Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Over the years I have come to understand that one of the recurring issues that holds Indigenous Australians back and simultaneously attracts the anger of taxpayers is the continuing incidence of nepotism and corrupt behaviour within Indigenous councils, trusts and corporations. It gives me no joy to speak out about this issue, but it must be done in the interest of the hundreds of thousands of decent First Australians whose reputations and quality of life are so dreadfully impacted by the few who get themselves on the gravy train and misuse it. That is why I will continue to advocate the three Ls as the way forward to best address the terrible disadvantage suffered by the Indigenous Australians.

The three Ls are leadership, land ownership and law, order and governance. In relation to the third point, perhaps the most moral or natural purpose of governance consists of assuring, on behalf of those governed, a worthy pattern of good, while avoiding an undesirable pattern of bad. The ideal purpose, obviously, would assure a perfect pattern of good with no bad. But, when it comes to the governance of a number of Townsville Indigenous corporations and trusts, we see a perfect pattern of bad with little good.

The latest problems have come to light in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service in Townsville. It is widely known that nepotism and rorting of the system is behind the Australian government seeking re-tendering of the legal service contract—the only one in Australia required to do so. A closer look at this organisation reveals the influence, incompetence, nepotism and irresponsible behaviour of the Akee family. It is the same family that has corrupted the ATSI Cultural Centre, 4K1G Indigenous Radio and the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service. This weak capacity and corruption cannot continue.

There must be an Australian government inquiry into the way the Akee family has inappropriately managed and spent millions of dollars that were given to these four organisations for the benefit of the Indigenous community, not for the benefit of the Akee family. The inappropriate nepotism, misuse of public money and lack of ethical behaviour should be investigated and the outcomes and recommendations for action reported to the community.

The Akee family are now squealing at being slung off the legal service gravy train. Why should their family lose the ability to employ all the rellies at way above market salaries? Why should they lose access to the car fleet that they have given everyone? No more lavish up-scale weekends away at resorts in the guise of workshops and so forth, not to mention first-class jaunts for greatly inflated delegations of family and friends to Canberra, which I have personally witnessed.

Never mind the legal service clients sitting in jail waiting for a proper legal interview to get them into the court system and waiting on remand longer than any period they might be sentenced to for their alleged crime. This is what happens when the family pays its family administration staff more than the professional legal staff, and it is terribly wrong. I have the details of the family employment nepotism throughout these four organisations. I know about the financial devastation wrought by the Akees, I know the despair of the medical staff at TAIHS who were forced to reluctantly resign and I know how the cultural centre was brought to its knees by the family.

Good governance encourages boards to create value and provide accountability and control systems commensurate with the risks involved. The Akees have done none of this. If this is allowed to continue, it is just the poor bloody blackfellas who again will be preyed upon by their own, and it must be stopped. I demand that the Australian government establish a full and open inquiry into what has been going on in Townsville.