Ko Taumarere te awa.

Ko Puketohunoa te maunga.

Ko Ngati Manu te hapu.

Hon Kelvin Davis is a successful former teacher and school principal who turned a struggling Northland school around, and enabled the students to achieve beyond their potential.

In the 2020 Labour Government, under Jacinda Ardern’s leadership, Kelvin was appointed Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Minister for Children with responsibility for Oranga Tamariki, Minister of Corrections and Associate Minister of Education.

In the 2017 Labour-led Government he was Minister of Corrections, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, and Tourism, and Associate Minister of Education.

He has held roles on a number of Select Committees including Māori Affairs (Deputy Chair), Law and Order, Local Government and Environment, Education and Science and Transport and Industrial Relations.

Kelvin has also held the spokesperson roles in Corrections, Biosecurity, Education (including Special Education and Māori Education), Māori Affairs, Tourism, Regional Affairs and Justice (Sexual and Domestic Violence).

Kelvin visited Australia, including Christmas Island in 2015 to advocate for the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia, particularly those in detention centres.

Born and bred in the Bay of Islands but now living in Kaitaia, Kelvin is a man of the north who brings skills in education and Māori issues to the Cabinet table to improve outcomes for all New Zealanders educationally, financially, culturally and socially.

He is a person with common sense and pragmatism who is able to relate across all sectors of society, but is most at home either fishing or up in the bush of his beloved Karetu Valley.

Brendan Moyle is the Executive Branch Manager for the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs in the ACT Government. He is a Kamilaroi/Gomeroi man with cultural connections throughout northern NSW and southern Queensland. Prior to commencing in his current role, Brendan was the CEO of Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council on the Central Coast of NSW after spending 21 years working in the NSW and then Commonwealth Government. His government roles have seen him lead regulatory and legislative processes, complex policy and program implementation, and stakeholder engagement at local and national levels. He has also been a former Chairperson and Board member of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, SEARMS Aboriginal Corporation, Munjuwa Aboriginal Health and Housing Corporation, and the Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council. He was also an inaugural member of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Marion Scrymgour is the elected representative in the Australian Government for the seat of Lingiari.

She grew up in Darwin as one of twelve children. Her mother is Tiwi, and her father is a stolen-generation Anmatjere man.

Her father’s story has had a great impact on her. A good man, a hard worker, and a loving father. But the government, and the system of taking children from their families, left him scared and hurt. This is something his children carry in their hearts.

Her mother was a proud, culturally strong woman and taught her about culture which helped her connect with language.

At the age of 16 Marion started working. Gaining experience in a whole range of jobs including, typewriting, bull tying, other farm work, and administration. After school Marion went to the University of Southern Queensland to study Business Administration.

Marion then started my work in the community-controlled health sector. For 23 years she worked in this field, working in remote communities, in her home of Tiwi, and in Katherine. Marion saw first-hand the need for a strong government to help provide services for all our citizens, but particularly our Indigenous Australians.

In 2001 Marion was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly representing the bush seat of Arafura. She served in the Northern Territory Government, as an MLA, a Minister, and as Deputy Chief Minister, for 11 years.

In 2013, after retiring from the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly – Marion felt the need to go back home.

Marion worked on Tiwi as the CEO of the Tiwi Regional Council, before being appointed the CEO of the Northern Land Council in 2019.

Throughout her entire working life, she fought hard for justice and for those in need. It’s at the core of who she is.

Marion is excited to continue this fight and deliver for Lingiari.

Brendan Moyle is the Executive Branch Manager for the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs in the ACT Government. He is a Kamilaroi/Gomeroi man with cultural connections throughout northern NSW and southern Queensland. Prior to commencing in his current role, Brendan was the CEO of Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council on the Central Coast of NSW after spending 21 years working in the NSW and then Commonwealth Government. His government roles have seen him lead regulatory and legislative processes, complex policy and program implementation, and stakeholder engagement at local and national levels. He has also been a former Chairperson and Board member of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, SEARMS Aboriginal Corporation, Munjuwa Aboriginal Health and Housing Corporation, and the Ngambri Local Aboriginal Land Council. He was also an inaugural member of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Andrew Watson is Deputy Commissioner Individuals and Intermediaries at the Australian Taxation Office.

Recently appointed to this role Andrew has responsibility for the delivery of improved outcomes for individuals that make it easier for them to comply with their tax obligations. This includes education programs, consultation, online services, data analytics, advice and guidance and compliance activities. Andrew is also responsible for working closely with tax professionals as key stakeholders in supporting taxpayers to meet their obligations.

