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.

Mandy Young is a senior public service executive with a proven track record in management strategic policy and organisational change  and a long history of service to Aboriginal people and communities. Mandy Young has worked in the human services and social justice fields including child protection, domestic violence and sexual assault, victims of crime and housing. This includes roles as a: child protection caseworker; hospital Social Worker; Sexual Assault Counsellor; policy developer; policy manager; program manager and senior executive roles including Commissioner of Victims Rights and Chief Executive of the Aboriginal Housing Office. Mandy has managed the development and implementation of the NSW Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Taskforce and DAGJ Domestic and Family Violence unit and Director of Victims Services.  Mandy is committed to ensuring that all people in situations of disadvantage are able to access the support and services they need to give them an opportunity to improve their lives.  

Ms. (Waskam) Emelda Davis is a passionate resident of Pyrmont with strong links to the local community, as well as a strong advocate for cultural diversity and greater inclusion for her Indigenous, Pacific, and Australian South Sea Islander communities.

Emelda Davis is proud of her diverse indigenous ancestry as a second-generation Australian South Sea Islander of First Nations and Caribbean descent.

Emelda has worked for federal, state, community and grassroots organisations where she has exhibited diverse expertise in community development, education, training, media, and marketing.

As chairwoman of the Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) (ASSIPJ) since 2009 under Emelda’s leadership ASSIPJ have revived the focus on ‘the call for recognition’ for the descendants of Australia’s Blackbirding trade through the coordination of seven ‘Wantok’ national workshops between 2012-2015, and the development of the National Australian South Sea Islander Association constitution adopted at Tweed Heads New South Wales (NSW 2015). Holding a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Technology Sydney Emelda was awarded partial funding through the Networking Tranby ARC Scholarship for her work on Children of the Sugar Slaves – ‘Black and Resilient.’ Emelda is founder of The Black Collective AU working group in 2018 and was key advocate in 2019 towards the establishment of the Australian Museums – Pacific Cultural Collection Advisory Panel of which she sits followed by the appointed to the Board of Trustees for the International Coalition Sites of Conscious and Sydney NSW – International Council on Monuments and Sites committee. More recently Emelda is a committee member for the COVID-19 response Health Directory for Pacific Communities coordinated by state representative NSW Council for Pacific Communities and Multicultural NSW.

Achievements include:

2020 CALD Advisory Panel for Women’s Business

2020 Women for Election Australia, Ambassador

2020 Parliament of NSW Community Recognition Statement – Legislative Assembly

2020 Premiers Multicultural Community Medals (Settlement Services International NSW Human Rights Medal)

2020 Masters of Arts (FASS) Children of the Sugar Slaves ‘Black & Resilient’

2017 Rotary Inspirational Women’s Award

2017 Inspirational Wall Medal, Ultimo – Public School Sydney NSW

2016 NSW Women of the Year (Sydney Local)

2015 NSW Council for Pacific Communities Award

As the director for Onyx Management Group since 2004, Emelda has worked consistently and diligently in resourcing Indigenous, Australian South Sea Islander, Pacific, POC and broader community practitioners to deliver projects on a multitude of platforms producing film, television, sports, event management, music and entertainment projects for grassroots, corporate and private sectors.

Mandy Young is a senior public service executive with a proven track record in management strategic policy and organisational change  and a long history of service to Aboriginal people and communities. Mandy Young has worked in the human services and social justice fields including child protection, domestic violence and sexual assault, victims of crime and housing. This includes roles as a: child protection caseworker; hospital Social Worker; Sexual Assault Counsellor; policy developer; policy manager; program manager and senior executive roles including Commissioner of Victims Rights and Chief Executive of the Aboriginal Housing Office. Mandy has managed the development and implementation of the NSW Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Taskforce and DAGJ Domestic and Family Violence unit and Director of Victims Services.  Mandy is committed to ensuring that all people in situations of disadvantage are able to access the support and services they need to give them an opportunity to improve their lives.