Ken Wyatt

Last updated

Anna-Maria Palermo
​
(m. 2010)​

Roza Veskovich (div.)
The Honourable
Ken Wyatt
AM
Ken Wyatt cropped.jpg
Wyatt in 2014
Minister for Indigenous Australians
In office
29 May 2019 –23 May 2022
Children2
Relatives Cedric Wyatt (cousin), Ben Wyatt (second cousin)
OccupationPublic servant
ProfessionTeacher

Kenneth George Wyatt AM (born 4 August 1952) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, representing the Division of Hasluck for the Liberal Party. He is the first Indigenous Australian elected to the House of Representatives, the first to serve as a government minister, and the first appointed to cabinet.

Contents

Wyatt was appointed Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health in the Turnbull government in January 2017, after previously serving as an assistant minister since September 2015. He was elevated to cabinet in May 2019 as Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Morrison government. At the 2022 federal election, Wyatt lost his seat to the Labor candidate Tania Lawrence.

On 6 April 2023 Wyatt resigned his membership of the Liberal Party over its stance on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, after leader Peter Dutton had announced the party's decision to support the "No" vote at the referendum on the Voice.

Early life

Kenneth George Wyatt [1] was born on 4 August 1952 in Bunbury, Western Australia. [2] He is of English, Irish, Indian and Indigenous Australian descent. He was born at Roelands Aboriginal Mission, a former home for young Indigenous children removed from their families. His mother, Mona Abdullah, was one of the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal children removed from their parents and relocated to Roelands, where she met her husband Don. Wyatt's father has Yamatji and Irish ancestry. His mother has Wongi and Noongar ancestry, [3] while her surname, Abdullah, is from an ancestor who migrated from India to be a cameleer, helping lay the trans-Australia telegraph line. [4]

Career

Prior to entering Parliament, Wyatt served as senior public servant in the fields of Aboriginal health and education. [3] He has held positions as Director of the WA Office of Aboriginal Health as well as a similar post with NSW Health. [5] He was also previously Director of Aboriginal Education with the WA Department of Education. [5]

Politics

Wyatt was a member of the Moderate/Modern Liberal faction of the Liberal Party. [6]

2010–2015: backbencher

Wyatt stood for the Liberal Party in the seat of Hasluck in the 2010 election, defeating Labor incumbent Sharryn Jackson. He won the seat with a 1.4-point swing, [7] and became the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives, [note 1] [8] [9] [10] [11] and the third elected to the Parliament (behind Neville Bonner and Aden Ridgeway, both Senators). [12] After his election, he received racist hate mail from people who said that they would not have voted for him if they had realised that he was Indigenous. [13]

On 28 September 2010, Wyatt attended the opening of the 43rd Australian Parliament to take up his seat as member for Hasluck. He wore a traditional Booka – a kangaroo skin coat with feathers from a red-tailed black cockatoo, signifying a leadership role in Noongar culture. The cloak had been presented to him by Noongar elders. [14] He made his maiden speech to the Parliament on 29 September and received a standing ovation from both the government and opposition benches as well as from the public galleries. [15]

2015–2019: frontbencher

On 20 September 2015, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Wyatt would become Assistant Minister for Health, making him the first Indigenous frontbencher in federal parliament. Although his term commenced on 21 September, he was not sworn in with the other ministers as he was overseas, with his ceremony taking place on 30 September. [16] [17] On 18 February 2016, Wyatt's responsibilities were expanded to include aged care in addition to health following a rearrangement in the ministry; [18] [19] and were expanded further when on 24 January 2017 Wyatt was the first indigenous Australian appointed as an Australian Government Minister, with responsibility for the portfolio of Aged Care and the newly established portfolio of Indigenous Health. [20]

2019–2022: Minister for Indigenous Australians

Wyatt retained his marginal seat at the May 2019 federal election with an increased majority. After the election, he was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Second Morrison Ministry. He is the first Indigenous person to hold the position and was also elevated to cabinet. [21] [22]

In July 2019, he gave an address to the National Press Club, in which he spoke of the theme of NAIDOC Week 2019: "Voice. Treaty. Truth.". He said that he would "develop and bring forward a consensus option for constitutional recognition to be put to a referendum during the current parliamentary term". He spoke of the development of a local, regional and national voice, and said "with respect to [Indigenous] Treaty, it's important that states and territory jurisdictions take the lead. When you consider the constitution, they are better placed to undertake that work", and with regard to truth-telling, he would "work on approaches to work on how we progress towards truth-telling". [23] [24] [25]

