About the Elected Body

Did you know? The ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia with a democratically elected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to government.

What we do

The Elected Body represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Canberra. We take your ideas and concerns straight to the changemakers, so we can get results on issues that are important to us.

We support all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans to be more engaged in shaping their own future. We do this by:

• understanding and representing our communities needs and priorities
• supporting the development of local government policy and services that meet our community’s needs
• advocating for accountability, transparency and effectiveness in achieving social and economic outcomes for our community.

If you want to see change in our local community, we can help make that happen.

As a member of the Coalition of Peaks, we have a national responsibility to help shape Closing the Gap too.

Learn more about our work

Members representing you

Each member of our Elected Body is democratically voted in by Canberra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. They are then appointed to the Elected Body for 3 years on a part-time basis. Our Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson are voted into their roles by the elected members.

Our members come from different backgrounds and work experiences. This makes our Elected Body strong and unique. Some members have lived and worked in Canberra for their entire lives and working careers. Others bring in their wealth of knowledge from working with other communities.

As a representative group, the Elected Body shares the same vision: supporting Canberra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community for the better. With our life experiences and dedication combined, the Elected Body is committed to making changes happen in the ACT.

Meet our members

Portfolio responsibilities

The Elected Body has direct involvement in contributing to the development of key agreements, policies and programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the ACT. Each Elected Body member has their own portfolio responsibility.

• Maurice Walker (Chair) – Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development; CIT; the Coalition of Peaks
• Bradley Bell (Deputy Chair) – Health
• Paul Saley – City and Environment Directorate and Digital Canberra
• Deanne Booth – Education and Infrastructure Canberra
• Kaylene McLeod – Justice and Community Safety
• Helen Wright – Health and Community Services Directorate (non Health areas)
• Tucky Coolie – No portfolio yet (new member)