Portfolio — 6 August 2026

**First Nations Commissioner appointed to the Australian Tertiary Education Commission**

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations used a single media release to advance the Government's First Nations tertiary education agenda, announcing the appointment of Professor Mark Rose AM as First Nations Commissioner of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission for a five-year term commencing 17 August 2026 [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5]. Professor Rose brings more than four decades of experience in Indigenous education, including a recent role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Innovation) at Deakin University [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5].

The media release links the appointment to the Government's legislative agenda to uncap Commonwealth Supported Places for First Nations students, reporting that this reform contributed to a nearly 13 percent increase in First Nations university enrolments over the past three years [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5]. The Minister for Education endorsed the appointment, pointing to Professor Rose's leadership and its value in helping more First Nations students access and complete university qualifications [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5].

The portfolio frames the Commissioner role as a mechanism to advance First Nations self-determination and strengthen outcomes within the tertiary education sector [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5]. The announcement positions the ATEC as the institutional vehicle for this agenda, with the five-year term providing the Commissioner a sustained mandate to shape the ATEC's approach to First Nations participation and completion [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5].

The announcement carries a cross-portfolio dimension: the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations issued the release, while the Minister for Education provided the endorsing quotation, signalling joint ownership of the First Nations tertiary education agenda [TA-260806-dewr-ef684d3bffa5].