Representative Body – Issues for consideration
On 12 July 2008 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, released an issues paper outlining key considerations in the development of a new National Indigenous Representative Body.
- The full text of the issues paper is available, also in
PDF (1.2 MB) or 
Word (680K). - A summary of the issues paper is available, also in Word (142K)
- A community guide is also available
- Building a sustainable National Indigenous Representative Body Speech by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, AIATSIS Seminar Series, 4 August 2008
The issues paper addresses the following three questions:
- First, what lessons can be learned from mechanisms for representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the national, State/ Territory or regional level that have previously existed or that are currently in place?
- Second, what lessons can be learned from mechanisms for representing Indigenous peoples that have been established in other countries?
- And third, what options are there for ensuring that a National Indigenous Representative Body is sustainable?
The research identifies the many and varied issues that need to be considered in the formulation of a new representative body. It does not propose a model for the body itself.
Other materials on National Indigenous Representative Structures
Since 2004, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner has considered issues relating to the need for a National Indigenous Representative Body as well as monitoring the post-ATSIC ‘new arrangements’ for the administration of Indigenous Affairs.
For an outline of events that led to the dismantling of ATSIC, and an overview of the challenges in implementing the ‘new arrangements’ for the administration of Indigenous affairs, see Chapter 3 of the Social Justice Report 2004.
For a review of the importance of Indigenous representation in government policy making and service delivery, see Chapter 3 of the Social Justice Report 2005.
For an evaluation of the capacity for Indigenous engagement and participation in policy making under the ‘new arrangements’, see Chapter 3 of the Social Justice Report 2006.
Further Information
The following materials by the Social Justice Commissioner are also relevant to discussions about a new National Indigenous Representative Body.
- Sustainable options for Australia’s new national Indigenous representative body (Speech by Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Commission Native Title Conference 2008, 4 June 2008, Perth).
- Essentials for Social Justice: Reform (Speech by Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and National Race Discrimination Commissioner, 20 February 2008 Brisbane).
