Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said the success of the Legal Service demonstrates that indigenous organisations can compete in an open and competitive tender process. “It illustrates it is possible to provide professional, culturally appropriate legal services to indigenous Australians while also ensuring value for money,” Ruddock said.

The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia demonstrated the capacity and has a proven track record of providing high quality, comprehensive legal and support services in that state, said Ruddock.

Western Australia was the second state in which the request for tender to provide legal services to indigenous Australians was released. The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia is the largest community based Aboriginal Legal Service in the country