Federal Election 2025
To inform voters about the views of Federal Election candidates regarding matters to do with First Nations’ peoples, in April 2025, JAM! emailed the following questions to the declared candidates for the Federal Election in the seat of Fraser which includes the Maribyrnong Local Government Area. The questions were developed by ANTaR who have also developed a SCORECARD. Candidate responses to these questions will be published in order of receipt in the table below.
The declared candidates for Fraser are:
Daniel Mulino (ALP) – Daniel.Mulino.MP@aph.gov.au
Satish Patel (LP) – satish.patel@vic.liberal.org.au
Huong Truong (GRN) – huong.truong@vic.greens.org.au
Jasmine Duff (Vic Soc) – jasmine.duff@victoriansocialists.org.au
Rob Rancie (Fam First) – office@familyfirstparty.org.au
George Rozario (Hanson One Nation) – https://www.onenation.org.au/contact
The declared candidates for Gellibrand are:
Tim Watts (ALP) – Tim.Watts.MP@aph.gov.au
Ponraj Krishna Pandi (GRN) – ponraj.krishnapandi@vic.greens.org.au
Jo Garcia (Family First) – office@familyfirstparty.org.au
Ben Reeson (LP) – ben.reeson@vic.liberal.org.au
Stephen Bennett (Hanson One Nation) – https://www.onenation.org.au/contact
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| 1. Closing the Gap | Equity in life outcomes including health, housing, education and employment must be for all Australians. First Nations people hold the solutions to address the needs of their communities. If elected, how would you support Aboriginal community-controlled initiatives to close the gap? |
| 2. Justice & Over-incarceration | First Nations people and particularly children are disproportionately impacted by criminal legal systems, are over-policed and over-incarcerated. If elected, how would you advocate for addressing the over-incarceration crisis specifically by raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Australia to at least 14 years without exception? Further, what would you do to advocate for better supports and more resources to address family and gendered violence in First Nations communities? |
| 3. Cultural Heritage & Country | If elected, what would be your position on protecting Australiaʼs invaluable First Nations cultural heritage particularly when there are competing interests from extractive and other industries? On energy and renewables, how would you work to elevate the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy framework for economic empowerment and a just transition to net zero? |
| 4. Voice, Treaty & Truth | Despite the loss of the 2023 Voice Referendum, self-determination and structural reform through First Nations representative bodies, treaties and agreement-making, as well as formal and informal truth-telling processes remain essential. If elected, what would you do to support voice, treaty and truth for First Nations peoples? |
| Candidate | Party | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Duff | Victorian Socialists | Question 1 – Closing the Gap If elected, I would meet with local Aboriginal groups and individuals to listen to their concerns, needs and proposals. I believe that the deep structural injustices that began with colonisation can only be addressed through radical measures which involve true self determination. Victorian Socialists stand for the following: * End the privileging of business interests over Indigenous land rights via pursuit of treaties with First Nations peoples that include the right to veto mining and other environmentally and culturally destructive activities. * Establish a reparations tax on commercial properties as a contribution to funding land theft reparations for First Nations people. * Acknowledge the Indigenous Stolen Wages Preliminary Investigation and establish a scheme to make payments to workers and the families of deceased workers who had wages stolen or withheld. * Further develop the school curriculum so that Australian students are taught about the systemic injustices perpetrated against First Nations people. * Fund schools to teach Aboriginal languages. * Provide targeted spending to rapidly equalise the health, education and economic outcomes of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. * Increase access to legal, health and social support services for First Nations people. * Protect cultural rights and provide greater support to retain and restore culture and languages lost due to colonisation and genocide, including by supporting First Nations people to live or spend time on country. * Recognise January 26 as Invasion Day. * Implement all recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. * Implement all recommendations of the Bringing them Home Report. Question 2 – Justice & Over-incarceration If elected I would take only a nurses wage, rather than the full parliamentary salary. The remaining hundreds of thousands of dollars would be put towards community campaigns, including those aimed at raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years without exception. The age of criminal responsibility should be raised to 18, and no child should ever be behind bars. I would advocate for this position using a parliamentary platform, in particular I would argue for the immediate repeal of the new laws brought in by Victoria’s state government which aim to “treat children like adults” for the purpose of bail. I think that Black deaths in custody are an atrocity and a crime, and I am for any and all measures proposed by First Nations communities which aim at reducing racist policing and over incarceration. I would use any resources provided by election to support community protests against Black deaths in custody and for racial justice. I support reparations for First Nations communities. Question 3 – Cultural Heritage & Country My firm position is that business interests should absolutely never come before land rights and cultural heritage. Extractive industries should be phased out, and their interests should immediately be subordinated to First Nations communities including the right to veto any project. Victorian Socialists would fight to end the privileging of business interests over Indigenous land rights via pursuit of treaties with First Nations peoples that include the right to veto mining and other environmentally and culturally destructive activities. We would establish a reparations tax on commercial properties as a contribution to funding land theft reparations for First Nations people. Question 4 – Voice, Treaty & Truth I support treaties and formal and informal truth-telling processes. I think that at times politicians can pay lip service to these things in order to avoid real structural redress of the injustices that began with colonisation and which extend to today. Because of that, I particularly support treaties which subordinate the interests of the wealthy to the decision making of First Nations communities. |
