Jack Ah Kit

{{short description|Australian politician (1950–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Jack Ah Kit | image = Jack Ah Kit.jpg | caption = Ah Kit in 2004 | office = Member of the Parliament of the Northern Territory for Arnhem | term_start = 7 October 1995 | term_end = 16 June 2005 | predecessor = Wes Lanhupuy | successor = Malarndirri McCarthy | party = Labor Party |birth_name= John Leonard Ah Kit | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1950|7|22}} | birth_place = Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2020|7|12|1950|7|22}} | death_place = Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | partner = Gail Canendo | children = Ngaree Ah Kit, Jonathan Ah Kit }}

'''John Leonard Ah Kit''' (22 July 1950 – 12 July 2020) was an Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Arnhem in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1995 to 2005.

==Early life== Ah Kit was born on 22 July 1950 in Alice Springs, the fifth child in a Jawoyn family of 13. He moved with his family to Darwin in 1954.<ref name=Territory/> He attended Darwin and Parap primary schools and Darwin High School.<ref name=CDU>{{cite web|title=Honorary Awards John Ah Kit|url=http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/honorary-awards/John-Ah-Kit.pdf|website=Charles Darwin University|accessdate=19 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222042836/http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/honorary-awards/John-Ah-Kit.pdf|archive-date=22 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Biography== In 1983, he was elected to the Full Council of the Northern Land Council (NLC) representing Aboriginal people in the Katherine region. In 1984 he was appointed Director of the Northern Land Council from 1984 to 1990. He resigned in 1990 to contest the seat of Goyder for the Labor Party.<ref name=CDU/> He played an important role in 1991 in Jawoyn efforts to stop the mining of gold, palladium and platinum at Coronation Hill in 1991, Ah Kit was instrumental in the Jawoyn traditional owners’ battle to prevent gold, palladium and platinum mining at Coronation Hill, the resting site of Jawoyn creator being Bula.<ref name="allam">{{Cite news|title=John Ah Kit: leader and tireless advocate for Aboriginal rights dies aged 69|last=Allam|first=Lorena|work=The Guardian|date=13 July 2020|accessdate=14 July 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/13/john-ah-kit-leader-and-tireless-advocate-for-aboriginal-rights-dies-aged-69}}</ref>

Ah Kit was executive director of the Jawoyn Association from 1991 to 1995 before his election to parliament in a by-election following the resignation of Wes Lanhupuy. He served as a minister in the first term of the Martin Government, a historical milestone as he was the first indigenous minister in the Territory's history. When elected to parliament, John Ah Kit became the ninth Indigenous parliamentarian in Australian history.<ref name=Territory/> {{NT parlbox header}} {{NT parlbox|term=7th|start=1995|end=1997|party=Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory Branch)|electorate=Arnhem}} {{NT parlbox|term=8th|start={{NT election link|1997}}|end=2001|party=Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory Branch)|electorate=Arnhem}} {{NT parlbox|term=9th|start={{NT election link|2001}}|end=2005|party=Australian Labor Party (Northern Territory Branch)|electorate=Arnhem}} |}

While in parliament he held a number of portfolios: * Minister for Community Development * Minister for Housing * Minister for Local Government * Minister for Sport and Recreation * Minister for Regional Development * Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Indigenous Affairs<ref name=Territory>{{cite web|title=Biographic details: John Ah Kit, MLA for Arnhem|url=http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/bitstream/handle/10070/76143/140205_Bio_Ah_Kit_John.pdf?sequence=2|website=Territory Stories|accessdate=19 July 2015|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721232500/http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/bitstream/handle/10070/76143/140205_Bio_Ah_Kit_John.pdf?sequence=2|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ah Kit retired in 2005 citing ill health.<ref>{{cite web|first=Antony|last=Green|author-link=Antony Green|title=Retiring MPs|work=2008 Northern Territory Election|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|year=2008|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nt/2005/guide/departingmps.htm|accessdate=30 October 2010}}</ref> His daughter Ngaree Ah Kit was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2016. Ah Kit died at Royal Darwin Hospital on the evening of 12 July 2020, aged 69.<ref name="abcnews">{{cite news|title=Trailblazing NT Aboriginal cabinet minister John Ah Kit dies, aged 69|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-12/first-nt-aboriginal-cabinet-minister-john-ah-kit-dies/11000476|accessdate=12 July 2020|work=abc.net.au|date=12 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="death">{{cite news|title=Former NT Labor Cabinet minister John Ah Kit dies|url=https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/the-nts-first-aboriginal-labor-cabinet-minister-jack-ah-kit-dies-in-hospital/news-story/4efb7a91766b79f15004940edd3ad579|accessdate=12 July 2020|work=The NT News|date=12 July 2020}}</ref>

==Awards== * 2007 National NAIDOC Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award – John (Jak) Ah Kit * Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa awarded by the Council of Charles Darwin University<ref name=CDU/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-nt}} {{s-bef|before=Wes Lanhupuy}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Arnhem|years=1995–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Malarndirri McCarthy}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ah Kit, John}} Category:1950 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Category:Indigenous Australian politicians Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:Australian politicians of Chinese descent