The future is in our hands: Reconciliation direction 2001

Political parties should go out and select, on merit, talented Indigenous people for membership with a view to developing them, training them. As they do for any other talented candidates, in readiness for pre-selection.

Again, on merit.

In line with this, political parties should look at adopting the approach the ALP used in the case of Cheryl Kernot. What they did was "headhunting." A process that business, and government departments do to get the right people under active consideration for key positions.

There is a number of federal and state seats where there are many Indigenous people living. Some where we are more than 40 per cent of the electorate.

These seats are ideally suited to this sort of preselection process by the main political parties.

There is already the talent in our communities, in our organisations, the experience, and sheer political nous.

It is time that this happened. Not only in the national parliament but also in the Queensland Parliament and every state Parliament.