| Huong Truong | Greens | Question 1 – Closing the Gap From supporting truth-telling and treaty-making to revitalising languages and protecting cultural heritage, the Greens’ comprehensive approach prioritises First Nations leadership and empowerment. Although Australia endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2009, it remains unimplemented in federal law. UNDRIP enshrines essential rights for First Nations people, including self-determination, cultural revitalisation, protection against forced assimilation, and the right to free, prior, and informed consent. Implementing these principles is critical to addressing historical injustices and ensuring First Nations people can fully exercise their rights. The Greens’ plan: Establish a legislated framework to implement UNDRIP into federal law, co-designed with First Nations communities and stakeholders, in line with the findings of the Inquiry into the implementation of UNDRIP. Link the framework to the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap, ensuring the guiding principles of UNDRIP drive measurable outcomes. Develop tools to benchmark progress against UNDRIP’s international standards, empowering institutions like the Productivity Commission or the Human Rights Commission to evaluate advancements. Provide the Australian Human Rights Commission with independent oversight powers and adequate funding to monitor and enforce the implementation of UNDRIP principles. Question 2 – Justice & Over-incarceration The Greens are working towards raising the criminal age of responsibility to 14, no exceptions, as a bare minimum, across the country at the State and Federal levels. First Nations organisations, medical and legal experts, and human rights organisations across Australia all agree on this. Across Australia, 65% of children in prison are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, exposing the systemic racism in our criminal justice system which contributes to their over-incarceration as adults and deaths in custody. Further we’ve got a plan to connect kids to Country. Disengagement from school leaves First Nations kids vulnerable to the justice system. Programs that connect kids to their culture, language, and country through time with Elders can strengthen identity, support education, and provide pathways to better futures, helping to close the gap in youth detention and employment outcomes. The Greens’ plan: Fund school-based programs with $113 million in grants to get First Nations kids out on country, guided by Elders, to learn about culture, language, and country as a means of holistic healing and growth. Ensure these programs are community-led and self-determined, designed with trauma-informed practices and implemented in alignment with data on First Nations children in institutional care. The Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children Inquiry and hearings has sadly shone a light on the historic and current failures for First Nations communities when trying to keep women and children safe from violence. We will continue to hold the government to account for implementing the Closing the Gap recommendations, and prioritise handing over money and decision-making power to Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations. In particular, to push the government to adequately fund and ensure culturally safe and place-based services and responses for early intervention, crisis response and healing/recovery services. For those who use violence, we need to provide accessible and appropriate well funded behaviour change services and opportunities to see there is a better way. The Greens will continue to call for the capturing of national data as we can’t provide adequate funding response if we are not capturing and sharing data that will inform appropriate funding allocation and honour the lives of those killed. Question 3 – Cultural Heritage & Country Current laws fail to protect First Nations cultural heritage and knowledge, as demonstrated by the destruction of Juukan Gorge and the ongoing threats to sacred sites like Murujuga and the Pilliga. To meet community expectations and ensure genuine cultural preservation, we need stronger laws co-designed with First Nations people. The Greens’ plan: Introduce a federal Act to protect First Nations cultural heritage, knowledge, and intellectual property, co-designed with First Nations people to ensure it reflects their rights and priorities. Ensure the Act protects both tangible and intangible heritage, across land and underwater, and aligns with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the Dhawura Ngilan best practice standards. Further, investment in locally owned renewables helps communities take charge of their future, making energy simple and affordable and generating support for the transition through participation. A range of mechanisms should be available given the variety in community profile and needs. The Australian Greens are committed to $70 million for the First Nations Clean Energy Futures Implementation and Grants Program to power communities with cheap, clean power. Alongside this, a new Commonwealth Agency – Australian Local Power Agency (ALPA) will be established to administer the following schemes: * The Local Power Scheme would establish 70 local power hubs to support renewable energy projects in regional communities. Each hub would distribute seed grants and forgivable loans for small-scale renewable energy and storage projects that are community-driven, have broad local support, and deliver tangible benefits to the region. The PBO estimates up to 10,500 projects could be supported by the agency. * The Underwriting New Community Investment Scheme would underwrite community owned renewable energy generation and storage projects for up to 10,000 gigawatt hours each year for 10 years in order to guarantee financial and project stability. * The Community Renewables Investment Scheme would require any new large-scale renewable development to offer 20 per cent of the project equity to local communities within 30 kilometres of the project. See our 2035 Powering Past Coal and Gas plan here: https://greens.org.au/climate Question 4 – Voice, Treaty & Truth Everyone who calls Australia home needs to understand how this country was established and the impacts that this has had and continues to have on the First Peoples of this country. Any Treaty or Treaties must be based on the truth of our past. The referendum campaign clearly showed that there is a compelling case for truth-telling and treaty-making to deliver hope, justice and pathways towards healing for the nation. The Greens’ plan: Establish a National Truth and Justice Commission to acknowledge and document historic and ongoing injustices experienced by First Nations peoples. Allocate $250 million in funding to the Commission to hold hearings, compile reports, and develop processes for embedding localised truth-telling across the country. Engage communities in grassroots consultation on models for a national treaty or treaties, ensuring collaboration with First Nations peoples, governments, and key stakeholders throughout the process. |
