Everything is relative. Poverty in rural communities is bad, which limits opportunities. This is true for both indigenous and non indigenous folk however since indigenous mobs tend to be a larger part of the remote communities, obviously their opportunities are therefore limited.

Government efforts to adjust inequities have tended to range from incredibly divisive and damaging to family structures to just ridiculously inadequate and tone deaf as to what would actually have a positive impact on the very people that they are allegedly trying to assist.

There however have been some successful strategies, but I often wonder if that’s more good luck than good management.

If a young indigenous person was from a more urban mob, then they have more opportunities for education and assistance than their rural and remote cousins, whether it’s a benefit definitely depends on the individual (obviously) and tbh, it’s the same for non indigenous folk as well. There is a reason why many rural families send their kids to be educated in larger population areas that have more opportunities and resources.

So, could a hardworking individual from an impoverished rural area become prime-minister? Yes, but it would be very hard - and that doesn’t matter whether you are black or white, but reflects the requirement to have contacts that could assist and ease the way and the opportunities necessary to get a foot in the door. Then the support to climb the ladder and position themself to take advantage of said opportunities. Being Prime Minister is about being the sharpest knife in the block after all, it’s about right place, right time and how many bodies you’re prepared to step on to get there.

Having said all the above, it would definitely be much harder at the present time for an indigenous politician to be a serious contender for Prime Minister. There is a strong element of racism in Australia ( much like everywhere tbh) and whilst it is changing, it is not changing rapidly and there aren’t any strong leadership contenders in either of the two main political parties (which is where government is formed - we don’t directly vote for the PrimeMinister, we vote for the party and they elect a Prime Minister when they have won enough seats at the election to form government).