IAHA MEDIA RELEASE: Federal election outcome an opportunity for the Albanese Government to practice strong leadership – 14 May 2025

Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) congratulates the Albanese-Labor Government on their recent Federal election victory, with the Australian people electing the Government for a second term, in a landslide result.

Kamilaroi woman Ms Nicole Turner, Chairperson of IAHA, said “we congratulate the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, as well as Mark Butler MP and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy for their re- appointments in the Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs portfolios respectively. We also thank and acknowledge the outgoing Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, Ged Kearney MP, for her support and leadership during her time in the role and congratulate the incoming Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health Rebecca White MP for her appointment”.

Ms Turner continued that “IAHA welcome the opportunity to grow meaningful relationships, in supporting the important work we do to grow, strengthen and empower a skilled, and culturally responsive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce. This is a workforce who demonstrate daily leadership across broad portfolio areas, delivering positive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, wellbeing, cultural and social outcomes, but who could be further enabled to achieve more”.

While IAHA congratulate the incoming government, we were disappointed by the absence of strong leadership on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples needs, aspirations and self-determination in the lead up to the election, as well as the notable absence of allied health within the aspirations for an equitable, high performing health system.

IAHA reiterate our pre-election statement that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health workforce is essential to our goals as a modern Australia. IAHA hope the election outcome supports the Government to pursue more ambitious reform agenda, and a strengthened refocus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.

IAHA Chief Executive Officer, Wiradyuri and Wonnarua woman, Donna Murray said “I congratulate the Albanese-Labor Government on their success in the election. I challenge you to work with IAHA and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations in a coordinated way, across multiple portfolios, rather than the siloed, government led and business-as-usual approach that has seen limited progress. Transformational change in our ways of working, taking a community development approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander empowerment and Nation building, provides an avenue for us to achieve more and make real, generational change”.

IAHA reaffirms our commitment to constructively work with the Albanese-Labor Government across the multiple portfolios that IAHA, and our members, work across. We are optimistic for this term of government and look forward to working together, to strive collectively for better Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, and to promote greater, shared accountability.

END MESSAGE – Download media release HERE.