Less than six months in office, the Rudd government has yet to fulfill its election promise to replace the previous government's National Indigenous Council with a new advisory body.

Contributing video journalist Karen Ashford is in South Australia, where the Indigenous community is sick of waiting and has there fore established its own state-based Aboriginal Advisory Council, along with a Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement.

Video: Preview this week's story.

Have Your Say: Do you think a national representative body is needed to advise the Federal Government on Indigenous issues?

Ashford meets members of the Council and finds out what it hopes to achieve, how it intends to fulfill its role and how it will differ from the NIC and its predecessor, ATSIC.

But the question remains, how will this new body work alongside the promised new national organisation? Is it doubling up? Will it hinder the national organisation in getting its job done, and is two levels of official Indigenous advice just one level of bureaucracy too many?







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Transcript

KG: South Australia, once a leader in Indigenous rights, is at the vanguard again, with a new model of representation delivering Indigenous opinions to the very top of Government. Aboriginal representatives will have unprecedented influence on State Government decision-making at a time when the Commonwealth is still grappling with the issue. SBS South Australia correspondent Karen Ashford reports. And a warning to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers that this particular story may contain images of deceased persons.

Reporter: This is Tandarnyungga, Victoria Square, the birthplace of the Aboriginal flag - a symbol representative of Aboriginal people. But representation has been sadly lacking, especially since the demise of ATSIC and the National Indigenous Council.

Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister: As Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry.

Reporter: The national apology has sparked calls for a new national representative body. And while the Federal Government's working on it, the South Australian Government has already acted.

Jay Weatherill, SA Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation: It really arose out of the abolition of ATSIC. We set up an interim advisory council to tell us how we should hear the voice of Aboriginal people. And they really gave us three recommendations. One was high-level policy advice an Aboriginal Advisory council – a sounding board for government decision-making. The second was more of an advocacy body – the Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement. And the third issue was really representative democracy, and they thought that was really a matter best dealt with at a national level, and so we'll see what emerges from the new Federal Government's proposals.

Reporter: The news has been widely welcomed, although some have concerns.

Neil Gillespie, Chief-Executive, SA Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement: I note somewhat surprisingly that they have reappointed the chair and vice-chair without opening those up for nominations, however, from my point of view, at least they've started the ball rolling to get a wide cross-section of competent Aboriginal people to sit on this council to advise the State Premier.

Reporter: Jay Weatherill says appointing a panel was the only way to guarantee its integrity.

Jay Weatherill: It's really about improving the quality of our decision-making. That will only occur if we have confidence that that's confidential, and sure, we had to pick people that we had confidence that weren't going to, I suppose, obtain information then walk straight out and then use it potentially against the Government.

Reporter: To ensure community voices are heard the role of Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement was created.

Jay Weatherill: The Aboriginal Advisory Council is quite a separate thing from the Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement. One plays, if you like, a confidential adviser's role, and the other plays a much more public advocacy role, and there was some balance there. We knew that there are some things where there is a need for Aboriginal people to speak out and be quite critical of the Government. And that opportunity is available through the Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement.

Reporter: Klynton Wanganeen is that voice.

Klynton Wanganeen, Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement: The interests of my community will always take precedence over what the interests of my job is. I don't have any problems of speaking up on behalf of my community and then being removed from the position. It's just a job. I'm an Aboriginal person for life, and so are my children and grandchildren.

Reporter: The man known as Kandy has a huge task ahead – speaking out on big structural issues such as land rights, housing, stolen generations and child abuse, through to representing the little person.

Klynton Wanganeen: I can advocate on behalf of the community, but the Government did take a step and be proactive. There was a void there – no other State or Territory has taken this type of action.

Reporter: Although it's still early days, Klynton believes he will be able to make a difference.

Klynton Wanganeen: I wouldn't have taken the job if I wasn't able to speak and take up issues. But I'm not one to openly attack people – I'm not frightened to criticise people, but I'd rather criticise them and come up with possible solutions to the problem rather than attack people without any rhyme or reason.

Reporter: The flip side to this unique representative model is the Aboriginal Advisory Council. With access to the most sensitive parts of government policy-making, its chair, Kerry Colbung, is under no illusion about the challenges ahead.

Kerry Colbung, Chair, SA Aboriginal Advisory Council: The dilemma and the challenge for the council is that at the end of the day, I guess, we're not there to represent the community. Even though we take with us the views, the values, the aspirations of the community, we are not a community voice representing community issues to government – we are an Aboriginal voice that's been established within government to provide policy at the highest level to bring about the change that is necessary for the Aboriginal community.

Reporter: Although yet to be finalised, the early selection of highly respected leaders including Uncle Lewis O'Brien, Dr Alice Rigney and native title leader Parry Agius reinforces the council's credibility. And Kerry Colbung says it's breaking new ground.

Kerry Colbung: We had a look at all of the mechanisms that were in place across the other States and none was far-reaching as the South Australian model, so I guess SA could be considered as a leader in that arrangement.

Reporter: It remains to be seen how the South Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council will exactly work in with the Federal Government's proposed peak Indigenous Body.

Kerry Colbung: I think that any proposed Federal Government model will complement - it will complement the SA Aboriginal engagement arrangement, but I think not only will it complement, it will allow us to advance, accelerate a whole range of opportunities, because what we don't have at the moment is a representative arrangement apart from the Commissioner's position.

Reporter: But is this newly consultative approach to Indigenous affairs enough to quell past criticism of the State Government?

Neil Gillespie: Sure, we see some nice bright lights and bells and whistles coming from the Premier every now and again, however, on the ground, where are the improved services for Aboriginal people? And this is what I hope the Council and Kandy Wanganeen are strong advocates for change across this State, because for too long Aboriginal people have been disadvantaged.

Kerry Colbung: The amount of support and the respect that the council has already got has been amazing, and we're just going to take every advantage of that to be able to work alongside the Minister and support him in his role and also the Government, and at the end of the day there are issues that we're going to agree to disagree on, but I think both stakeholders have got the interests of the Aboriginal community at heart.

KG: That story was filmed and reported by SBS South Australia correspondent Karen Ashford. And if you want to have your say on this issue, visit our website. This week we're asking, do you think a national representative body is needed to advise the Federal Government on Indigenous issues? Still to come on Living Black - a successful organisation giving hope for youth in Queensland.