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The controversial Ambassador for First Nations Individuals had revealed a private quest to “show white Australia mistaken” whereas racking up a taxpayer-funded journey invoice now approaching $350,000.
A brand new official log of Justin Mohamed’s abroad journey exhibits his jetsetting price practically $100,000 between February and October this yr, together with greater than $40,000 for business-class fares to Japan, Switzerland and the US.
Mr. Mohamed was appointed by International Affairs Minister Penny Wong in March 2023. The function pays $400,000 a yr and isn’t discovered anyplace else on this planet. It’s backed by an workplace with 10 workers and a four-year price range of $13.6 million.
The abroad journey part of the job has been controversial since 2024 when then Opposition chief Peter Dutton declared he would abolish the place.
Extra just lately, main Aboriginal tutorial and human rights lawyer Hannah McGlade mentioned the ambassador function had “a documented historical past of in depth and costly journey and inns with out proof of actual outcomes to enhance the lives of Aboriginal individuals.”
In his first 20 months, Mr Mohamed’s worldwide journeys price about $250,000.
The tally is now touching $350,000 after a brand new doc disclosed the value of Mr Mohamed’s overseas diplomacy in 2025.
The doc – launched below the Freedom of Info Act – exhibits ten journeys between February and October this yr.
The most costly enterprise was to Japan, in August, which price $22,341, together with $17,566 for his airfares to Osaka and Sapporo. The flights have been costly as a result of they started in a distant a part of the Northern Territory.
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In July, he went to Geneva, racking up a invoice of $19,002, together with $13,810 for flights.
The third-most costly journey was to New York, in April, which price $15,234, together with $10,031 for flights.
Mr Mohamed has been to Vanuatu 5 instances, supporting work on a bilateral settlement. One of many journeys there was for one night time solely. His airfares for that journey price $3,674. The price of the fifth Vanuatu journey is unknown because it solely occurred this month.
Mr Mohamed revealed a few of his private motivations in a video interview with The Indigenous Enterprise Evaluation in June.
Speaking about his early days in Bundaberg, Queensland, he mentioned: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, the variations between them and the remainder of the group, principally you noticed it daily, and also you lived it.
“In order I sort of grew up I had a want to sort of do higher, to show white Australia mistaken.”
The video didn’t present any extra context for the remark.
Additional clarification from Mr Mohamed, Senator Wong’s workplace and the Division of International Affairs and Commerce received no response.
On the ambassador’s journey bills, DFAT repeated feedback first revealed in November that “First Nations worldwide engagement is a novel ingredient of Australia’s nationwide energy that can not be replicated by different international locations.”
DFAT didn’t clarify why Mr Mohamed went to Vanuatu for one night time.
Opposition overseas affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Money mentioned the Coalition doesn’t assist the Ambassador for First Nations Individuals function.
“Our focus is on insurance policies that ship actual enhancements on the bottom, not symbolic roles with excessive journey prices,” Senator Money mentioned.
The brand new element of Mr Mohamed’s ballooning journey invoice emerged per week after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese scrapped taxpayer-funded enterprise class flights and home journey perks for the households of federal politicians.
