Indigenous Advisory Council facts for kids
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 23 September 2013 |
| Dissolved | 2019 |
| Jurisdiction | Australia |
The Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) was also known as the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council. It was a special group that gave advice to the Australian Government. This council was active from 2013 to 2019.
Contents
What Was the Indigenous Advisory Council?
The Indigenous Advisory Council was created by the Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott. It officially started on 25 September 2013. The first meeting of the council happened on 5 December 2013.
Purpose of the Council
The main goal of the IAC was to give advice to the government about Indigenous affairs. This means they helped the government understand issues important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Their aim was to suggest practical ways to make life better for these communities.
The council was made up of 12 people. These members included both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. They would meet three times each year to discuss important topics.
Changes Under a New Prime Minister
In 2015, Malcolm Turnbull became the new Prime Minister. He made some changes to how the government worked with Indigenous groups. In 2016, he set up a new group called the Indigenous Policy Committee of Cabinet. This committee was meant to work closely with government ministers and Indigenous people, including the Indigenous Advisory Council.
The IAC was temporarily paused at the end of January 2017. Its original rules for how it worked were also ended at that time.
Second Term of the Council
On 8 February 2017, six members were chosen to be part of the council for a second time. One more person joined on 22 May 2017. For this second term, Prime Minister Turnbull decided not to appoint any official chairs for the IAC. However, later on, co-chairs were appointed. Jackie Huggins, who was a co-chair of another important Indigenous group, said she wanted to work with the new council.
The Indigenous Advisory Council officially stopped operating in 2019.
Who Were the Members?
The council had different members during its time. These people were chosen for their knowledge and experience.
First Members (2013)
The first people to be part of the council were:
- Warren Mundine (chair)
- Richard Ah Mat
- Leah Armstrong
- Ngiare Brown
- Josephine Cashman
- Gail Kelly
- Djambawa Marawili
- Bruce Martin
- David Peever
- Andrew Penfold
- Peter Shergold
- Daniel Tucker
Members in the Second Term (2017)
The members who joined or continued in February 2017 were:
- Chris Sarra, who founded and led the Stronger Smarter Institute.
- Andrea Mason, who was the CEO of the NPY Women's Council.
- Roy Ah See, who was the chair of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council.
- Susan Murphy, who was the CEO of Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation.
- Ngiare Brown, a Professor of Indigenous Health at the University of Wollongong.
- Djambawa Marawili, an artist and traditional owner from Baniyala in the Northern Territory.
In June 2018, after Chris Sarra left, Roy Ah See became a co-chair in his place. Andrea Mason also left the council before it ended.
