Federal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has flagged a possible shake-up of land rights and a reduction in fly-in, fly-out workers in remote Indigenous communities if the opposition wins government.

Called the Advancement Movement, Senator Price also indicated that more children should be removed from “dysfunction”, as she called for a renewed focus on First Nations family violence and sexual abuse of children.

But the proposals have been greeted with suspicion and derision by some high profile First Nations advocates, who criticised them as a return to old, failed policies of the past.

“I haven’t seen anything that isn’t a rehash of tired old policies … with a new coat of paint,” said Gangulu man Mick Gooda, a former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.

Senator Price’s Advancement Movement

As she readies for an official campaign with an election due by May next year, Senator Price is continuing to build on the high profile she gained when she opposed last year’s referendum on a Voice to Parliament.

This week, Newspoll found she was the second most-preferred candidate for Coalition leader, behind the current leader Peter Dutton, even though the likelihood of this happening politically is slim.

Senator Price said she would lead the “Advancement Movement”.

She expanded on some of her ideas in an interview with the ABC’s Indigenous Affairs Team and in an essay in The Australian.

Economic development and jobs

A key focus would be on economic development and jobs for First Nations people in remote communities.

She wants First Nations people to replace fly-in, fly-out workers in these communities.

“We need to be helping develop skills of locals in remote communities, instead of funding service providers to do everything,” she said.

The Warlpiri-Celtic woman from Alice Springs referred to the lengthy process of maintaining Indigenous housing in remote areas as an opportunity for locals to learn key skills.

“It can take months for something as simple as a tap to be fixed,” she said.

“But if locals have that knowledge, they can be carrying out that work within communities.”

‘Back of beer coasters’

Mick Gooda said he was reminded of the long-running Community Development Program (CDP) — which the Morrison government announced it would scrap in 2021 — which required First Nations people in remote communities to work or train for the dole.

The federal government has since announced a replacement for CDP, known as the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program (RJED).

“Her party abolished CDP in Central Australia and now she’s talking about reviving it,” Mr Gooda said.

“Where is the evidence that Senator Price is producing to support her arguments on the way forward?”

Native title, land rights changes 

For Senator Nampijinpa Price, reform of Aboriginal land rights for economic development will be a key policy she’ll take to next year’s election.

“I support private home ownership for all Australians, and particularly for Indigenous Australians,” she said.

“If that means we have to reform native title or the Land Rights Act, that’s the direction we need to go to.”

She said a key focus would be the protection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, from family violence and sexual abuse.

“I wouldn’t leave an Indigenous child in dysfunction, because it is suggested that their culture and connection to country is more important than actually upholding their human rights,” Senator Price said.

“We need to find ways where we can take these children out of dysfunction … so they’re not left to fester in these circumstances.”

Data released earlier this year shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are already 10.5 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.

Last year, the federal opposition’s call for a royal commission into child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities was criticised by children’s advocates and medical bodies, who said the issue should not be politicised.

Outside of remote communities, she believed there was less need for programs with “a specific Indigenous focus” in urban areas, where most First Nations people live.

“I wouldn’t say I’d put a stop to it,” she said.

“But what I’m saying is that I don’t necessarily think we need a specific Indigenous focus, when there is availability, when we should be treating everybody equally.”

Don’t make it political: Woodley

Yindjibarndi traditional owner Michael Woodley said the senator’s ideas were “more to do with politics” than “common sense”.

“Where I’m disappointed with all of this stuff, I think some of these things could have easily been dealt with, by a collective voice, you know, involving her and others as well, who opposed the voice, or the referendum,” Mr Woodley said.

“We could have really highlighted some of these issues and concerns and really, really put back a position to the government that represents all of the things that we see as challenges for First Nations peoples.”