WAYNE “COCO” WHARTON ENTERS SENATE RACE, PUSHES FOR FIRST NATIONS VOICES IN PARLIAMENT
BY TANGIORA HINAKI AND RENATA KELLY
Wayne “Coco” Wharton, a long-time Aboriginal rights advocate from Queensland, has launched a Senate bid, saying it’s time to shift the conversation from disappointment to representation.
Wharton has spent decades campaigning for sovereignty and self-determination. Now, he wants to bring that fight into federal politics. He’s urging people who backed the Voice referendum to keep pushing for change through the ballot box.
“If people supported the Voice and they’re disheartened, this is a way to make amends—to put a voice in Parliament,” he said.
Wharton isn’t running under a major party banner. He sees independence as a strength. “Before this, we had very few allies, very little understanding of what was going on,” he said. “The odds were against us.”
He argues the Senate gives space for Indigenous leadership without the limits of party politics. He’s encouraging Queenslanders and voters across the country to back First Nations candidates.
His campaign leans on years of activism and a clear critique of how both Labor and the Greens have handled land rights issues. He points to the Mabo decision as an example of how governments delayed progress. “What they do is defer and distract us,” he said. “Most people, black and white, are sick of the distractions and just want to address the real issues.”
Wharton’s campaign has taken him from the Torres Strait and Cape York to Cairns, Normanton and down to Brisbane. He says the support on the ground has been steady and moving—both from Indigenous communities and the broader public.
From Sherberg to the southeast, he’s seen volunteers step up and interest grow online. “It’s very humbling,” he said. “Seeing the support from my mob and the broader public shows people are ready for change.”
Wharton says his focus will stay on truth-telling, justice, and building political movements grounded in Indigenous sovereignty.
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