Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 15 September in parliament’s Mural Hall I participated in the launch of the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council. It was a memorable evening for all who were there, but especially so for Michael McLeod, whose vision had finally come to fruition. I know Michael McLeod personally and have an understanding that for him this has been a triumph of will over fortune. Many of Michael’s longstanding friends, like Col and Melissa Markham, were there to celebrate Michael’s success.

A member of the stolen generation, Michael was removed from his parents at two years of age and lived through a turbulent youth in foster homes and institutions. This legacy saw him entangled in substance abuse and despair until such time as treatment opened a new chapter in his life. He was attracted to the internet and decided to try his hand at helping others to access it. In the process he established Australia’s first indigenous ISP. Fifteen years later, Michael together with his mentor and business partner, Dug Russell, is now the successful owner and manager of the multimillion dollar communication business Message Stick. In this remarkable journey, Michael McLeod stands as an inspiration to us all.

Not content to rest on his remarkable personal achievements, Michael became a passionate advocate for the creation of an Australian Indigenous minority supplier council, inspired by a similar successful model in the United States, as well as in Canada and the UK. In the early days of the Labor government, I was able to put Michael in contact with the then newly elected member for Corio and chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Richard Marles. It was both a fruitful and fortuitous meeting. At the time, the standing committee was undertaking an inquiry which led to the report Open for business: developing Indigenous enterprises in Australia.

The Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council has now been launched with 32 founding corporate members and 15 Indigenous businesses and strategic partners, most of whom were present on that memorable evening. The corporates there read like a list of who’s who of the Australian Stock Exchange—IBM, Qantas, Citigroup, Wesfarmers, Telstra, Rio Tinto, Harvey Norman and Woolworths, to name just a few. At the launch, I sat next to Gavin Lester, a former Rugby League player and mentor of young Indigenous people, who is now a part-owner of the Sydney based building company X-Site. Gavin made it clear that his involvement was about real business outcomes—not special treatment but just the chance to win contracts to create employment and generate wealth for his people.  

The council’s role is to connect Indigenous businesses with the procurement processes of mainstream, blue-chip companies. As we know, vibrant Indigenous businesses will be a powerful driver in closing the gap for Indigenous Australians. I congratulate the Rudd Labor government for providing seed funding for the council. I am sure that over time it will prove to be an investment that helps foster and encourage other businesses.

Michael McLeod’s grit, determination, intelligence and vision will leave a lasting legacy through the creation of the council. Let us hope that in the future there will be many hundreds of Indigenous Australians walking in the footsteps of Michael McLeod.