Supporting First Nations children, protecting water sovereignty, and raising the age for juvenile detention.

These are just some of the policies being promoted by the country's only all-Indigenous political party —the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA).

Registered in 2021, the IAPA was started by Barkandji and Malyangapa man Owen Whyman. For the 2025 federal election, it is running six Senate candidates and three lower house candidates, and reports around 3,500 members.

Racquel Austin-Abdullah is the IAPA's lead Senate candidate in Victoria. With a background in education, especially helping Indigenous children and young people with language and culture in public schooling, the grandmother with Barkindji, Arrente and Afghan Cameleer ancestors was an early member of the IAPA.

She leans into Ms Whyman's long-held belief of water sovereignty and protecting the country's waterways, telling National Indigenous Times: "Healthy Rivers, healthy people".

On a personal level, Ms Austin-Abdullah leans towards the priority of Treaty, with a focus on child protection. Victoria has the highest level of Indigenous children in out-of-home care (OOHC) in the country.

"I would like to see reform," she said.

"We clearly have a disparity of kids in care…and how our families are treated is faceless; it's hidden; it's silent…it completely leaves families out" - Racquel Austin-Abdullah

The IAPA's website says Governments need to recognise "most Indigenous kids are removed for neglect, not abuse". It argues: "neglect is usually caused by poverty— Address poverty; don't remove kids".

A senate submission from community legal advocates this week argued the removal of children was a system working exactly as it was designed to, and Ms Austin-Abdullah is firm in her view.

"Clearly, the underpinning of the Protection Act; that has not changed since the 1800s," she said.

On the other end of the age spectrum, IAPA's other Victorian Senate candidate will be one of the youngest people running for parliament this election.

20-year-old nursing student Laylah Al-Saimary first gained passion for politics when she went on a school excursion to Mungo National Park on the lands of the Muthi Muthi, Nyiampaar and Barkindji people in primary school.

"We learned about the land and all of its benefits and how it cares for us, and we care for it back," she told National Indigenous Times.

"We spent three nights there, along with diverse kids around Australia. We had Indigenous mentoring programs and scientists out there educating us with the knowledge I've held to this day."

The Barkindji woman added: "At my grade six graduation, I said I wanted to be an environmental politician."

Having run in the Victorian state election as an 18-year-old, Ms Al-Saimary is campaigning to make a change for younger Indigenous people, who so often are silenced by the political class.

For the first time, Gen Z and millennials will outnumber baby boomers this election, with Al-Saimary saying this offers a "real chance to shape our own future and for the generations to come".

"For too long decisions have been made about us without us; sad to say this is how we feel in our own homeland," she said.

"Making sure our generations to come have better outcomes than we did, and we can share our experiences, ensuring our next generations don't have to fight for essential things like 'closing the gap'" - Laylah Al-Saimary

Asked where her priorities lie as a candidate, Ms Al-Saimary highlights the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in juvenile detention, and implementing mentorship programmes for children, as well as climate justice, affordable housing, and education.

"We need to protect and celebrate our beautiful culture," she says, arguing it needs to be "reflected in education and public spaces".

"We need to see real progress on Closing the Gap and Indigenous control of Indigenous schools and educating non-Indigenous [people] as well.

"We need to create a society where our people can thrive; where our rights are respected; where our culture is celebrated by everyone."

As with all smaller parties, difficulties in upsetting the big players don't diminish their importance. Regardless of where the votes fall on election day, the importance of Indigenous representation in Parliament remains paramount.

"We need to see more blackfellas in the Senate," Ms Austin-Abdullah says.

"We need to fill up those seats and agitate."