'Waste of money': Promise to dump Indigenous position

Australia's First Nations ambassador would be axed on "day one" under a coalition election promise, as Labor stands by the value of Indigenous diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific.

Describing the role as a "waste of money", Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the nation had higher priorities.

"If it is the case that we win the next election, that position will be abolished on day one, and that money will be spent to help Australians who are struggling at the moment to keep a roof over their head, or to pay their electricity bill," Mr Dutton told 2GB radio on Monday.

Ambassador for First Nations People Justin Mohamed has taken nine overseas trips, with taxpayers forking out more than $100,000 on business class flights, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The visits, including to the US, Switzerland, Vanuatu and Dubai, added up to $350,000.

Mr Dutton said no one could point to what the position had achieved.

"It's the only position of its nature in the world," he said.

"It'll be a very different way of governing if we win the next election. But at the moment, the waste, I think, is just frustrating and annoying people because they haven't got enough money in their own budget, but they've got the prime minister flying this guy around the world business class, doing I don't know what."

A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong defended Mr Mohamed and his team, saying they had delivered results.

"First Nations diplomacy is a powerful element of our engagement with the Pacific given the strong First Nations cultural and historical connections with our region," she said.

"It is one of the ways we are rebuilding our relationship with the Pacific family after Mr Dutton and the Liberals disrespected Pacific leaders and neglected Pacific priorities over nine long years, leaving a vacuum for other countries to fill.

"The Albanese government will continue doing everything we can to make Australia a partner of choice for the region."

Mr Mohamed has helped secure greater access for Indigenous people to the Human Rights Council, and was essential to delivering a groundbreaking treaty securing formal recognition of First Nations people's genetic resources and traditional knowledge, the spokesperson added.

China's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific has alarmed Australia and the US.

The move by the Solomon Islands in 2022 to sign a security pact with Beijing, allowing a Chinese police presence in the country, caught Australia off guard.

While Beijing has previously approached Papua New Guinea with a policing deal, its government reaffirmed Australia remained its security partner of choice.

The coalition, when it was last in government, supported Indigenous businesses to expand market access by sponsoring delegates to attend the World Indigenous Business Forum in Canada in 2019.

A federal election must be held by late May 2025.