Ambassador for First Nations People Justin Mohamed earning up to $326,000 a year

Aboriginal academic and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade has criticised the overseas travel spend for the Ambassador for First Nations People, saying the role should be focused on a more serious issue.

Exclusive: The overseas travel spend for the Ambassador for First Nations People is “extraordinary” and the role should instead focus on “children suffering appalling abuse,” says an Australian on the United Nations’ top body for Indigenous issues.

Academic and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade launched the stinging rebuke on Tuesday as Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong stepped up her defence of the role of First Nations People ambassador, Justin Mohamed.

Senator Wong was stirred into action after Peter Dutton vowed to abolish the role, with the Opposition leader declaring the $350,000 budgeted for Mr Mohamed’s business-class international trips last financial year would be better spent on “Australians who are struggling at the moment to keep a roof over their head or to pay their electricity bill.”

In New York, Ms Wong hit back, saying it was “disappointing that Mr Dutton doesn’t see a role for Indigenous Australians in representing Australia.

“We see again his character on display. He divides us at home, and frankly, he diminishes us in the world,” she said.

While Ms Wong was prepared to take on Mr Dutton, her office had nothing to say about Ms McGlade’s comments.

Ms McGlade, who is Aboriginal and has been a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) for nearly five years, had said: “Honestly I think it’s an extraordinary amount of travel and costs associated with the role of Ambassador to date.”

Academic and human rights lawyer Dr Hannah McGlade. Picture: Tony McDonough

Writing on LinkedIn, she added: “As a member of UNPFII I’m disappointed the Ambassador [role] does not appear focused on advancing Indigenous people’s rights, especially the rights of children suffering appalling abuse in Australia”.

This masthead was unable to contact Ms McGlade directly. On LinkedIn, she was replying to a post by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss.

Ms Kiss had defended the Ambassador’s role and described Mr Dutton’s view as “disappointing.”

Mr Mohamed did not respond to a request for comment; nor did his employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

On Tuesday, this masthead revealed the Ambassador’s role has a salary range between $240,000 and $326,000.

The revelation has brought more scrutiny of the role, which the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on Monday vowed to abolish after this masthead brought to light the full extent of the position’s overseas travel budget.

The world-first role was established in March 2023, with Labor declaring the “new position ensures, for the first time, that Australia will have dedicated Indigenous representation in our international engagement.”

At a Senate estimates hearing on June 3 this year, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price asked Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade bureaucrats for details of Mr Mohamed’s salary.

The officials said Mr Mohamed was “engaged at the SES band 2 level.”

First Nations People Ambassador Justin Mohamed with Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd in Honolulu in June 2024. Supplied

The 2022-23 DFAT annual report shows that the Senior Executive Service band 2 was paid between $240,000 and $326,000.

Senator Price asked for Mr Mohamed’s specific salary. The bureaucrats didn’t know and said they would “have to take on notice the exact package he’s on.”

It appears no answer has been provided to date.

However, on Monday, the Albanese government confirmed to this masthead that the pay grade and range was correct.

Mr Mohamed declined to comment on Monday, other than to say he was not upgraded to first class on any of the nine overseas trips he undertook in 2023-24. Four of the journeys were to the US; two were to Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr Mohamed’s business-class flights cost more than $100,000; the bill for his overseas hotels was more than $30,000.

Including the travel expenses of Mr Mohamed’s support staff, DFAT budgeted more than $350,000 for the nine trips.

Mr Dutton told Sydney’s 2GB radio that “if it is the case that we win the next election, that position will be abolished on day one.

“That money will be spent to help Australians who are struggling at the moment to keep a roof over their head or to pay their electricity bill. We’ve got higher priorities at the moment.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong attacked the Opposition Leader over his call to abolish the position in the wake of the revelations.

“It’s disappointing that Mr Dutton doesn’t see a role for Indigenous Australians in representing Australia,” she said.

“We see again his character on display. He divides us at home, and frankly, he diminishes us in the world.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton would abolish the First Nations People ambassador role. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Senator Wong said Ambassador Mohamed was rebuilding Australia’s “relationship with the Pacific family.

He “and his team are delivering results for all Australians including our First Nations communities,” Ms Wong said.

“Ambassador Mohamed has helped secure greater access for Indigenous Peoples to the Human Rights Council, he was essential to delivering a groundbreaking treaty securing formal legal recognition of First Nations people’s genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and has boosted First Nations trade.

“First Nations diplomacy is a powerful element of our engagement with the Pacific given the strong First Nations cultural and historical connections with our region.

“It is one of the ways we are rebuilding our relationship with the Pacific family after Mr Dutton and the Liberals disrespected Pacific leaders and neglected Pacific priorities over nine long years, leaving a vacuum for other countries to fill.”

- Additional reporting by Tom Minear.