Qld minister tight-lipped about 'Project Invisibility' Indigenous sackings

John-Paul Langbroek says the reasons behind board removal decisions are confidential. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato) Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek will not say why his department removed eight Indigenous leaders from state cultural institutions, with two replacements. It follows allegations the state government is systematically removing Indigenous directors in a sustained campaign known internally as "Project Invisibility". Mr Langbroek's office says the decisions were by cabinet and are therefore confidential, and that cultural centres have Indigenous advisory panels and staff. Link copiedShareShare articleExperienced Indigenous directors have been removed from cultural institutions in Queensland in the latest example of what is believed to be a deliberate campaign by the LNP to withdraw prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from government boards. Leading Indigenous barrister Joshua Creamer first raised the alarm about what is known in government circles as "Project Invisibility", a sustained campaign to remove First Nations leaders from public boards and other senior government roles. Under the direction of the state's arts minister, John-Paul Langbroek, eight Indigenous directors have disappeared from the boards of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Museum and the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), with two replacements. Four of them were sacked midway through their appointed terms with no reason supplied for their removal. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by any individual. The Queensland government will not deny the existence of "Project Invisibility", a name a barrister says is used internally to refer to the deliberate removal of Aboriginal people from leadership roles. In response to enquiries, Mr Langbroek's office said the decisions were made by cabinet and were therefore confidential. The statement also noted the cultural centres have Indigenous advisory panels and staff. "At any time, individuals may be appointed to, or removed from, a board to ensure an appropriate balance of skills and experience is achieved." Both Indigenous directors of the QAGOMA Board of Trustees were sacked earlier this year, leaving them with no First Nations trustees. Bianca Beetson was removed more than a year before her term was due to expire. Bianca Beetson was made a Member of the Order of Australia this year for her services as an Indigenous educator and artist. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Scott McDonald) A prominent Indigenous artist, Dr Beetson is the executive director, First Nations, at the Queensland Museum and the chair of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. She was awarded an AM in the King's Birthday Honours list this month for significant service to Indigenous art as an educator, curator and artist. Gone also is David Williams, a Wakka Wakka man, who had originally been appointed to serve until November. Williams is co-founder and executive director of Gilimbaa creative agency. He is a former chair of the Queensland Museum Network's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee and an adviser to Opera Australia. He now chairs QAGOMA's First Nations Advisory Panel, which reports to the QAGOMA board. One of the most senior Indigenous elders in Queensland was sacked in February from the board of the State Library of Queensland, along with an Indigenous academic leading efforts to revive Aboriginal languages. Cheryl Buchanan, a Guwamu woman and renowned publisher, playwright, author and lecturer, says she was given 24 hours' notice of her removal from the board via a phone call from a departmental official in late February. Cheryl Buchanan feels "disrespected" by the Crisafulli government. (Supplied: Cheryl Buchanan) Aunty Buchanan has had a lifelong commitment to the rights of Aboriginal people. A founder of the Aboriginal Legal, Medical Services and Childcare Centre in Brisbane, she was involved in the Queensland treaty process and then served as a member of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry. She was sacked from that position when the Crisafulli government abolished the inquiry in one of its first acts in office. Aunty Buchanan told 612 ABC she felt the Queensland government was silencing dissenting Indigenous voices. "We're going back to the [master] days, like you have your head bowed, you're too afraid to put your head up and speak your mind because you might be out the door," she said. "It means you'll have the same old Eurocentric version of the world in your policies, everything you're doing within government will be white, anglicised." Gooreng Gooreng descendant Robert McLellan no longer serves on the state library board. It appears his role was also terminated 15 months before his term was due to end. The minister's office would not confirm which Indigenous cultural centre directors had been terminated, when or why. A senior project manager at t

Qld minister tight-lipped about 'Project Invisibility' Indigenous sackings

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