‘Right skin colour’: Victorian Government slammed over race-based contracts

News24 host James Macpherson condemns Victoria’s Indigenous business certification system after several companies had their credentials suspended or revoked amid black-cladding allegations.

“There was a time in this country when winning a government contract was pretty simple. You demonstrated experience, competence, reliability and value for money. Not so much anymore,” Mr Macpherson said.

“In Victoria, companies can access millions of dollars in government work by satisfying a rather different qualification: Their ancestry.

“Several Victorian businesses have had their Indigenous certification suspended or revoked amid allegations of black cladding.

“It has become so ugly that some Indigenous businesses claim rival Aboriginal groups are trying to have their certifications revoked to steal their contracts.

“The Government should want Indigenous businesses to succeed because they are good businesses. Not because they have the right skin colour.”