First Nations leaders are demanding a formal investigation into claims made by Brendan Moyle, former head of the ACT Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, that senior ACT public servants blocked work on government commitments to Indigenous people and ignored concerns about the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.

Mr Moyle’s allegations surfaced after independent MLA Thomas Emerson’s freedom of information request revealed he had raised internal concerns over two years before resigning in November.

In September 2025, Mr Moyle wrote a 13-page brief laying out “issues and serious concerns” that “continued to get worse” for more than two years, including a “lack of cultural capability and cultural safety”, insufficient resourcing, refusals to provide data required to report on government commitments, and “structural barriers and behaviours” that “intentionally block key bodies of work”. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff in his team faced “significant and increasing work health and safety risks”, the brief states, including “increasing reports of physical, mental and psychosocial stress”.

Local First Nations leader Joe Hedger said trust could not be rebuilt without a proper investigation and real accountability.

“For many of us who have worked closely with government, what has been described is unfortunately not surprising,” Mr Hedger said. “First Nations public servants are often asked to provide cultural advice and community insight, yet too often that advice is questioned, diluted or ignored by senior decision-makers.”

Mr Hedger said the situation exposed “a lack of trust in the expertise and advice of First Nations professionals”, and helped explain why progress against Closing the Gap had been so limited.

“You cannot expect better outcomes for First Nations people if the voices of First Nations professionals inside government continue to be ignored.”

The immediate past chair and deputy chair of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body (ATSIEB) said Mr Moyle’s allegations reflected their own experiences and needed to be investigated; those responsible must be held accountable to remove impediments to progress on Closing the Gap commitments. 

Former ATSIEB chair Tanya Keed said she had felt voiceless when engaging with the ACT Government despite being a democratically elected representative for First Nations Canberrans.

“I felt like my voice and contributions were fading to where it was extremely isolating and meaningless,” Ms Keed said. “The Minister is only as productive as the information that’s provided to them. When people think of racism they think of the colour of skin, but racism also lies deep within policies and practices.”

Former ATSIEB deputy chair Paula McGrady said the most frustrating aspect was time lost on government commitments under the signed ACT Agreement, which end in 2028.

“The agreements articulate, word for word, how to address the disadvantage we experience as First Nations people,” Ms McGrady said. “We are the experts on our lives, and we want to close the gap more than anyone. We can no longer just be advising; we have to be the decision-makers.”

Mr Emerson has called for the Chief Minister to launch a formal investigation with public findings and appropriate consequences, and said the matter could be referred to the Integrity Commission, the ACT Ombudsman, or the Public Sector Standards Commissioner.

“The Chief Minister signed the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Agreement in 2019,” Mr Emerson said. “Faced with allegations that senior public servants have operated in ways that are ‘completely contrary to’ the terms of that agreement, I’m struggling to understand why the Chief Minister hasn’t already asked the Integrity Commission or ACT Ombudsman to investigate this matter.”

Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton, who also holds the shadow portfolio for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, said the allegations were serious and deserved careful consideration. The party was open to examining whether an independent inquiry is warranted.

“No public servant should feel unsafe or unsupported in their workplace, and the claims outlined highlight the importance of transparency, accountability, and genuine engagement with First Nations staff.”

The ACT Government was asked for comment.