Future minister Dodson under pressure to deliver for indigenous

Pat Dodson — likely minister under a Shorten government — would face pressure to ­deliver reforms for indigenous Australians.

Senator Pat Dodson would likely be indigenous minister under a Shorten government. Picture: Kym Smith

Labor senator Pat Dodson — who would likely be indigenous affairs minister under a Shorten government — would face pressure to ­deliver unprecedented reforms for indigenous Australians, including an overhaul of programs, more money for the Closing the Gap targets and the immediate rollout of social housing in remote areas.

Indigenous activist and academic Marcia Langton said there would be “enormous” pressure on Senator Dodson to reform indigenous programs — on top of ­expectations Labor would deliver a first-term referendum on a “voice to parliament” — given the West Australian senator’s standing among Aboriginal communities as the Father of Reconciliation.

“But I think also people, ­especially Aboriginal people, ­realise how difficult this portfolio is and I think he will get a lot of co-operation,’’ Professor Langton said.

“I think there is a lot of trust in him — well I know there is — and that is a very important for a minister of indigenous affairs to have the trust of indigenous ­people.

“And his big problem, should he become minister, is that these reforms will take time and people will be impatient.”

Bill Shorten this week said he wanted Senator Dodson as his ­indigenous affairs minister, after unveiling a $115 million health package for Aboriginal people.

Professor Langton said Senator Dodson should commit a future Labor government to the urgent fast-tracking of remote housing in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, naming it the No 1 priority to arrest poor health outcomes and high suicide rates of Aboriginal Australians.

“Adequate housing is one of the key determinants of health, and this is very evident with some of the disease burden in the indigenous populations of Australia,” she said. “Governments have not taken this issue seriously.’’

The Morrison government last month agreed to follow through with its commitment to provide half of the funds for the Northern Territory’s 10-year $1.1 billion ­social housing program after being embroiled in a year-long funding dispute that has led to construction delays.

Professor Langton also called on a potential Labor government to dump the Coalition’s indigenous Advancement Strategy that rationalised indigenous programs as the portfolio was rolled into the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Australia’s longest-serving indigenous affairs minister, Robert Tickner, said a future Shorten government should put more money into achieving the Closing the Gap targets, declaring change could be achieved only if it was prioritised by a prime minister.

“The greatest gift to the nation that Bill Shorten could give would be to lead and deliver on the ­Closing the Gap commitments and make it a defining legacy of his prime ministership just as John Howard did on gun law reform,” Mr Tickner said.