Applications open – 2022 Pathways to Politics Program for Women

  • Home
  • Candid Conversations
  • Workshops
  • Donate
  • Publications
  • News
  • Videos
  • Books
  • What we do
  • About us
  • Our Advisors
  • Contact Us
  • More
    • Home
    • Candid Conversations
    • Workshops
    • Donate
    • Publications
    • News
    • Videos
    • Books
    • What we do
    • About us
    • Our Advisors
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Candid Conversations
  • Workshops
  • Donate
  • Publications
  • News
  • Videos
  • Books
  • What we do
  • About us
  • Our Advisors
  • Contact Us

First Nations advisors

Cr Domonic WY Kanak

(Erub/Epi)


Cr Dominic WY Kanak has been Greens Councillor for Bondi Ward since 1999 and has held the positions of Deputy Mayor from 2007-2008 and 2017-2019.  


He was born on Yuwibara Country, Mackay, Queensland. I’m Torres Strait (Erub) and South Sea Islander (Epi). I’m a proud TI grandfather of a Murri-Yorta-Yorta Family.


Dominic is Chair of the East Region Local Government First Nations Forum and is the President of the NSW Local Government Aboriginal Network.    With over 22 years in politics, Dominic is one of the longest serving Indigenous Councillors in the country.

Cr Emelda Davis

(Australian South Sea Islander, First Nations, Caribbean)


Ms. (Waskam) Emelda Davis is a passionate resident of Pyrmont with strong links to the local community, as well as a strong advocate for cultural diversity and greater inclusion for her Indigenous, Pacific, and Australian South Sea Islander communities. 


Emelda Davis is proud of her diverse indigenous ancestry as as second-generation Australian South Sea Islander of First Nations and Caribbean descent. Emelda has worked for federal, state, community and grassroots organisations where she has exhibited diverse expertise in community development, education, training, media, and marketing. 


As chairwoman of the Australian South Sea Islanders (Port Jackson) (ASSIPJ) since 2009 under Emelda’s leadership ASSIPJ have revived the focus on ‘the call for recognition’ for the descendants of Australia’s Blackbirding trade through the coordination of seven ‘Wantok’ national workshops between 2012-2015, and the development of the National Australian South Sea Islander Association constitution adopted at Tweed Heads New South Wales (NSW 2015). Holding a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Technology Sydney Emelda was awarded partial funding through the Networking Tranby ARC Scholarship for her work on Children of the Sugar Slaves – ‘Black and Resilient.’ Emelda is founder of The Black Collective AU working group in 2018 and was key advocate in 2019 towards the establishment of the Australian Museums – Pacific Cultural Collection Advisory Panel of which she sits followed by the appointed to the Board of Trustees for the International Coalition Sites of Conscious and Sydney NSW – International Council on Monuments and Sites committee. More recently Emelda is a committee member for the COVID-19 response Health Directory for Pacific Communities coordinated by state representative NSW Council for Pacific Communities and Multicultural NSW. Achievements include: • 2020 CALD Advisory Panel for Women’s Business • 2020 Women for Election Australia, Ambassador • 2020 Parliament of NSW Community Recognition Statement – Legislative Assembly • 2020 Premiers Multicultural Community Medals (Settlement Services International NSW Human Rights Medal) • 2020 Masters of Arts (FASS) Children of the Sugar Slaves ‘Black & Resilient’ • 2017 Rotary Inspirational Women’s Award • 2017 Inspirational Wall Medal, Ultimo – Public School Sydney NSW • 2016 NSW Women of the Year (Sydney Local) • 2015 NSW Council for Pacific Communities Award As the director for Onyx Management Group since 2004, Emelda has worked consistently and diligently in resourcing Indigenous, Australian South Sea Islander, Pacific, POC and broader community practitioners to deliver projects on a multitude of platforms producing film, television, sports, event management, music and entertainment projects for grassroots, corporate and private sectors. 

Warren Roberts

(Thunghutti/Bundjalung)


Warren is a proud Thunghutti and Bundjalung man who has extensive experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities having worked for NGO's and universities, as well as local, state and federal government.


In his early career, Warren was Research Officer for NSW Upper House President in the Parliament of NSW. 


In 2010, he was the National Union of Students National Indigenous Officer and was Campaign Coordinator of the National Indigenous Students "Equal Education, Equal Representation Campaign". Founder of YARN Australia in 2007 in Sydney. 


In 2012, Warren launched Deadly Politics which is an online political advocacy platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 


Currently, he is the Coordinator for the Redfern Waterloo Aboriginal Affordable Housing Campaign Alliance of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and Allies.  


Politics runs in the family as Warren’s Aunty Patricia Dixon was the first Aboriginal woman elected to local government in New South Wales in 1983, and the first Aboriginal woman federal candidate for the Australian Labor Party.   

Masepah Banu

(Boigu, Torres Strait Islands)


Masepah Banu (Mas) is a Boigu Islander from the Torres Strait Islands who acknowledges his Aboriginal heritage from Taepithiggi, the community of Mapoon in western part of Cape York Peninsula.  He has extensive experience in governance as Project Officer at the Office of Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, Chairperson for the ACT Torres Strait Islander Corporation, Member to the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body and Delegate to the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples.  Currently, Mas is an Engagement Officer to the Australian Electoral Commission where his role is to educate First Nations people on enrolling to vote and engaging in opportunities to work at polling centres in upcoming elections. Mas is also a traditional dancer and performs Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander dancing at schools, in government departments and on cruise ships.  His dancing has opened opportunities for him to perform overseas in countries such as Brazil, Qatar and Vietnam.

Marie Barbaric

(Dunghutti/Gamilaroi) 


Marie Barbaric is a proud Dunghutti and Gamilaroi woman and CEO of Koori Kulcha Experience, which provides catering, cross-cultural training, team building workshops and tourism. She is a Director of Illawarra Wingecarribee Aboriginal Alliance; a Director of Hume Coal Charity; and lead negotiator for OCHRE , the community focused plan of the NSW Government.    Marie is also Director of Women's Business and has completed political training with Women for Election Australia and Pathways to Politics Program for Women at UNSW.

  • Donate

Politics in Colour

903/50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000

M: 0430 153 201

Copyright © 2022 Women's Business Australia Pty Ltd 

t/a Politics in ColouR Global - All Rights Reserved.

ABN: 63 636 363 669