Indigenous Businesses, Workers Should Be Held to Same Standards as the Rest of Society: Senator

Liberal Senator Kerrynne Liddle makes her first speech in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra on Sept. 7, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

CANBERRA, Australia—Liberal Party Senator Kerrynne Liddle says decision-makers must not shy away from holding Indigenous businesses to the same standards as others, urging transparency and accountability.

Reflecting on her experiences, Liddle said, “When people say, ‘That’s cultural, you don’t need to ask those questions.’ My response is, ‘How did you determine that person is the right spokesperson?’”

“You have to be prepared to ask the same tough questions that you would in any other business decision.”

Liddle was addressing a panel at Mining Week in Canberra on Sept. 11.

Kate Russell, CEO of Supply Nation, was on the same panel, and expanded on Liddle’s point, acknowledging the reluctance to ask tough questions.

“It’s fear, isn’t it? No one wants to get burned, or called ‘racist,’ or be pulled aside and told, ‘You can’t ask that.’”

“That’s the opposite of reconciliation. I'd much rather someone ask a silly question than not ask at all,” she said, stressing the need for open dialogue and mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Indigenous MPs Critical of Quotas

Senator Liddle also criticised the practice of creating token roles for Indigenous employees to meet diversity targets without ensuring those positions contribute meaningfully to either the person or business.

“One of the most appalling things is meeting a target by putting people in jobs that aren’t real. It’s demeaning, and it does nothing to develop individuals,” she said.

Ken Wyatt, former minister for Indigenous Australians, advocated for shifting the focus from meeting diversity targets to recognising individual merit, regardless of background.

“What we should be looking at is the skill of an individual and saying they fit within this role, and they happen to be Indigenous,” he remarked, while also questioning the effectiveness of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs).

Similarities With Gender Movement

Panel moderator Brad Welsh, CEO of Energy Resources Australia, compared the treatment of Indigenous employees to the earlier gender equality movement.

“We’ve seen that open conversations and relationships help break down barriers. We saw that with the gender movement, and we need to do the same with Indigenous Australians. Immerse them, give them real opportunities, and we’ll see the same success,” Welsh said.

Meanwhile, Senator Liddle shared examples from her time at Santos, where she worked to ensure Indigenous employees were placed in roles that aligned with their strengths, to help their personal development.

“We didn’t create positions just to meet targets. We ensured they were real, valid roles that added value to both the business and the individual,” she said.

The panel concluded with a call for more open conversations and genuine efforts to include Indigenous people in the workforce, not as token hires, but as valuable contributors to Australia’s future.