Candidates for South Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament declared ahead of elections next month

All 113 candidates for South Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament have been declared in a special event. See who has put their hand up.

More than 100 candidates have nominated to be part of South Australia’s six Local First Nations Voices ahead of elections next month.

The Electoral Commission of South Australia on Monday declared 113 candidates as nominees for positions on their local voices.

Their names were drawn out of a box to decide the order that they will appear on the ballot paper.

The state Voice body will be made up of six Local Voices, with the presiding members of each Local Voice representing their region at a state level.

Each local region will be made up of seven members except for the 11-member central region.

Riverland elder Christine Abdulla, who has nominated to represent region four, attended the Adelaide Convention Centre to watch the declaration.

“I want my voice to be heard for the elders up in the Riverland,” she said.

The state Voice legislation passed parliament in a special sitting held last year. Picture: Russell Millard

Riverland elder Christine Abdulla, 70, attended the Adelaide Convention Centre for the declaration of Voice candidates on Monday. Picture: Kathryn Bermingham

“We’re a regional community and country areas always seem to be forgotten.

“I’ve lived up there all my life, I’ve seen my parents go through assimilation, and our mission not getting much support for our areas and all that.”

Ms Abdulla, 70, said there were several issues she would raise if elected to the Voice but aged care would be a focus.

“I think my number one priority would be to have an elders’ village,” she said.

“Bring them back to their community and on country so they can live out their life with cultural dignity.”

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said the Voice represented a new way of doing things.

“Listening to what these communities have to say, and factoring that voice into our decision-making, can lead to better outcomes not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but for the broader South Australian community as a whole,” he said.

Commissioner for First Nations Voice Dale Agius said both the Voice legislation and model were developed following legislation.

“What we’ve seen today is a tremendous group of people who want us all to do better when it comes to the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their communities,” he said.

Opposition Aboriginal Affairs spokesman Josh Teague said the 113 nominations for 46 Voice positions was “a disappointing result”, and pointed out that 64 per cent of South Australians voted against the Federal Voice at the referendum.

“With South Australians overwhelmingly voting against the Federal Voice, there would be many out there who are completely oblivious to the fact that the state-based Voice is progressing,” he said.

Elections for the Voice will be held on Saturday March 16, with early voting to start on Wednesday March 6.

The candidates are:

CENTRAL (11 positions)

Yvonne Agius

Cheryl Axleby

Debra Rose Axleby

Stacey Bates

Cheryl Cairns

John Carbine

Jennifer Caruso

Douglas Clinch

Rosalind Coleman

Susan Dixon

Sherrell Dyer

Gloria Fernandes

Naomi Marie Hicks

Courtney Hunter-Hebberman

April Lawrie

Robert Leidig

John Lochowiak

Sandy Miller

Tony Wayne Minniecon

Deb Moyle

Jane Nelson

Kim O’Donnell

Kylie O’Loughlin

Marnie O’Meara

Isaiah Rigney

Chris Rigney-Thyer

Cheryl Lynn Saunders

Anna Schkabaryn

Harold Stewart

Moogy Sumner

Raymond Sumner

Phillip Sumner-Graham

Jakirah Telfer

Khatija Thomas

Michael S Turner

Evelyn Varcoe

Kimberley Wanganeen

Tahlia L Wanganeen

Patricia Waria-Read

Sonia Waters

Scott Wilson

FAR NORTH

Sharon E Ah Chee

Dawn Brown

Mark Campbell

Ian Crombie

Christopher Dodd

Dharma Ducasse-Singer

Jonathon Fatt-Clifton

Donald Fraser

Johnathon Lyons

Anna Strzelecki

Sandra Taylor

Melissa Thompson

Dean Robin Walker

FLINDERS AND UPPER NORTH

Garry Victor Burgoyne

Candice Champion

Darcy Coulthard

Kerri Coulthard

Ralph Coulthard

Charles Jackson

Dawn Likouresis

Janette Milera

Tataka Stella Newland

Lavene Ngatokorua

John Reid

Rob Singleton

TJ Thomas

RIVERLAND AND SOUTH EAST

Christine Abdulla

Eunice Aston

Darryle Barnes

David Paul Crompton

Sheryl Giles

Michael Harris

Tim Hartman

Lauren Letton

Freda Mills

Dan Mitchell-Matthews

Lisa Rigney

Cheryle Saunders

Danni Smith

Rob Wright

WEST AND WEST COAST

Denise Baker

Leeroy Bilney

Cameron Bridley

Cecelia Cox

Duane Edwards

Lorraine Garay

Lorraine Haseldine

Jack Johncock

Robert Larking

Fiona May

Rebecca Miller

Robert Miller

Roslyn Peters

Dora Queama

Shania Richards

Keenan Smith

Evelyn Walker

Rob Walsh

Mark Young

YORKE AND MID-NORTH

Quentin Agius

Rex Angie

Mathew Brice

Josh Jenner

Lorraine Karpany

Joy Makepeace

Doug Milera

Eddie Newchurch

Kaylene O’Loughlin

Robert Rigney

Ken Tilbrook

Denise Wanganeen

Raymond Wanganeen

Originally published as Candidates for South Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament declared ahead of elections next month