“I never thought that I would walk through the doors at the House of Representatives," Ken Wyatt told Living Black's Karla Grant.
As we know, he did just that in 2010, making history.
But this election Labor’s Tania Lawrence is a strong contender for Wyatt's seat of Hasluck, held on a thin margin.
It's one of three key seats that Labor has their eyes on in WA. If it were to fall, it could spell trouble for the government.
But Mr Wyatt remains hopeful of retaining his seat and returning to office.
“Elections are always interesting. Last time we were written off and we were returned.
"People make assumptions and the Australian people make a different decision. And people on election day will judge us.”
There’s also another reason why the Minister for Indigenous Australians hopes a Liberal Government is successfully re-elected.
Minister Ken Wyatt walks with Journalist Karla Grant through the halls of Federal Parliament (Source: Living Black)
“I'm hoping that we are returned because I have some unfinished business. I want to continue the work on the voice, I want to continue the work on the roadmap for skills development, employment, and wealth creation."
"I also want to continue the work on trying to tackle the issue of the levels of violence against our women.”
Even with twelve years of parliamentary service under his belt, Ken Wyatt is still not ready to leave politics just yet.
A great journey on Noongar country
To survive in the tough world of politics takes determination. They're qualities Wyatt displayed from his first moments.
“I was born in Roelands mission," he told Living Black.
"I was six weeks prem, which meant that I had to be raced to the Bunbury Regional Hospital. [My mother] was told to get a priest because I wouldn't make it.
"But something kept me there and I survived that and went on to have a great journey on Noongar country.”
There’s a sense of pride as Wyatt talks about his homeland and his love for the bush.
Ken Wyatt as a child at Roelands Mission (Source: Supplied)
“I love wandering through and marvelling at trees that have been there for hundreds of years, listening to animals. And I feel grounded when I wander through the bush.
"Country's important, it's the essence of who we are.”
While Wyatt's heritage includes English, Irish and Indian, it’s his Aboriginal heritage, Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi, that he most identifies with.
"The Aboriginal side is very strong, and it's never been lost, and in fact, it continues to prevail.
"The issue for us has been the colour of our skin that is determined how we were treated during those early years, of my childhood and adult life.”
Life lessons, education, integrity and discipline
Wyatt is the oldest of ten children.
His father Don was a railway worker and his mother Mona, a domestic worker, was a member of the Stolen Generations. The importance of getting a good education was drummed into the children from an early age by their mother.
“If we missed school, we got a whack across the back of the legs. But she also said, 'You have to believe that you can achieve things... I don't want you having the same life I had.'
"She always wanted us to do well, and I can thank her for that because she gave me integrity, [and] she also gave me a passion for what I've done.”
Wyatt’s early education improved when the family moved from the town of Nannie to Perth, where Ken would receive coaching from his teacher Lynne.
As a teenager he would often keep himself busy by helping the family to bring in more money, whether by hunting for rabbits he could sell or doing manual labourer jobs in the school holidays.
Wyatt's neighbours recognised his precociousness, and banded together with the Rotary Club and the Country Women’s Association to raise the funds for his high school education.
Ken Wyatt's parents Don and Mona at Roelands Mission (Source: Supplied)
“I think that commitment by the CWA and the Rotary Club, was the pivotal point which gave me the opportunity to be sitting opposite you now,” he told Living Black’s Karla Grant.
After a short stint with the Land Tax Office, Wyatt decided he needed a more constructive job, and went on to teacher training at Churchlands and Mount Lawley Colleges in Western Australia.
For the next thirteen years he worked as a primary school teacher in the state’s school system.
A young Ken Wyatt from his time in the public service
Fire in the belly
Over the course of two decades Wyatt moved into leadership roles in Aboriginal education for the Department of Education of Western Australia, eventually serving as the director of Aboriginal education policy in WA.
He then became director of Aboriginal health in the state departments of health in NSW and WA.
“I saw the nexus between education and health. We had to get both right in order for our kids to succeed. I spent a lot of time in both those areas working with some great leaders.
"We were at the forefront of many of the protests, and we had a fire in our belly to make a difference for our brothers and sisters and our families, but also for our community and future generations.”
It was also during this time that Wyatt became politically active, and joined the Liberal Party.
Ken Wyatt as a school teacher in 1976 (Source: Supplied)
His inspiration for joining the Liberal Party was former Liberal senator Neville Bonner.
“When Neville first came into politics, we'd never had an Aboriginal person in this parliament.
"I was in awe of the fact that he had chosen to work in a place where the law was made, and he would've been lonely, and it would've been tough."
"Because even when I came in here, I made friends, but it was still tough because in the expectation from our people about what they want us to deliver, we have a party expectation and we also have our own electorate expectations, so you're juggling all three.”
Making history
Wyatt eventually stood for the in the seat of in the , winning the seat by a narrow margin.
He became the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives, and the third elected to the parliament following in the footsteps of Senators and .
At the opening of federal parliament in 2010, Aboriginal leaders held a traditional welcoming ceremony for Wyatt outside Parliament House and Noongar Elders presented him with a ceremonial cloak made of kangaroo hide called a bookha, signifying a leadership role in Noongar culture.
The first indigenous member of the House of Representatives Ken Wyatt delivers his maiden speech to the House of Representatives in Canberra, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010. (AAP Image / Alan Porritt) Source: AAP
His maiden speech was met with a standing ovation from both sides of the chamber. Wyatt has many fond memories of that day.
“John Alexander sent around an email to the members of the class of 2010. And he said, 'Given it's Ken standing up today to do the first speech on our side, can we all wear an Aboriginal tie, and the women wear an Aboriginal scarf?'
"[And] when I acknowledged Kevin for his Apology (to the Stolen Generations), I saw a tear run down his face. And he came up afterwards and just grabbed my hand and with both hands and just held them.
"He said, 'Thank you... I'm glad you're here.'"
Voice to government
Since becoming Minister for Indigenous Australians in 2019, Wyatt has been tasked with overseeing a co-design process to create an Indigenous voice to government.
At the time a promise was made to legislate on this before the next federal election. A promise that was never fulfilled.
“I had an expectation that I would then take the next step that would lead to legislation. But because of COVID, it slowed everything, and it was frustrating.
"But I haven't given up on a legislative voice."
"I still believe that we can achieve that, and then the next step is to look at where do we go in terms of constitutional recognition.
Minister Ken Wyatt speaking with Journalist Karla Grant (Source: Living Black)
"I’ve not lost sight of the key message in the Uluru Statement, which is about being heard, which is about having a say in determining our destiny at all levels, not just at a national level.
"The voice, the community level is going to have a say, and we are supporting that as a government. Cabinet had no qualms in supporting the local and regional voices. We want to get those right and then we’ll build from there.”
The full conversation can be viewed on NITV’s Living Black, Monday 9th May at 8.30pm or on SBS OnDemand.
