Ambassador for First Nations People Justin Mohamed’s role criticised by Aboriginal academic and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade
A top Aboriginal academic has launched a blistering critique of First Nations People Ambassador Justin Mohamed, whose new contract extension will see him paid $400,000 a year.
The Albanese government has extended the contract of its controversial First Nations People ambassador Justin Mohamed and increased his pay to $400,000 a year as it seeks to project a “unique element of our national power”.
But there are accusations the role is little more than an international public relations exercise and a misuse of taxpayer funds.
In a blistering critique, Aboriginal academic and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade told this masthead that in her opinion the purpose of the ambassador position was “promoting a positive image of Australia on the global stage, contrary to the evidence about the government’s failure on ‘Closing the Gap’ commitments.”
Only four of 15 Closing the Gap socio-economic targets are on track, the Productivity Commission has found.
Dr McGlade said the ambassador role had “a documented history of extensive and expensive travel and hotels without proof of real outcomes to improve the lives of Aboriginal people.”
Dr McGlade said that in her opinion, the role “is an affront to Aboriginal people working day in day out to improve the lives of our people, and a misuse of public funds.”
In his first 20 months in the role, Mr Mohamed amassed an overseas travel bill of more than $250,000, including three trips to Switzerland and five to the US, along with visits to many Pacific Island nations.
Social media posts show that in 2025 he has been to Switzerland again, as well as to New York, Japan and South Korea, Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade declined to provide cost breakdowns.
Before the last election, then Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he would abolish the role if elected to avoid “wasting taxpayer money.”
But the government told this masthead the position is “a unique element of our national power that cannot be replicated by other countries.”
A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “After a lost decade under the Coalition, the Albanese government is doing everything we can to strengthen Australia’s relationships, particularly in the Pacific.
“First Nations people have long standing connections and historical ties that help ground us in the Pacific region, and our First Nations international engagement is a unique element of our national power that cannot be replicated by other countries,” she said.
“Ambassador Mohamed has engaged a broad range of leaders in the region, in Australia, and around the world, including from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, New Zealand and Samoa, and (his) work has played a key role in delivering foreign policy and trade outcomes for Australia – all of which helps strengthen Australia’s economy and global standing.”
Neither Ms Wong’s office nor Mr Mohamed responded directly to Dr McGlade’s comments.
Mr Mohamed was appointed to the world-first position in March 2023. At the time, the contract was worth $380,000 annually, but the new rate is $20,000 a year higher.
Mr Mohamed’s job description initially said he would “engage regional partners on the Voice, Treaty, Truth process,” but that function has been removed.
He leads an office with 10 staff and a four-year budget of $13.6 million.
One of the aims of the office is “developing a strategy for a First Nations approach to foreign policy,” and a Darlinghurst-based consultancy is being paid $266,000 to provide support for that.
Another priority, according to a new grant notice, is “to lift the participation of First Nations Australians in international meetings and to strengthen First Nations partnerships across the Indo-Pacific.” Recipients can receive $20,000 to $80,000, from a total of $1.25m.
Dr McGlade said the money being spent on the ambassador should instead be used on “supporting independent Aboriginal global and UN engagement to increase pressure on Australian governments to respect human rights” and address disadvantage.
On Closing the Gap, the Productivity Commission has found the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are developmentally on track has declined and the Closing the Gap target is not on course to be met by 2031.
For Indigenous Australians, the rate of deaths by suicide is increasing and the goal of a significant and sustained reduction is not set to be met.
Also, the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care has increased and the target is not on track.
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Originally published as Ambassador for First Nations People Justin Mohamed’s role criticised by Aboriginal academic and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade
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