Divina D’Anna’s rise from small Kimberley community to re-election: A story of hope for young Aboriginal women

Re-elected Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna describes her rise from a small Kimberley bush community to a second term in Parliament a story of hope for young Aboriginal women. “I was this little girl from a small community up in the Kimberley bush, and have gone on to do these things. If I can achieve that, so can they,” Ms D’Anna said. The Labor MP made these timely comments on International Women’s Day at Broome’s Sun Pictures, where she held her election night event. Her victory in the sprawling regional seat of Kimberley, helped Labor secure an overwhelming majority, winning at least 40 seats in the 59-member Legislative Assembly. While not as devastating for the Liberals as the 2021 election result, when they won only two seats, it was still a landslide for Labor. The Liberals secured five seats and the Nationals four, while a few remaining seats are yet to be counted. Ms D’Anna won Kimberley with a significant margin although at the time of writing, vote counting was continuing. Runner-up Darren Spackman, formerly a Liberal candidate and now an independent, said that even before he was forced to resign from the Liberal Party, he had never expected to win. Mr Spackman was sacked by the Liberal Party following an interview with The West Australian in late February, where he made controversial remarks about youth crime in the region. The Kununurra bottle shop owner was quoted saying his past view on young offenders had been “hang the c....”, but he claimed his views had since changed. The comments led to his forced resignation and condemnation from Liberal leader Libby Mettam, who stated such behaviour would not be tolerated from any candidate. Despite this, Mr Spackman remained on the ballot as a Liberal candidate because the ballot papers had already been printed. He said the pre-election media coverage likely cost him votes. “It would have had to have cost me votes. So many people said, ‘I didn’t think you were running,’ or, ‘we thought we couldn’t vote for you’, because I was dis-endorsed,” he said. “A lot of people said they weren’t going to support the Liberal Party,” he added. Greens candidate Jaala Ozies had significantly increased the party’s vote, compared to the 2021 State election at the time of writing. She said the increased support signalled that people were deeply concerned about protecting the Kimberley environment from the threat of fracking. “The Kimberley community is becoming more aware of the urgent need for environmental protection and social justice,” Ms Ozies said. “People are recognising that the Greens are the only party consistently calling for a complete ban on fracking in the Kimberley — something that’s already banned in other parts of WA.” Ms Ozies also urged Ms D’Anna to deliver policies “that uplift our communities and respect the cultural heritage and identity of the people who call the Kimberley home.” However, the empowerment of Kimberley communities is a value Ms D’Anna doesn’t need to be reminded of, as it is central to her leadership. “I will continue to do the work and deliver, as my Labor Government has, on empowering families and communities — whether its through infrastructure, programs or support,” Ms D’Anna said. The re-elected Kimberley member emphasised her priority of strengthening community cohesion as a key strategy for reducing crime. “One of my passions is strengthening our communities, rather than just looking at it as crime reduction,” Ms D’Anna said. Wyndham Youth Aboriginal Corporation worker Tremane Baxter-Edwards said Ms D’Anna is an icon for Kimberley youth to look up to for leadership. “She has had to fight her whole life to get to where she is. My passion and drive come from Divina,” Mr Baxter Edwards said. The 18-year-old, who has his own political ambitions, praised her ability to represent what the Kimberley is. “She is non-partisan when it comes to important decisions across the Kimberley, including infrastructure, housing and health care,” he said. According to a report in The Sunday Times, multiple Labor sources have said she will be seriously considered for a Cabinet promotion by Premier Roger Cook. Speculation is rife within Labor circles that if promoted to Cabinet, Ms D’Anna could become the first Indigenous woman to be appointed WA Aboriginal affairs minister. When asked about the possibility of making history as the State’s first Indigenous MP to become minister, Ms D’Anna said she was focused on her role in the Kimberley but would be honoured to accept a Cabinet position. Ms D’Anna welcomed the challenge of becoming a minister while serving such a big electoral district spanning four local government areas and 423,517sqkm. “Being an Aboriginal woman from the Kimberley we are used to having communal family structures, where we have to juggle multiple things, maintaining our families, communities and having a job,” she said.