This seminar will consider the findings of two studies of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in Australian government bureaucracies by Elizabeth Ganter (2016) and Julie Lahn (2018). The studies point to similar issues for jurisdictions intent on hiring Indigenous people, including the need to be clearer about the terms of representation and recognition in employment strategies. The presenters will argue that retention would be improved by more direct conversations with Indigenous public servants about their potential contributions, as well as more direct consultation with Indigenous constituencies.

Ganter, E. (2016) Reluctant Representatives: Blackfella bureaucrats speak in Australia’s north, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Monograph Series, Canberra: ANU Press.

Lahn, J. (2018) Being Indigenous in the Bureaucracy: Narratives of Work and Exit, International Indigenous Policy Journal, No 9(1), 1-17.