He has over 30 years of experience in the Australian Taxation Office and in that time, Andrew has held a number of key leadership positions in the ATO with a focus in recent years on supporting small businesses and leading technology change.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Adelaide and a Masters of Business Administration (Public Sector Management) from Charles Sturt University.

With a 20+ year career in the public sector driving better outcomes for people – our communities, stakeholders and teams, I have a passion for carving out clear paths to do things better, connecting policy with execution and people with purpose. Leveraging diverse experience than spans high-profile policy development and ministerial advisory to complex service delivery and transformation, I move government organisations to more innovative, customer-focused ways of working by viewing everything through the dynamics of front-line implementation. By understanding the obstacles and opportunities, I deliver results in line with ambitious mandates for change.

My key strength is my ability to work with anyone. I love to engage with people. I facilitate conversations and dive deep into problems to bring people together, towards the solution. In working to understand underlying motivations of different groups, I replace siloed, short-term emotions with a shared vision, uniting stakeholders in pursuit of a common goal and empowering the rapid delivery of organisational objectives.

(Waskam) Emelda Davis is the first Black woman elected to serve on the City of Sydney Council in its 180-year history as a representative on the Clover Moore Independent Team.

Emelda is second generation born Australian South Sea Islander a descendant of Australia’s Blackbirding trade, she is of Caribbean descent through her father’s migration in the 1950s and is kin with First Nations people through her mother’s grandfather Santo heritage.

A passionate volunteer community builder and long-term resident of Pyrmont in Sydney NSW, Emelda has worked effectively across corporate and grassroots sectors including advisor to State, Federal and Commonwealth Government agencies on culturally specific indigenous knowledges for over two decades.

In serving the City of Sydney Council, Emelda is Deputy Chair of Resilient Communities and Economy Committee, the Lord Mayor’s delegate on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel, the Lord Mayor’s delegate on the Multicultural Advisory Panel, the Alternate Chair of the Local Pedestrian Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee.

During Emelda’s first term on Council, it was resolved in 2022 to ‘Support and Recognise ASSIs across the city’ which included recognition that the Blackbirding trade was informed by the Atlantic slave trade. The then 175th anniversary is
recognised through an annual flag raising, public programs across Sydney with afollow up letter sent to 500 councils across Australia encouraged others to follow suit.

Emelda’s accolades include 2024 patron for ‘She Inspires Me’, 2022 International Council on Monuments and Sites ‘Caring for Country’ committee award, 2020-CALD Panel for Women’s Business, Women for Election Australia Ambassador, NSW Parliament Recognition Statement by the Member for Sydney, NSW Premiers Multicultural Community-Settlement Services International – Human Rights Award, 2017 Rotary Inspirational Woman, Ultimo PS Sydney Inspirational Wall Medal, 2016- NSW Women of the Year (Sydney Local), 2015 NSW Council for Pacific Communities ‘Stronger Communities Award’.

Emelda is also the first ASSI person to complete an ASSI oral history thesis ‘Children of the Sugar Slaves; Black and Resilient.’ Emelda’s Human rights and social justice advocacy across marginalised communities has garnered state, federal and international government engagement as guest speaker at the First Nations Leadership & Allyship Summit; amplifying, empowering & supporting First Nations leadership in the Public Sector (The Hatchery 30 April-1 May 2024), Permanent Forum on People of African Descent for the United Nations Permanent Forum 3rd session “International Decade of People of African descent” (16-19 April 2024), Asia and the Pacific Region – The international decade for people of African descent (UNHRC 15-16 January 2024) and Sites – Global Initiative for Justice Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) – (Brazil Dec. 2023). In addition Emelda is a champion for Climate Justice and Social Housing and sees her time on Council as a privilege to work with all communities to bring about meaningful change.

With a 20+ year career in the public sector driving better outcomes for people – our communities, stakeholders and teams, I have a passion for carving out clear paths to do things better, connecting policy with execution and people with purpose. Leveraging diverse experience than spans high-profile policy development and ministerial advisory to complex service delivery and transformation, I move government organisations to more innovative, customer-focused ways of working by viewing everything through the dynamics of front-line implementation. By understanding the obstacles and opportunities, I deliver results in line with ambitious mandates for change.

My key strength is my ability to work with anyone. I love to engage with people. I facilitate conversations and dive deep into problems to bring people together, towards the solution. In working to understand underlying motivations of different groups, I replace siloed, short-term emotions with a shared vision, uniting stakeholders in pursuit of a common goal and empowering the rapid delivery of organisational objectives.