NAIDOC Candid Conversations with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Councillors & Candidates (NSW)

Perhaps spurred on by the surge of Aboriginal people running for office in the recent WA State Election, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people are breaking down barriers and stepping into politics across the country. And so it is, in the lead up to the NSW Local Government Elections on 4 September 2021, we're witnessing similar results here with more Indigenous people making the moving into politics.

Join us for our special NAIDOC Candid Conversation webinar, where we hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Councillors and Candidates based in NSW, including Clr Dominic WY Kanak of Waverley Council who is one of the longest serving Councillors in Australia with 22 years of service; Clr Kodi Brady of Warrumbungle Shire Council is the shire’s first openly gay Indigenous Councillor and he is a member of Coonabarabran Local Aboriginal Land Council and Mayoral Candidate Yvonne Weldon who is Elected Chair of Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council in Sydney is stepping up to run for Mayor of City of Sydney, one of the country’s largest councils.

Biographies

Clr Dominic Wy Kanak (Waverley Council)

Indigenous Clr Dominic Wy Kanak was first elected in 1999 to the Bondi Ward as Waverley Greens Councillor. A paralegal, Law Student and Native Title Consultant (NTC), Dominic has been Honorary NTC for Rockdale and District Landscape Heritage Committee (RDLHC), and a past Executive Committee Convenor of the Indigenous Working Group for the United Nations Association of Australia (NSW Branch).

He was also a NSW Commonwealth Education Coordinator for the UN International Year for the World's Indigenous Peoples (1993) and interestingly, worked as a driver for Oscar Winner, Cate Blanchette in 1993. With over 20 years’ experience in local government Councillor, Dominic is one of the longest serving Indigenous Councillors in the country.

Yvonne Weldon - Independent (City of Sydney)

Yvonne Weldon is the first Aboriginal-Australian candidate for Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.

Yvonne is a strong community leader who has spent the last 30 years working to improve outcomes for marginalised children, youth justice and survivors of domestic violence. Her impressive profile includes:

Elected Chair of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council
Deputy Chair of the Australia Day Council of NSW
Board Member of Domestic Violence NSW

Yvonne hopes to bring the same audacity, creative energy and fierce optimism to Town Hall that her aunt Mum Shirl brought to her life-long fight to make Sydney a more just, honourable city.

Clr Kodi Brady (Warrumbungle Shire Council)

Clr Brady is a proud descendant of the Gamillaroi/ Weilwan
tribes of NSW and has served as a local government Councillor since
2016. He is the first Aboriginal Councillor and first openly gay
Councillor on Warrumbungle Shire Council.

Kodi has lived in Coonabarabran for most of his life and sits on multiple committees including the Sporting Advisory Committee and the
National Advisory Committee for Wesley Lifeforce and chairs the local
Suicide Prevention Network. He also lobbies to keep Santos and Coal
Seam Gas out of the Pilliga, Warrumbungle LGA and surrounds.

A passionate advocate for regional and remote youth and vulnerable
communities, Kodi volunteers for National Aboriginal Sporting
Chance Academy (NASCA) and National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander
Catholic Council (NATSICC).

Kodi’s other work includes Aboriginal Family Practitioner (social worker), small business owner and Professional Therapeutic Carer (foster carer).

NAIDOC Candid Conversations with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Councillors & Candidates (NSW)

Date: Wednesday 14 July 2021

Time: 7-8pm AEST

Venue: Zoom (emailed 1-hr before event)

Cost: FREE

Co-Hosted by proud Thunghutti and Bundjalung man Warren Roberts, founder of Deadly Politics and descendant of the Meriam and Mua peoples of the Torres Strait, Kat Henaway.

For this event, Politics in Colour is proud to partner with Deadly Politics with the aim of inspiring and equipping more Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people to consider running for public office, engaging with the political process or helping others to run.

For future events including Australia’s diverse candidates and parliamentarians, connect to our Facebook Page @politicscolour.

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Any inquiries, please click the Contact Organiser button below.