Qld government accused of campaign to remove Aboriginal people from health roles

Joshua Creamer says Project Invisibility referred to a longstanding pattern of removing Aboriginal leaders from public office and not replacing them. (AAP: Keira Jenkins)

Queensland Health insiders say the government has failed to fill key Aboriginal leadership roles for the state's hospitals.

Indigenous barrister Joshua Creamer says this has been referred to as "Project Invisibility" within the halls of government.

Queensland's health minister says they are searching for Indigenous health directors for Metro North and Metro South.

The Queensland government has breached its own laws by failing to appoint Indigenous leaders on the state's health and hospital boards, part of what insiders say is a concerted campaign dubbed "Project Invisibility".

The existence of Project Invisibility was first revealed on 612 ABC by Joshua Creamer, who was sacked when the state government scrapped the Truth Telling and Healing Inquiry he chaired.

The Indigenous barrister said Project Invisibility was the name used internally to refer to the government's ongoing removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from leadership roles since the election in 2024.

Mr Creamer said there was a well-established pattern of removing experienced and prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders from public boards and independent statutory authorities, demoting key public servants and defunding important Indigenous community programs.

"You look at the abolition and dampening of Indigenous voices since October 2024, there's a very active process to make sure that happens."

Under laws passed by the previous Labor government, each region's health and hospital board is required to have at least one Indigenous member.

The legislated roles were designed to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait health outcomes, following a damning 2017 report that found widespread racism inside Queensland Health.

However, 612 ABC can reveal that there are no Indigenous directors on either of Brisbane's two major health boards: Metro North and Metro South, which provide health and hospital services for 2.4 million people in South East Queensland.

Metro South Director Donisha Duff was given five days' notice to vacate her role on March 31, and has not been replaced.

At Metro North, Indigenous board member Adrian Carson elected to leave his role on March 31 and was not replaced.

A highly placed Queensland Health source told 612 ABC the removals had impacted Aboriginal health delivery across Queensland.

"Metro South takes in Logan and oversees health services for the largest Indigen