Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy
Supply Nation Connect 2025 Kicks Off in Sydney
Hello everyone, it’s Malarndirri McCarthy, coming to you from the lands of the Ngunnawal people.
As a Saltwater woman from the Yanyuwa Garrwa people I acknowledge that you’re gathered on Gadigal Country and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
Thank you for all you to do drive Indigenous business growth and create opportunities.
Through your innovation, resilience and leadership, you are making a powerful impact, not just in your communities, but across the country.
Our government is deeply committed to working in partnership with First Nations people to support economic empowerment and self-determination.
This is about unlocking opportunity and building prosperity.
Over the past few weeks, I held a series of First Nations roundtables around the country, ahead of the Treasurer’s economic roundtable in Canberra this week.
It was a such a privilege to hear directly from First Nations businesses and organisations about the opportunities and challenges they face.
And an important opportunity to be part of the national conversation to help shape the discussions to come.
At the recent Garma Festival, the Prime Minister announced the First Nations Economic Partnership that has been co-designed with the Coalition of Peaks and the First Nations Economic Empowerment Alliance.
The Partnership will focus on supporting First Nations people and organisations to leverage land and Native Title, boost skills and education, create jobs and back businesses.
It’s another example of our government’s commitment to the Priority Reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, including shared decision-making.
The Partnership will develop a comprehensive First Nations Economic Framework.
This reflects a new approach, one that aims to support greater independence, real empowerment and lasting economic security.
The Partnership will also improve the funding model for Prescribed Bodies Corporate to help Native Title holders to build capacity and work with the private sector to build wealth.
At the same time, our government continues to support Indigenous businesses through initiatives like the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP), Indigenous Business and Employment Hubs, and the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy.
First Nations businesses already contribute over $16 billion a year to our national economy and employ more than 116,000 people.
But your impact goes far beyond the numbers.
Indigenous businesses are growing rapidly, creating jobs and reinvesting.
Because when First Nations businesses thrive, communities thrive.
Of course, true economic empowerment means partnership.
Not just with individual businesses, but with the organisations that represent and advocate for them.
This includes Supply Nation, Indigenous Business Australia and Indigenous business chambers – who play a powerful role in fostering the growth and development of businesses
And there are those who choose to buy from First Nations businesses, recognising the power of purchasing to strengthen communities and close the gap.
The IPP has been a game-changer.
Since 2015, more than 79,000 contracts with a total value of more than $12.6 billion have been awarded to over 4,400 Indigenous businesses.
This has helped stimulate entrepreneurship and enterprises across a range of sectors.
Now, 10 years on, we’re making improvements to strengthen eligibility criteria, to increase its ambition and drive better outcomes.
We’re looking at ways to make it easier for First Nations people to report ‘black cladding’ to regulators.
The Government is also increasing the Commonwealth’s Indigenous procurement targets.
This reflects the steady growth of the Indigenous business sector in capacity and capability since the IPP was introduced.
As we implement these reforms, as well as recommendations from the recent Australian National Audit Office report, we will continue to strengthen the IPP.
We must ensure that businesses benefitting are genuinely Indigenous owned and controlled.
Because integrity matters and because every contract awarded under the IPP should be a contract that builds real capability and long-term success.
We must go beyond compliance and embrace ambition.
Because your ambition and your success is not just your own.
It is a beacon for others.
Thank you everyone for your work – it is shaping a better future for all Australians.
https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/mccarthy/2025/speech-supply-nation-connect-2025-international-convention-centre-sydney