In January 2022, Wyatt announced that the federal government had secured copyright over the Australian Aboriginal Flag, following negotiations with the flag's designer Harold Thomas. [26]

At the 2022 federal election, Wyatt lost his seat to the Labor candidate Tania Lawrence. [27]

Indigenous voice to government

On 30 October 2019, Wyatt announced the commencement of a "co-design process" aimed at providing an "Indigenous voice to government". The Senior Advisory Group (SAG) is co-chaired by Professor Tom Calma AO , Chancellor of the University of Canberra, and Professor Dr Marcia Langton, Associate Provost at the University of Melbourne, and as of October 2019 comprised a total of 20 leaders and experts from across the country. [28] The models for the Voice were developed in two stages. [29] The first meeting of the group was held in Canberra on 13 November 2019. [30]

In June 2022, after the WA Liberal Party passed a motion at its state conference urging the national leader of the party, Peter Dutton, to oppose the Voice, Wyatt said "I just find it very disappointing that a party that I have been heavily involved with, believe in, and see as having a set of values that match mine, make such a decision". [31]

2023: resignation from the Liberal Party

In March 2023, Wyatt stood with Labor prime minister Anthony Albanese, along with other members of the referendum working group, as Albanese announced the wording of the proposed constitutional change in Canberra. [32]

On 6 April 2023 Wyatt resigned his membership of the Liberal Party over its stance on the Voice, after Dutton had announced the party's decision to support the "No" vote at the Voice referendum. [33] [34] [35] He said that he still believed in the values of the Liberal Party, but he no longer believed in what the Liberals had become. "Aboriginal people are reaching out to be heard but the Liberals have rejected their invitation", he said. [31] [32]

Honours

Other activities and roles

In 2019, Wyatt delivered the Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture at the University of New England on the topic "Teaching Indigenous Australia – Understanding our past and unlocking our future". [37]

Personal life

Wyatt first married when he was 21, to Roza Veskovich, a librarian of Balkan heritage. The couple lived above a funeral parlour in East Perth for four years. They had two boys, but separated after 25 years of marriage, partly due to his frequent travelling for work. One son is a professional classical musician. [38]

In December 2010 [13] Wyatt married Anna-Maria Palermo, when he was 60 and she was 56. They met at an education conference. [38] She is of Italian descent, [39] and they married in Italy. [13]

Wyatt's cousin Cedric Wyatt was an Australian public servant and Indigenous rights advocate. Cedric's son Ben Wyatt (Ken's first cousin, once removed) is a former Labor politician who served as the Treasurer of Western Australia from 2017 until March 2021. Ben was also Western Australia's Aboriginal Affairs Minister which at the time made Ken, as Indigenous Australians Minister, his federal portfolio counterpart. [40] [41]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ David Kennedy was the first Indigenous individual to be elected to both a state parliament and the Federal Parliament, having served as the ALP Member for Bendigo (1969–1972) prior to entering the Victorian Parliament in 1982 (MLA, ALP). However, his Indigenous heritage was not known when he entered both parliaments nor did he self-identify as Indigenous at that time. For these reasons Neville Bonner is recorded as the first Indigenous federal parliamentarian. From: Gobbet (2017).

