Milestone in offing for Indigenous aspirant Kerrynne Liddle

In a state that has registered many political firsts, Kerrynne Liddle is set to become South Australia’s first Indigenous federal MP.

Education the key: Kerryne Liddle. Picture: Roy Van Der Vegt

In a state that has registered many political firsts, Kerrynne Liddle is set to become South Australia’s first Indigenous federal MP.

She says work and education are the key to reversing Indigenous disadvantage.

The 53-year-old political adviser and businesswoman has been preselected to the very winnable third spot on the SA Liberal Senate ticket and hopes to use her private sector experience to find work-based solutions for Indigenous Australia.

Ms Liddle is an Arrernte woman who grew up in Alice Springs and comes from a family with a strong work ethic instilled into her and her four siblings by her education-obsessed parents.

They all attended school and her sister was SA’s first female Indigenous police officer; another has a PhD in environmental science; another was a teacher before being killed in a horrific domestic violence case; and her brother is a commercial pilot trainer.

She and her partner have instilled a similar work ethic in their children, with their 23-year-old son working as a teacher in SA’s remote far north and their daughter, 19, studying clinical psychology in Adelaide.

Ms Liddle started her career as a journalist but moved into the private sector holding senior roles including heading the Indigenous participation program and employment project for Santos and also as chief of people and performance for Voyager’s Ayers Rock Resort. She now works as a senior adviser to Social Services Minister Anne Ruston.

Ms Liddle said the most satisfying part of her role at Voyager was meeting the target of employing 400 Indigenous staff out of a workforce of 1200 and then working with the predominantly young people to ensure high retention rates.

She said she wanted to see the success of Indigenous people in the field of sport replicated in the education system and workplace.

“Growing up, we knew the legendary Aboriginal tracker Tracker Tilmouth and he used to say ‘Yeah, they can play good football but they’re not in school’,” Ms Liddle said.

“Sport has its role but the No 1 thing we need to do is get kids into the classroom. It all starts there. I have always believed with the right support at the right time and a bit of grit, opportunities will come to you.”

Ms Liddle said she believed Australia Day should be moved from January 26 to avoid continuing conflict over the date, but regarded it as a lower-order issue.

“I don’t think it would do us any harm to have a different date,” Ms Liddle said. “ A lot of people aren’t aware that January 26 hasn’t always been the date of Australia Day anyway.”

“People are marching against Australia Day for different reasons — some because they’re against any type of Australia Day, some are into Black Lives Matter, some just want the date changed. I am not saying that changing the date would solve all their concerns, but it would take that part of it out of the debate. But I’m not that fussed about it. I am still happy to celebrate Australian Day. We need a day of celebration.”

She is “much more interested” in nuts-and-bolts issues that go to raising people out of poverty. She also says she is not running for parliament as an Indigenous representative but a representative for all South Australians.