The secretary of the Attorney-General's Department has conceded the department needs to do better in its efforts to attract First Nations staff, as it tracks well below its staffing targets.
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At Senate estimates on Thursday, department officials confirmed 25 of its 2142 staff members (1.3 per cent) identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The department has a target to achieve 5 per cent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in the APS and EL ranks by the end of 2024.
Department officials also confirmed there were no First Nations people at the senior executive service level, despite a target for 3 per cent First Nations representation at that level by the end of 2024.
Secretary Katherine Jones also confirmed the department's Reconciliation Action Plan had expired in 2022.
![Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Katherine Jones, pictured faced Senate estimates on Thursday. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Katherine Jones, pictured faced Senate estimates on Thursday. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/146508744/ffc08f65-81ed-4bce-a31f-a3811696b5d4.JPG/r0_4_1620_918_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The plan had lapsed during the COVID-19 period and the department was focused on other things at the time, assistant secretary Bridie Dawson told to committee.
"Well, you see, that's often the case, isn't it?" Greens senator David Shoebridge said on Thursday.
"That when there are resource pressures, when there are other things on the table, it's the Reconciliation Action Plan, the advancement of First Nations staff to SES levels, they're the things that get cut aren't they, secretary?"
Ms Jones conceded she and the executive board were not satisfied with the department's progress in achieving its targets.
She said the department was working to establish a new Reconciliation Action Plan.
"We want to get the balance right of doing it appropriately and thoroughly, but not overburdening the First Nations staff that we have in the department who are engaging on it," Ms Jones said.
"But my frank response to you is I'm not satisfied with where we are in terms of achieving our employment targets and we need to do better."
'We'd say fail': Greens senator grills department boss
Senator Shoebridge pressed the department boss on what measures the department had achieved in its First Nations inclusion strategy.
![Greens senator David Shoebridge. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Greens senator David Shoebridge. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/pMXRnDj3SUU44AkPpn97sC/d0bdff9f-75bf-4a67-95ef-8506d68cb0da.jpg/r0_0_7755_4377_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"If we were to measure the actions against leadership positions, we'd say fail. Against employment numbers, we'd say fail. Against even just having a current Reconciliation Action Plan, we'd say fail," he said.
"Are there any measures you can point to where we wouldn't say fail?"
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Ms Dawson pointed to the department's diversity and inclusion strategy "which goes to many actions to improve First Nations engagement", she said.
"We have also been working closely with our colleagues across the department on closing the gap priority reform strategies as well and heavily engaged with our [Indigenous Environmental Network] to improve employment outcomes.
"But I agree with the secretary, there's certainly more that we can do."