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References

  1. 1 2 "WYATT, Kenneth George – Order of Australia". Australian Honours. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia) . Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 "World News Australia - Ken Wyatt makes Australian political history". www.sbs.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010.
  4. ↑ Hills, Ben. "The barefoot kid from the bush". SBS.
  5. 1 2 "Ken Wyatt – Snapshot". Liberal Party of Australia. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. ↑ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Hasluck – 2010 Federal Election". ABC News. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  8. ↑ Gobbett, Hannah; Parliamentary Library (11 July 2017). "Indigenous parliamentarians, federal and state: a quick guide". www.aph.gov.au. Parliament House, Canberra: Commonwealth Parliament. Retrieved 27 February 2021. Source: P Biongiourno, 'Outgoing ALP National President discusses the ALP and the ALP conference', Meet the Press, transcript, 30 July 2000, accessed 17 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Australia has come a long way: Wyatt". The Sydney Morning Herald . 22 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  10. ↑ Ker, Peter (23 August 2010). "Wyatt likes the odd but keeping his cards close in Hasluck". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. ↑ "First Australian Aboriginal in House of Representatives". BBC. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  12. ↑ Ker, Peter (29 August 2010). "Aboriginal MP 'disappointed' by slurs". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 Spagnolo, Joe (28 August 2010). "Aboriginal MP Ken Wyatt gets racist hate mail". PerthNow . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Vyver, James (30 September 2010). "Ken Wyatt's emotional debut in parliament". Australian Broadcasting Authority . Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  15. ↑ "Wyatt impresses with maiden speech". The West Australian. 29 September 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  16. ↑ "Indigenous MP Ken Wyatt to be sworn in". Sky News. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Sydney Morning Herald, " Aged care: Health Minister Sussan Ley picks up extra portfolio", 30 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015
  18. ↑ Massola, James (13 February 2016). "Cabinet reshuffle: Malcolm Turnbull announces new frontbench as Mal Brough resigns". The Age . Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  19. ↑ "Ministerial Swearing-in Ceremony". Events. Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 18 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  20. ↑ "New federal ministers officially sworn in". Australia: Sky News. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  21. ↑ "Historic day for new indigenous minister". 9 News. 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  22. ↑ Nunn, Gary; Mao, Frances (28 May 2019). "Ken Wyatt: Australia's first indigenous cabinet minister". BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  23. ↑ Wyatt, Ken. "National Press Club Address - 'Walking in Partnership to Effect Change'". Ministers Media Centre. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  24. ↑ Conifer, Dan (9 July 2019). "Indigenous constitutional recognition to be put to referendum in next three years, Minister promises". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  25. ↑ Wyatt, Ken (10 July 2019). "Ken Wyatt speech: Indigenous Australians Minister's historic pledge for recognition". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  26. ↑ Evans, Jake (24 January 2022). "Aboriginal flag copyright transferred to Commonwealth, as artist agrees to make flag freely available to all". ABC News. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  27. ↑ "Hasluck, WA". AEC: 2022 Federal Election: Tally Room. Australian Electoral Commission . Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  28. ↑ "A voice for Indigenous Australians". Ministers Media Centre. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  29. ↑ Grattan, Michelle (29 October 2019). "Proposed Indigenous 'voice' will be to government rather than to parliament". The Conversation . Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  30. ↑ Wellington, Shahni (13 November 2019). "First meeting held by senior body for Indigenous Voice to government". NITV . Special Broadcasting Service . Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  31. 1 2 "Former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt ends Liberal Party membership over Voice to Parliament stance". ABC News (Australia) . 6 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  32. 1 2 McLeod, Catie (6 April 2023). "Indigenous ex-MP quits Libs over Voice". news.com . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  33. ↑ Sakkal, Paul (6 April 2023). "Former Indigenous minister Ken Wyatt quits Liberals in Voice protest". The Age .
  34. ↑ Bahr, Jessica (6 April 2023). "Former Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt quits Liberal Party over its Voice stance". SBS News . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  35. ↑ Torre, Giovanni (6 April 2023). "Ken Wyatt resigns from Liberal Party over Dutton's opposition to Indigenous Voice". National Indigenous Times . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  36. ↑ "WYATT, Kenneth George – Centenary Medal". Australian Honours. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia) . Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  37. ↑ "2019 The Hon Ken Wyatt". University of New England. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2022. Transcript
  38. 1 2 Hills, Ben (26 May 2022). "The barefoot kid from the bush". SBS News . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  39. ↑ "My Life with Ken Wyatt" (audio). SBS Your Language (in Italian). Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  40. ↑ Cleary, Paul (9 March 2013). "Meet Ben Wyatt, one of the most accomplished MPs you've never heard of". The Australian . Archived from the original on 17 March 2013.
  41. ↑ Sas, Nick (5 January 2011). "Wyatt born to be a leader". The West Australian. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

Further reading

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Hasluck
2010–2022		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Indigenous Australians
2019–2022		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care
2017–2019		Succeeded by
New title Minister for Indigenous Health
2017–2019		Abolished
Preceded by Assistant Minister for Health /
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care
2015–2017		Succeeded by
Himself
as Minister for Aged Care
Succeeded byas Assistant Minister for Health
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