APY Lands Special General Meeting

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation a question about the APY lands special general meeting.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Recently, the APY have organised a special general meeting and it is floated for the dismissal of the APY general manager. My question is: does the minister intend to exercise any of his powers of intervention, and what action has the minister or his department taken to address this situation?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:34): I thank the honourable member for his question and his very genuine interest in these matters. I have been informed that a special general meeting was attempted to be held either last week or this week or over both times. I have asked for reports on what occurred at the special general meeting that was attempted to be held and, of course, will seek advice on anything that came out of that special general meeting.

I do note that next week we have fresh elections in the APY lands for a new executive. I would prefer there not to be any turmoil or any disagreements at all in the APY lands, but I do recognise that, just as we do occasionally in this place, elected members of what is an elected body disagree with each other occasionally and they have mechanisms under the act to try to look at how they resolve those disputes.

As I said, there is a fresh election. I understand nominations have closed. It takes place next week on the APY lands. That is under the new system that we passed in this place last year to change a number of things, including, for the first time, making sure that women are properly represented on the APY executive. I know the honourable member has asked me a number of times before, and we have had quite a lot of discussion about this, particularly the possible power to use an administrator. My position remains the same that I don't oppose using that power. I would be, of course, keen to give a fresh executive a fresh start, but that remains a very live option to use an administrator if governance becomes unworkable or difficult, as it has at various times in the past since the act was enacted in the early 1980s.